UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY THE CLEVELAND QUARTET

William Preucil, Violinist James Dunham, Violist Peter Salaff, Violinist Paul Katz, Cellist

Norman Fischer, Guest Cellist

Wednesday Evening, April 29, 1992, at 8:00 Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

PROGRAM

Quartet in D major, Op. 76, No. 5 ...... Haydn Allegretto Largo, cantabile e mesto Menuetto: allegro Finale: presto

Quartessence (1990) ...... Stephen Paulus In a Frenzy With Resignation Perky; Agitated Gently, with a Touch of Melancholy Exuberant Written specially for and premiered by the Cleveland Quartet on October 5, 1990

INTERMIS SIGN

Cello Quintet in C major, Op. 163, D. 956 ...... Schubert Allegro ma non troppo Adagio Scherzo: presto; Trio: andante sostenuto Allegretto

The Musical Society wishes to thank Mr. Paul Katz, cellist of the Cleveland Quartet and president of Chamber Music America, for his interview with UMS executive director Kenneth Fischer in tonight's Philips Pre-concert Presentation. The Cleveland Quartet is represented by 1CM Artists, Ltd., New York City. Recordings: RCA Red Seal, Philips, CBS Masterworks, Telarc, and Pro Arte The University Musical Society is a member of Chamber Music America. Activities of the UMS are supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Fortieth Concert of the 113th Season Twenty-ninth Annual Chamber Arts Series Program Notes Quartet in D major, Op. 76, No. 5 years. The Erdodys, who were related by FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809) marriage to Haydn's employers, the Esterha- n 1795, Joseph Haydn returned from zys, were a family of great music lovers who, his second visit to London and settled a generation later, were closely involved with in Vienna to live out his remaining Beethoven, and they also helped launch the years as music's grand old man, the career of a ten-year-old boy named Franz greatest living composer. Mozart, Liszt. whomI he so greatly admired, had died too The music of this fifth work in the young four years before, and Beethoven, who Opus 76 set tells us that these quartets, was to be the leader of the next generation contrary to the custom of the time, were not (and of the entire next century), was then intended to make their charms easily avail­ only the musical season's best debutant. Eng­ able to amateur chamber music players. This land had showered wealth and honors upon is concert music, written for performance by Haydn, and he had lingered there for two true professionals to an attentive audience. months after his last concert, before going The first violin part soars to great heights home to the Continent. unattainable by the unskilled. The harmonic By standards of the time, he was an old and rhythmic complexities of the music man sixty-three. What no one knew was would have thrown any but the most sophis­ how different the work of his last years would ticated musicians of the time into confusion. be. He had written more than a hundred The full texture keeps all four players almost symphonies, but after the dozen masterpieces constantly occupied, with hardly a moment that he had composed expressly for his Lon­ of rest for any of them. The subtle interrela­ don audiences, he never wrote another. Yet, tionships of the themes in all four movements with the new knowledge of Handel's oratorios place an interpretative burden on the players, that he had acquired in London, he modern­ as does the extraordinary key in which the ized and revitalized that form in The Creation slow movement is written. and The Seasons. He also wrote six masses for The unique structure of the the princely family that he had served as staff monothematic first movement may be read conductor and composer for 30 years, and in a number of different ways, for its changes some other sacred works. of key and of tempo seem to overlap and to Haydn's greatest music until this time cross the expected boundaries of the sections. had always been found in his instrumental It is perhaps most clearly heard as this se­ works, but in his last few years he wrote quence of musical events: first, a very long almost none except a few string quartets, pastoral theme; second, a minor-key varia­ music that sums up a lifetime of invention of tion of it; third, a return of the theme, the highest order. In 1797, he wrote the six ornamented; and fourth, a development of it, quartets we know as Opus 76, and in 1799, speeded up to Allegro and running into the the two of Opus 77. He started another in descending scale passages of the coda. 1803, but gave up after two movements, The next movement is another ex­ which he allowed to be published in 1806 traordinary one. It is cast in something like with the