Masur Takes the Reins Welcome, Music Director Ken-David Masur! For his inaugural concerts, the Maestro has chosen an all-German program. Music from two much-loved operas opens and closes the concert. In between, there’s Schumann’s lyrical piano concerto and a Brahms-inspired piece by Masur’s friend Detlev Glanert.

RICHARD WAGNER Born 22 May 1813; Leipzig, Germany Died 13 February 1883; Venice, Italy

Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Composed: 1862 (prelude); 1863-67 (opera) First performance: 1 November 1862; Leipzig, Germany (prelude) 21 June 1868; Munich, Germany (complete opera) Last MSO performance: November 2018; Johannes Debus, conductor Instrumentation: 2 flutes; piccolo; 2 oboes; 2 clarinets; 2 bassoons; 4 horns; 3 trumpets; 3 trombones; tuba; timpani; percussion (cymbals, triangle); harp; strings Approximate duration: 10 minutes

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (“The Mastersingers of Nuremberg”), the 12th of Richard Wagner’s 13 music dramas, is one of only two comic works in his compositional œuvre. (The other one, Das Liebesverbot (1834), is rarely – if ever – heard nowadays.) Meistersinger is a parable on the art of music, with a simple human love story at its center. The popular prelude – Wagner preferred the term “Vorspiel” rather than “overture, just ashe preferred the term “music drama” over “opera” – written and premiered far ahead of the larger work, boasts a multi-hued palette of orchestral color and melodic variety. In it, Wagner sets forth the various leitmotifs that will saturate the entire opus, music that ranges from the pompous to the humorous to the affectingly lyrical. It’s little wonder that the Vorspiel for Wag- ner’s stage work has served in the same capacity for many an orchestral concert. Recommended recording: Sir George Solti, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (London)  Masur Takes the Reins PROGRAM NOTES

Composed: ROBERT SCHUMANN Piano ConcertoinAminor, Opus54 Died 29July1856;Endenich(nearBonn),Germany 8June1810;Zwickau,Germany Born is recklessly pretty.” Indeed! “irresistible.” Hefurthernotedthat“thewholeconcerto,likeallSchumann’s deepestmusic, er-quotable SirDonaldFrancisTovey wasrightonthemoneywhenhecalled thework Throughout thishigh-spiritedfinale,there’s afelicitousinterlacingofmelodies.The ev- set in3/4time,hecreates amarch-like feelbydisplacingtheaccentedbeatsofbar. Schumann hasatrickuphissleeveforthesecondtheme, however. Thoughthemusicis The ebullientAmajorRondospringsfrom thegeneralcontourofthatsamemotif. remind usofthefirstmovement’s maintheme. of 16thnotes.Asthemovementconcludes,sound beginstodieawayandthewinds cellos introduce itsgentlyliltingsecondtheme,andthepianoanswerswithtenderripples note ascendingmotifisnotunlikeaportionoftheopeningmovement’s mainmelody. The ality reminds usofanynumberSchumann’s characterpiecesforsolopiano,andthefour- continuesthedialogueidea.Itsgentleperson- form, setinternary The FmajorIntermezzo, by oboes,clarinets,andbassoons. cludes witharefashioning oftheprincipaltheme –inabouncyacceleratedstylesounded soloist istoplay, arrestingly probing his materialwithsolopiano.TheAllegro affetuoso con- recapitulation leadstothemarvelouscadenza.Here, Schumannwrote outeverynotethe clarinet singsaboveitall.Aflashofbravadofrom thepianohaltsthisdaydream, thenthe ings: thestringsprovide acushionybackground, thesoloistplaysgentlearpeggios,and opment section,there’s anespeciallystunningpassage,asahushfallsovertheproceed - friendly conversationbetweensoloistandorchestra ensues.Atthebeginning of thedevel- the lieder-influenced maintheme.Thepianoanswersand,intruechamber-music fashion,a The concertoopenswithacascadeofchords from thesoloist,afterwhichoboeintones played itspremiere severalmonthslater, withFerdinand Hilleronthepodium. Robert composedtheothertwomovementstocreate afull-blownpianoconcerto. Clara weeks later, thefirstofSchumann’s eightchildren Inthesummerof1845, wasborn. through thepieceatarehearsal oftheLeipzigGewandhausOrchestra inAugust.Two tra. Clara–herselfacomposerandoneofthegreatest pianistsofthe19thcentury–read over aweek’s timeinMay1841,hesetdownaFantasieAminorforpianoandorches- ing twosymphoniesandtheOverture, Scherzo,andFinale , Op.52.Additionally, injust The followingyear, inacelebratorydisposition,hesethissightsontheorchestra, produc- penning over125lieder. of mind.In1840–hisso-called“yearsong”hegavevoicetopent-upemotions, for anticipatinghismarriagetoClarahadunquestionablyputRobertintoalyricalframe married on12September1840.Thisunionresulted inatremendous musicalproductivity, for therighttobemarried.Theirlegalstruggleswere ultimatelysuccessfulandtheywere battledherfatherincourt (1819-1896), thedaughterofhispianoteacherFriedrichWieck, For RobertSchumann,1839wasarestless, litigiousyear,Wieck asheandhisfianceéClara Recommended recording: : Last MSOperformance Approximate: duration : First performance : Instrumentation

Orchestra (Sony) Murray Perahia;SirColinDavis, BavarianRadioSymphony piano Inon Barnatan, April 2015;EdodeWaart, conductor; 1 January1846;Leipzig,Germany 31 minutes trumpets; timpani;strings 2 2 flutes;oboes;clarinets;bassoons;horns; 1841+1845  Masur Takes the Reins PROGRAM NOTES : Instrumentation Composed:2011-12 Composed:

