SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL 30TH FESTIVAL SEASON MARCH 28–APRIL 13, 2019 PROGRAM NOTES BY KEN MELTZER DANIEL HOPE & FRIENDS V Monday, April 8 at 6 pm Gran sestetto concertante in E-flat Major This performance features an anonymous Congregation Mickve Israel for String Sextet, after the Sinfonia arrangement, first published in Vienna in 1807, concertante, K. 364 (1779) for string sextet (pairs of violins, violas, and WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in cellos) of the Sinfonia concertante, K. 364. In (1756–1791) Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, and died the arrangement, the music originally written Gran sestetto concertante in E-flat Major in Vienna, Austria, on December 5, 1791. for the soloists (including the first and second for String Sextet, after the Sinfonia Approximate performance time is 30 minutes. movement cadenzas) is divided among the concertante, K. 364 (1779) SMF performance history: SMF premiere violins, violas, and first cello. The second cello is I. Allegro maestoso an accompanist throughout. II. Andante Mozart composed his Sinfonia concertante, K. III. Presto 364 in 1779, during his final years in Salzburg. It I. Allegro maestoso—Typical of Mozart, the was a difficult time for the young Mozart. He had opening portion of this movement features the INTERMISSION just returned from a two-year tour of Mannheim introduction of a wealth of thematic material. and Paris. During his travels, Mozart attempted, The development section is frequently tinged ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904) unsuccessfully, to secure a new position that with melancholy. The recapitulation of the central String Quintet in G Major, Opus 77 (1875) would allow him to fulfill his desire to leave his themes leads to a fully-transcribed cadenza. The I. Allegro con fuoco II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace native city. ensemble’s vigorous coda concludes the opening III. Poco andante movement. IV. Finale. Allegro assai The composer’s mother, Anna Maria, accompanied Mozart on the trip. On July 3, 1778, II. Andante—Some commentators have while in Paris, Anna Maria Mozart died, at the suggested that the Andante of the Sinfonia age of 57. In a letter to his friend, Abbé Bullinger, concertante—one of Mozart’s most beautiful Daniel Hope, violin Mozart revealed: and tragic slow-tempo movements—is a musical Benny Kim, violin expression of the composer’s grief over his Simos Papanas, violin Her life flickered out like a candle. Three mother’s death. The violins sing the Andante’s Paul Neubauer, viola days before her death she made her somber, principal theme. The Andante proceeds CarlaMaria Rodrigues, viola confession, partook of the Sacrament and in the spirit of an operatic ensemble, with the Eric Kim, cello received Extreme Unction. During the last instruments frequently offering whispered Keith Robinson, cello three days, however, she was constantly exchanges. After a cadenza (again, fully Joseph Conyers, bass delirious, and today at twenty-one minutes transcribed by Mozart), the Andante concludes past five o’clock the death agony began and with a hushed postlude. she lost all sensation and consciousness. I pressed her hand and spoke to her—but III. Presto—The first viola immediately presents she did not see me, she did not hear me, the vivacious central theme of the rondo finale. and all feeling was gone. She lay thus until The melody returns throughout the movement, she expired five hours later at twenty-one alternating with episodes that relate to the minutes past ten. principal theme. The vibrant mood continues to the closing fanfare, capped by a trio of emphatic A Sinfonia concertante juxtaposes a group of solo chords. instruments with the accompanying orchestra. In K. 364, the solo instruments are a violin and String Quintet in G Major, Opus 77 (1875) viola. The orchestra comprises pairs of oboes and horns and strings. In addition to his prowess as a Antonín Dvořák was born in Nelahozeves, keyboard virtuoso, Mozart was an accomplished Bohemia (now, the Czech Republic), on string player. No documentation exists as to the September 8, 1841, and died in Prague on May specific circumstances that prompted Mozart to 1, 1904. write his Sinfonia concertante. But Mozart rarely Approximate performance time is 35 minutes. composed music of this ambitious scope without SMF performance history: 3/26/14, 3/25/08 some specific concert in mind. Whether Mozart himself ever gave concert performances of either In the summer of 1874, Antonín Dvořák applied of the solo parts in this sublime work remains a for the Austrian State Stipendium, an award given matter of tantalizing speculation. by the Vienna Ministry of Education to “young, poor and talented artists.” The Prague SAVANNAHMUSICFESTIVAL.ORG | BOX OFFICE 912.525.5050 1 SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL 30TH FESTIVAL SEASON MARCH 28–APRIL 13, 2019 Town