apologetic message, "All my the sonata-forms usually found as first move­ strength is gone; I am old and weak." The ments, but because the tempo is slow, it is last eight completed quartets are written with made quite compact so that it does not last the kind of controlled freedom that comes too long. The heading is Largo, cantabile e only with great maturity, and their rich mesto, "broad, singing and sad," and the key, instrumental texture looks far forward into F-sharp, is one hardly expected to follow D the future, perhaps as far as the time of major. Furthermore, the six sharps in the key Brahms. signature make it excruciatingly difficult for The works of Opus 76 are sometimes many string players. In German musical ter­ called the Erdody Quartets, after the Hungar­ minology, the word for "sharp" is the same ian Count who commissioned them. For the as that for "cross," which led musicians to fee of 100 ducats, Haydn withheld them from call this movement the "Churchyard Largo." publication until 1799, so that the Count Twenty-five years earlier, in his Fare­ could have exclusive use of them for two well Symphony, Haydn depicted or at least evoked the fatigue of his orchestral musicians by writing for them in F-sharp, which almost guaranteed wrong notes and a good deal of out-of-tune playing. The reason he chose it here must be rather different. Very fine play­ ers, like those for whom this quartet was clearly intended, will apply themselves to the music with great concentration that will at once overcome its difficulties and add an intensity to their reading that might other­ wise be absent. The third movement is a Minuet, Al­ legro, or, in some editions, Allegretto, of rather serious cast, with a contrasting central trio that features a cello solo in its grumbling low register. The Finale, Presto, is wittily devel­ oped from a little fragment of a folk dance tune. Leonard Burkat Quartessence (1990) STEPHEN PAULUS (b. 1949) Stephen Paulus tephen Paulus is currently com- poser-in-residence with the At­ anniversary. These dear friends and arts pa­ lanta Symphony Orchestra under trons have also commissioned the Partita for the Meet the Composer Orchestra Violin and Piano (premiered by William Residencies Program. In this ca­ Preucil and Arthur Rowe at the 1986 Santa pacity,S he has worked with both music direc­ Fe Chamber Music Festival) and numerous tor Yoel Levi and conductor laureate Robert other compositions in which I have been Shaw. In addition to his 20 works for orches­ fortunate to collaborate with excellent cham­ tra, he has also written extensively for cham­ ber musicians. ber ensemble, chorus, solo voice, and has four "The five-movement suite is anchored operas to his credit. This season, his works in tonality and lyricism with some qualifica­ are receiving performances throughout the tions. The lyricism is often angular, and the United States and abroad. tonality glides easily in and out of dissonant Quartessence, heard this evening, was episodes. The piece is laced with many cross written specially for and premiered by the references of themes, and snippets, or even Cleveland Quartet in Washington, D.C.'s whole ideas, occur in various guises through­ Corcoran Gallery on October 5, 1990. The out. The first movement, In a Frenzy, opens composer provides the following note for with falling and rising sixteenth-note figures Quartessence: passed among the members of the quartet. "The title for this work is derived from Occasional glissandi and repeated notes add to the rather commonly held belief among many the drive and forward motion of the move­ composers, performers, and informed music ment. The second movement, With Resigna­ listeners that a string quartet is one of the tion, begins with a theme in the first violin supreme and most rarefied of music-making that is re-stated throughout. Additional per­ efforts. The performance of a quartet has formance instructions indicate that the move­ often been compared to four articulate people ment is to be played 'slowly, march-like, but carrying on an animated and intelligent dis­ always singing and moving forward.' cussion at a dinner party. For many compos­ "No. Ill, Perky; Agitated, is character­ ers, this art form is also considered to be one ized by rapidly rising and cascading groups of of the greatest compositional challenges and seconds, juxtaposed in frequently changing the essence or distillation of one's writing meters. The undercurrent is one of agitation skills. and volatility, but always with a little bit of "This work has been commissioned by a playful or a quirky sense. The fourth move­ Linda and Jack Hoeschler of Saint Paul, ment, Gently, with a Touch of Melancholy, is Minnesota, in honor of their 