Brahms-Fantasie, Heliogravure fürOrchester 6September1960;Hamburg,Born Germany DETLEV GLANERT Suite from DerRosenkavalier Died 8September1949;Garmisch-Partenkirche, Germany 11June1864;Munich,Germany Born RICHARD STRAUSS country in2015,ledbySemyonBychkov. of Brahms-Fantasiein2012.TheChicagoSymphonyOrchestra introduced theworktothis Donald RunniclesconductedtheBBCScottishSymphonyOrchestra inthefirst performance is notentirely his. sical material:We hearBrahms,yetwedon’t really hearhim;weGlanert’s music,butit is uniqueinhiswholecatalogue.Theprocess makesforanengagingamalgamationofmu- the interventionofanartist.Glanertthoughtthisperfectsubtitleforpiece,onethat entirely new. Thoughtheoriginalcanbesaidtoremain, through ithasbeentransformed in whichphotographsare paintedover, causingtheoriginalimagetoappearassomething 1. Thesubtitle,“Heliogravure forOrchestra,” refers toa19th-centurytechniqueinwhich ofaspecificBrahmssymphony–inthiscase,Brahms’swith aperformance SymphonyNo. Brahms-Fantasie isoneoffourworkstheBBCcommissionedfrom Glanert,tobepaired at first performance Tanglewood inJuly. recent, Oceane,waspremiered inBerlinApril2019.Hisnewtrumpetconcertohadits himself anexpertinthatgenre. To date,Glanerthaswrittenoveradozenoperas.Themost era, laterstudyingwiththerenowned composerHansWerner Henze(1926-2012), German inHamburg.Like Brahms,DetlevGlanertwasborn From anearlyage,hewasdrawntoop- Vienna, ittellsthestoryofMarshallin; her17-year-oldVienna, lover, CountOctavian; thebump- houses produced theworkjustafewdays afteritsDresden premiere. Setin18th-century lar opera;specialRosenkavalier trains ranfrom Berlin toDresden, andseveralotheropera Hofmannsthal, wasaretreat from thatsortofmodernity. Itquicklybecamehismostpopu- His nextopera,DerRosenkavalier , withalibretto by hisfrequent collaborator Hugovon notoriety foritscacophony. tra (1909)seeminglyinthe forefront music; indeed,thelattergainedacertain of“modern” day. ofthecentury, After theturn operaoccupiedhisinterest, withSalome(1905)andElek- Quixote, etal.–immediatelyentered repertoire, theinternational andremain there tothis orchestral tonepoemshepennedinhis20sand30s–DonJuan,Till Eulenspiegel, Don From hisearliestyearsasacomposer, Richard Strauss’s musicwasheldinhighregard. The : Last MSOperformance : Last MSOperformance Approximate: duration Approximate: duration : First performance : First performance : Instrumentation

12 minutes 2trumpets;3trombones;horns; timpani;strings 2 flutes;oboes;clarinets;bassoons;contrabassoon;4 MSO premiere 22 March 2012;Glasgow, Scotland May 2013;FrancescoLecce-Chong,conductor 4 October1944;NewYork, NewYork (suite) 26 January1911;Dresden, (opera) Germany 1909-10 (opera);1944(suite) 22 minutes tambourine, triangle);2harps,celeste,strings (bass drum,cymbals,glockenspiel,ratchet,snare drum, 3trumpets;trombones;4 horns; tuba;timpani;percussion bass clarinet;3bassoons(3rd doublingcontrabassoon); 3clarinets(3rdEnglish horn); doublingE-flatclarinet); 3 flutes(3rd doublingpiccolo);3oboes(3rd doubling Masur Takes the Reins PROGRAM NOTES

music director oftheNewYork in1944. Heleditsfirstperformance, Philharmonic. was assembledbythePolishconductorArturRodzinski(1892-1958),duringhistenure as and theygooff together. Thesuite,unliketheopera,endswithonemore waltz.Thesuite feelings.ThefinalduetofOctavianandSophiecomesnext, gives voicetotheirinnermost Octavian, theMarshallin,andSophie.It’s actuallythree simultaneousmonologues,aseach Then followsoneofthemostgloriousmomentsinoperaticcanon,splendidtriofor not the18th–wasHofmannstahl’s idea,notStrauss’s.) the opera–agloriousbutanachronistic touch,sincethedancedatesfrom the19thcentury, tually, Octavianindisguise)that“withme,nonightistoolong.” (Theinclusionofwaltzesin most famouswaltzensues,astheboorishBaron assures theMarshallin’s (ac- chambermaid In theardent Presentation oftheRosesceneweare firstintroduced toSophie.Theopera’s escapades oftheMarshallinandOctavian.Themusicthatfollowsfindsthemtalkinginbed. The orchestral suitebegins withtheopera’s pre-curtain music,whichdepictstheerotic Octavian toSophie. a comicschemetofree Sophiefrom herbetrothal, afterwhichtheMarshallinrelinquishes With helpfrom theMarshallin,theydevise The twoyoungpeoplefallinloveatfirstsight. senting aceremonial silverrose toSophie–a“custom”entirely ofHofmannstahl’s devising. Following theMarshallin’s counsel,OctavianservesasOchs’s “cavalieroftherose” bypre - tive fiancée,anubileyoungwomanwhosefatherispartofthenouveauriche. tious, licentiousBaron Ochs,hercountrycousin;andSophievonFaninal,Ochs’s prospec- Recommended recording: Program notesbyJ.MarkBaker. Eugene Ormandy, PhiladelphiaOrchestra (Sony) 