Clerk’s Office provided a certificate effort to assist his younger colleague. On III. Poco andante—The first violin leads the attesting to the fact that the 32-year-old December 12, 1877, Brahms wrote to his publisher, introduction of the slow-tempo movement’s composer was, indeed, in dire financial straits. Simrock: lovely principal melody, capped by a nostalgic, Dvořák submitted numerous compositions for sighing figure. The key shifts from C to E Major review by a distinguished panel that included Dear S. for another beautiful episode (L’istesso tempo) Johann Herbeck, Director of the Vienna Court that also contains moments of storm and stress. Opera, the noted music critic Eduard Hanslick, In connection with the State Grant The movement concludes with a reprise of the and the great German composer, Johannes I have for several years past had great opening section, capped by the first violin’s Brahms. pleasure in the works of Antonín Dvořák seraphic ascent to the pianissimo final bars. (pronounced Dworschak) in Prague… Dvořák succeeded in impressing the panel and, Dvořák has written all sorts of things, IV. Finale. Allegro assai—The spirit of Bohemian as a result, was awarded a considerable stipend. operas (Czech), symphonies, quartets and folk dance returns in the Finale. The first violin Karl Stremayer, the Minister of Education, piano music. There is no doubt he is very immediately presents the lively, wide-ranging reported: talented. And then he is also poor. I beg you principal theme. The first violin also leads the to think the matter over. The “Duets” won’t presentation of the descending subsidiary Anton DWORAK of Prague, 33 years old, give you much thought and will possibly sell principal melody, marked pianissimo and dolce. music teacher, completely without means. well. While the themes return throughout the rondo He has submitted 15 compositions, among Finale, Dvořák avoids any sense of routine by them symphonies and overtures for full Here, Brahms refers to Dvořák’s Moravian Duets, constantly varying their instrumental settings orchestra which display an undoubted published by Simrock in 1878. Their highly and colors. The first theme serves as the basis talent, but in a way which as yet remains successful distribution was the beginning of a for the Quintet’s dashing resolution. formless and unbridled…The fact that long and rewarding association. The influential Dvořák’s choral and orchestral compositions German publisher’s distribution of Dvořák’s have been performed frequently at music helped to catapult the Czech composer to big public concerts made a favorable international prominence. impression. The applicant, who has never yet been able to acquire a piano of his own, The String Quintet in G premiered in Prague deserves a grant to ease his straitened on March 18, 1875, featuring an ensemble that circumstances and free him from anxiety in included František Ondříček, who also was the his creative work. soloist in the 1883 world premiere of Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, Opus 53. Simrock published the In addition to that initial grant, awarded in the 1875 Quintet (two violins, viola, cello, and double- early part of 1875, Dvořák was the recipient of an bass) in 1888, and as a result the work bears the Austrian State Stipendium each of the following relatively late Opus No. of 77. two years. These awards provided Dvořák with the much-needed resources to pursue his career I. Allegro con fuoco—The Quintet opens with as a composer. a mysterious introductory passage. The viola intones a motif that finally emerges as the lively The 1875 grant seemed to inspire an first principal theme. The second violin, viola, and extraordinary period of creativity. In March of cello introduce the playful second, triplet-based that year, Dvořák completed his String Quintet in melody, marked both pianissimo and leggiero. G Major, Opus 77. Between May and July, Dvořák Following an extended development section, the composed the Piano Trio in B-flat Major, Opus viola leads the start of the varied recapitulation 21, the Piano Quartet in D Major, Opus 23, four of the principal themes. The opening theme “Moravian Duets” for soprano, tenor, and piano, prevails in the spirited closing measures. Opus 20, the Serenade in E Major for Strings, Opus 22, and the Symphony No. 5 in F Major, II. Scherzo. Allegro vivace—The rustic Scherzo (in Opus 76. E minor and 6/8 time) is very much in the spirit of Dvořák’s beloved Slavonic Dances. The elegant Perhaps of even greater long-term benefit was central Trio (L’istesso tempo, quasi allegretto) the fact that Dvořák’s application for the Austrian in C Major and duple meter spotlights the first State Stipendium brought the Czech composer violin’s flowing, radiant music. The movement to Brahms’s attention. The two would become concludes with a reprise of the Scherzo. dear friends. And, Brahms expended considerable SAVANNAHMUSICFESTIVAL.ORG | BOX OFFICE 912.525.5050 2.