25th wedding a complete contrast to all that has come before. Its feeling is one tinged with an Cello Quintet in C major, element of sadness, but it continues to sing, Op. 163, D. 956 even though it occasionally has to resort to FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828) a staggered vocal line. No. V, Exuberant, is a sprightly gigue in 12/8 time, where the main s his short life neared its end, thematic material moves fluently among the a furious burst of creative en­ four partners and brings the entire work to an ergy exploded in Schubert. effervescent close." During his last eight months, Stephen Paulus has been composer-in- he composed the Mass in E- residence with the Atlanta Symphony since flat,A a large number of songs (including the September of 1988. He has been a resident 14 collected into a cycle as his composer at the Tanglewood Festival, the Schwanengesang, "Swan Song"), three great Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and the piano sonatas, and this glorious quintet. The Oregon Bach Festival. He is a recipient of Cello Quintet was probably written in August both NEA and Guggenheim Fellowships. His and September of 1828, but otherwise it has Violin Concerto, written for former Atlanta no real history. No one knows why he wrote Symphony Orchestra concertmaster William it, and no scholars' guesses are very convinc­ Preucil (now first violinist of the Cleveland ing. It is unlikely that it was a challenge to Quartet) and the ASO, won Third Prize in the reputation of Beethoven, a year and a the Kennedy Center Friedheim Awards in half after the old lion's death, for his one 1988. In addition to co-founding the Minne­ complete and original string quintet is a sota Composers Forum in 1973, Mr. Paulus relatively early work and not a weighty one. served four years as composer-in-residence The idea that it is somehow related to the with the Minnesota Orchestra under Sir Nev­ chamber music sessions of Schubert's boy­ ille Marriner. The composer is also on the hood in his father's house is too far-fetched. Board of Directors of ASCAP. We shall never know. In addition to Quartessence, Stephen The five-part string ensemble has not Paulus' recent premieres include a Trumpet had the same hold on composers' imagina­ Concerto for Doc Severinsen and the Phoe­ tions as did the quartet. There are not as nix Symphony and the Concerto for Brass many quintets, and few of them, perhaps only Quintet commissioned by the Walter W. those of Brahms, Mozart, and this one, ap­ Naumburg Foundation for the Saturday Brass. proach the greatness of the best quartets. Current commissions include a Double Con­ Composers seem to have been unsure of what certo for violin and cello for the 150th to add as the fifth instrument to the standard anniversary of the New York Philharmonic quartet's two violins, viola, and cello. There and a Violin Concerto for Robert McDuffie is no important quintet with a third violin. and the Aspen Festival Orchestra. A new Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms added sec­ work, Sinfonietta, was composed for the At­ ond violas; Dvorak, in one work, a double lanta Symphony's Fall 1991 European tour. bass. Only Boccherini, in the eighteenth Recordings of Mr. Paulus' works in­ century, and Schubert in the nineteenth, are clude the New World CD of the Atlanta remembered for quintets with two cellos. Symphony performing his Violin Concerto, Brahms tried his hand at one, which was the Concertante, and the Symphony for Strings original version of the work we now know as (with Yoel Levi and Robert Shaw). His his Quintet for Piano and Strings, but he Symphony in Three Movements is recorded found the medium unsatisfactory for his pur­ on the Nonesuch label, and his "Carols for poses and destroyed the score. Christmas" recording with the Dale Warland Schubert clearly took great pleasure in Singers is available on the Ten Thousand the enriched texture made possible by the two Lakes label. Mr. Paulus' most recent release cellos. Their huge range gave him an extra is a recording of "Songs" three song cycles voice to use as bass, tenor, or alto, and as sung by baritone Hakan Hagegard, tenor opportunity for noble-sounding duets for the Paul Sperry, and soprano Ruth Jacobson. two. In much of the slow movement, the In addition to composing, Mr. Paulus ensemble is not controlled by the first violin, has become increasingly active as a conductor but by the second cello's simple but critical of his works and as a guest composer with bass line, played pizzicato. At the very begin­ major ensembles, colleges, and universities. ning of the Quintet, there are two long About the Artists ow in its 23rd year on the international music scene, the Cleveland Quartet is recog­ nized as one of the premier string quartets of our time, ac­ Nclaimed for its performances in the world's music capitals and for its award-winning re­ cordings of more than 50 chamber works. In addition to regular tours of the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan, the Quartet has also performed in the former Soviet Union, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and Israel. Highlights of previous seasons include more than 25 complete Bee­ thoven Quartet cycles in such cities as New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Tokyo; regular performances at prestigious music fes­ tivals including Salzburg, Edinburgh, Lu­ cerne, Berlin, and Helsinki; annual appearances at New York's Mostly Mozart Festival; and a Presidential Inaugural Concert at the White House. The subject of many radio and televi­ Dokumenta Productions, "In the Main­ sion programs, the Cleveland Quartet has stream: The Cleveland Quartet," was pre- made two appearances on NEC's "Today" miered at the Carnegie Cinema in New York show and was the first classical ensemble ever and has been aired nationwide in the U.S. invited to perform on the Grammy Awards and Canada on the Arts and Entertainment telecast. A one-hour television film by Network. phrases for just four instruments, the first with Allegro ma non troppo, opens quietly, almost a single cello and the second with only one mysteriously, and, after a forceful build-up, violin, but after that, all five instruments are subsides into one of the most beautiful themes in almost constant play. in all Schubert's works, set as a lyrical duet On October 2, 1828, some six weeks for the cellos. Next is an Adagio of transport­ before he died, Schubert wrote to a publisher ing beauty in a simple three-part form, the about a quintet he had written that was to be last part an enriched version of the first. played through sometime during the next few In the last two movements, the char­ days. If that reading did take place, it was the acter and the temper of the music change. only one that the work was to have for many The Scherzo, Presto, is not a light-spirited years. After the composer's death, it simply interlude, but a kind of demonic, dark drama disappeared, along with many more of his with heavy "horn-calls" and smashing chords. scores, into the storage trunks and attics of Its central Trio section offers all the contrast friends. The first public performance was that Schubert could invent: a shift without given on November 17, 1850, in Vienna, at transition into a remote key, duple meter, and a concert of the Hellmesberger Quartet, a new slow tempo, Andante sostenuto. The last whose first violinist was the son of Schubert's movement, Allegretto, is a complex combina­ childhood friend Georg Hellmesberger. In tion of rondo and sonata-form, with a main 1853, the Quintet was published. theme whose syncopated accompaniment Schubert's Cello Quintet is a grandly gives it the Hungarian gypsy flavor that was spacious work, with proportions very much a popular finale formula in Austria for a like those of the "Great" C-major Symphony, century and a half. so admired by Robert Schumann for its "heav­ enly length." The Quintet's first movement, Leonard Burlcat During the-current season, the Cleve­ Franciscan, Lafayette, Lark, Lydian, Meliora, land Quartet makes two extensive European and Ying Quartets. The prestigious interna­ concert tours that take them to five countries tional awards garnered by these young quar­ and include performances in Paris and Berlin tets include seven Naumburg Foundation and a complete Beethoven cycle in Antwerp, Prizes, Banff International String Quartet Belgium. They also give their usual full com­ Competition Awards, Coleman Chamber plement of concerts across the United States. Ensemble Awards, Fischoff National Cham­ In July 1991, the ensemble embarked ber Music Awards, European chamber music on a major recording project for Telarc awards, and numerous Chamber Music the complete Beethoven string quartets, their America Ensemble Residency Awards. second recorded Beethoven cycle. In October Playing on a matched set of Stradivar- 1991, Telarc released their recording of two ius instruments once owned by the legendary Dvorak string quartets, in honor of the Paganini, on loan from the Corcoran Gallery 150th anniversary of the composer's birth. A of Art in Washington, D.C., the Cleveland Mozart disc featuring the Quartets in G Quartet now returns to Ann Arbor for its major, K. 387, and in D minor, K. 421, was second performance. released in February 1992. William Preucil, a native Detroiter, The repertoire performed by the Cleve­ became first violinist of the Cleveland Quar­ land Quartet in recent seasons reflects the tet in July 1989, after serving as concertmas- broad range of their musical interests. It ter of the Atlanta Symphony for seven includes works from the central Vien­ seasons. During his tenure in Atlanta, Mr. nese/German tradition by Haydn, Mozart, Preucil appeared as soloist in over 60 concerto Beethoven, Schubert, and Brahms, as well as performances with the ASO. His recording music by the twentieth-century masters of the Violin Concerto by Stephen Paulus, Schoenberg, Berg, Barber, and Prokofiev. In which was written for and dedicated to him, addition, the Quartet has presented the world is available on New World Records. premieres of string quartets written for them Mr. Preucil's involvement with cham­ by American composers Libby Larsen and ber music began in childhood: his father has Stephen Paulus and other works by contem­ been a member of the Stradivari Quartet for porary composers who have written works for more than three decades, and as a youngster, the ensemble including Morton Feldman, he frequently attended the group's rehearsals Raymond Fuller, Joel Hoffman, George and concerts and traveled with them on tour. Perle, Robert Pollack, and Toru Takemitsu. For the past five years, Mr. Preucil has been Winners of "Best of the Year" awards an active chamber musician, performing with from Time and Stereo Review, the Cleveland several ensembles that have collaborated with Quartet's recordings have also received seven such outstanding guest artists as Emanuel Ax, Grammy nominations. Among the distin­ Shlomo Mintz, and Andras Schiff. He also guished artists with whom the ensemble has appears regularly at major American chamber recorded are Emanuel Ax, Alfred Brendel, music festivals and at leading European festi­ Bernard Greenhouse, Yo-Yo Ma, John vals. O'Conor, Richard Stoltzman, and Pinchas William Preucil began his violin stud­ Zukerman. ies at the age of five with his mother, Doris Dedicated teachers as well as perform­ Preucil, a leader in the Suzuki movement in ers, the Quartet's members are on the faculty the United States. After graduating from the of the Eastman School of Music, where, in Interlochen Arts Academy, he entered Indi­ addition to teaching individual students, they ana University to study with Josef Gingold offer a special program of intensive coaching and was awarded the prestigious Performer's for young professional quartets who are just Certificate. Upon graduation, at age 22, he developing their careers. Since 1972, they was appointed concertmaster of the Nashville have taught and performed at the Aspen Symphony and served in the same capacity Music Festival, where they were co-founders with the Utah Symphony before going to of the Center for Advanced Quartet Studies. Atlanta in 1982. Among the noted ensembles that have stud­ Mr. Preucil now returns to Ann Arbor ied with the Cleveland Quartet in the East­ after a solo performance with the Northwood man and Aspen programs are the Augustine, Orchestra in 1981 and a 1984 appearance as Cavani, Charleston, Chester, Colorado, concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony. Peter Salaff studied violin at the East­ An advocate of contemporary music, man School of Music, where he was soloist Mr. Dunham, with violists Walter Trampler with the Eastman-Rochester Symphony Or­ and Marcus Thompson, has recently been chestra and was awarded a Performer's Certif­ awarded a National Endowment for the Arts icate. In addition, he did graduate studies at Consortium Commission Grant to perform the Yale University School of Music, appear­ new works for viola by composers Roger ing there with the Collegium Musicum as Bourland, William Thomas McKinley, and concertmaster and soloist. His teachers were Gary Philo. As a soloist, Mr. Dunham was Cedric Bennett, Sophia Pimenides, Joseph repeatedly awarded touring grants from the Knitzer, and Broadus Erie. He was subse­ California Arts Council for recitals, concerts, quently honored by the Yale University and master classes. School of Music Alumni Association. James Dunham has participated in the Prior to the formation of the Cleveland Berkshire Music Festival, Chamber Music Quartet in 1969, Mr. Salaff spent summers at Northwest, and the Marlboro Music Festival, the Aspen and Marlboro Music Festivals and in addition to touring with the Music From served three years as a member of the Peace Marlboro ensembles. His album of new music Corps in Chile, where he taught violin at the for viola and winds can be heard on the Universidad de Concepcion. He has per­ Crystal Records label. He has been a member formed in recital and with orchestras in the of the faculties of the California Institute of United States and South America, and on the Arts and California State University, disc he has recorded the Violin Sonata of Long Beach. Ernst von Dohnanyi with pianist Barry Sny- der for Pro Arte Records. Paul Katz was a student of Gregor James Dunham studied at the Inter- Piatigorsky, Gabor Rejto, Janos Starker, Ber­ lochen Arts Academy, Carleton College, and nard Greenhouse, and Leonard Rose, and in the California Institute of the Arts. In 1990, 1962 was selected nationally to perform in as part of its 20th anniversary celebration, the the historic Pablo Casals master class at California Institute Music School presented Berkeley, California. He was drawn to cham­ Mr. Dunham with its first Distinguished ber music at an early age and, while in his Alumni Award. Prior to joining the Cleve­ early twenties, was a member of the Univer­ land Quartet, he was a founding member of sity of Southern California String Quartet the Sequoia String Quartet, which won the and the Toledo Quartet, both international 1976 Naumburg Chamber Music Award. prize-winners in the Munich and Geneva With the Sequoia Quartet, he toured in the competitions, respectively. For three sum­ United States and abroad and recorded for mers, he was a participant in Rudolf Serkin's the Nonesuch and Delos labels. Marlboro Music Festival. Mr. Katz has appeared as a soloist in country's 600 professional chamber music New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Cleveland, ensembles, as well as hundreds of concert and and other cities throughout North America, festival presenters, including the University and was chosen to perform before the Vio­ Musical Society. He also enjoys writing and loncello Society of New York. He has re­ authored the liner notes for the Cleveland corded the cello sonata of Ernst von Quartet's three-volume set of the complete Dohnanyi with pianist Barry Snyder for Pro Beethoven Quartets on RCA Red Seal. Mr. Arte Records. Katz has served as editor of the column In addition to his performing and "Chamber Music Forum" in American String teaching activities, Mr. Katz is now in his Teacher magazine and continues to write a fifth year as president of Chamber Music regular column for Chamber Music magazine America, the national service organization as president of Chamber Music America. that has in its membership virtually all of the

Norman Fischer is one of this country's foremost champions of the cello. After com­ pleting his studies with Richard Kapuscinski, Claus Adam, and Bernard Greenhouse, he helped found the renowned Concord String Quartet. As cellist with that ensemble throughout its sixteen-year career, Mr. Fis­ cher concertized extensively in the United States and abroad, recorded over 40 works, appeared frequently on radio and television, and received numerous accolades, including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, sev­ eral Grammy nominations, and an Emmy Award. Mr. Fischer's New York solo debut of the Bach Six Suites in one evening was hailed by New York Times critic John Rockwell as "inspiring." The artist performs many of the standard concerto classics as well as champi­ oning new works for the genre, such as Robert Sirota's Cello Concerto (Tanglewood, 1985), August Reed Thomas' Vi'gii (Cleveland Chamber Symphony, 1990), and Steven Stucky's Voyages (recorded, 1991.) Mr. Fischer began cello studies at the Since 1971, Mr. Fischer has collabo­ age of ten, and after completing his studies rated with pianist Jeanne Kierman, as the at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Ober- Fischer Duo. They have appeared frequently lin Conservatory, he spent 16 years with the throughout the United States, including Ann Concord Quartet. He resides in Oberlin, Arbor's Kerrytown Concert House, and have Ohio, where he is an artist faculty member made a specialty of blending the standard of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and, repertoire with newly commissioned works beginning this year, will be Professor of Vio­ and unusual scores from the past. An example loncello at the Shepherd School of Music at of their work is the recent recording of French Rice University in Houston. During the sum­ music called Imagmees, which features music mers, Mr. Fischer is a member of the Tangle- of Debussy, Boulanger, Auric, Messiaen, wood Music Center faculty. His instrument Ravel, and Poulenc. He has also performed is an eighteenth-century Florentine cello. with the Juilliard, Cleveland, and Audubon Mr. Fischer makes his third appearance String Quartets, the American Chamber for the Musical Society this evening, after two Players, Da Camera Society of Houston, and concerts as cellist of the Concord Quartet in the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. 1977 and 1980.