Season 2013-2014
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27 Season 2013-2014 Thursday, November 21, at 8:00 The Philadelphia Orchestra Friday, November 22, at 2:00 Saturday, November 23, at 8:00 Itzhak Perlman Conductor and Violin Sunday, November 24, at 2:00 Beethoven Romance No. 1 in G major, Op. 40, for violin and orchestra Beethoven Romance No. 2 in F major, Op. 50, for violin and orchestra Dvorˇák Serenade in E major, Op. 22, for strings I. Moderato II. Tempo di valse III. Scherzo: Vivace IV. Larghetto V. Finale: Allegro vivace Intermission Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36 I. Adagio molto—Allegro con brio II. Larghetto III. Scherzo (Allegro) and Trio IV. Allegro molto Brahms Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 This program runs approximately 2 hours. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. 228 Story Title The Philadelphia Orchestra Jessica Griffin The Philadelphia Orchestra community itself. His concerts to perform in China, in 1973 is one of the preeminent of diverse repertoire attract at the request of President orchestras in the world, sold-out houses, and he has Nixon, today The Philadelphia renowned for its distinctive established a regular forum Orchestra boasts a new sound, desired for its for connecting with concert- partnership with the National keen ability to capture the goers through Post-Concert Centre for the Performing hearts and imaginations of Conversations. Arts in Beijing. The Orchestra audiences, and admired for annually performs at Under Yannick’s leadership a legacy of innovation in Carnegie Hall while also the Orchestra returns to music-making. The Orchestra enjoying annual residencies in recording with a newly- is inspiring the future and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and at released CD on the Deutsche transforming its rich tradition the Bravo! Vail festival. Grammophon label of of achievement, sustaining Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring Musician-led initiatives, the highest level of artistic and Leopold Stokowski including highly-successful quality, but also challenging transcriptions. In Yannick’s Cello and Violin Play-Ins, and exceeding that level, by inaugural season the shine a spotlight on the creating powerful musical Orchestra has also returned Orchestra’s musicians, as experiences for audiences at to the radio airwaves, with they spread out from the home and around the world. weekly Sunday afternoon stage into the community. Music Director Yannick broadcasts on WRTI-FM. The Orchestra’s commitment Nézet-Séguin triumphantly to its education and Philadelphia is home and opened his inaugural community partnership the Orchestra nurtures an season as the eighth artistic initiatives manifests itself important relationship not leader of the Orchestra in numerous other ways, only with patrons who support in fall 2012. His highly including concerts for families the main season at the collaborative style, deeply- and students, and eZseatU, Kimmel Center but also those rooted musical curiosity, a program that allows full- who enjoy the Orchestra’s and boundless enthusiasm, time college students to other area performances paired with a fresh approach attend an unlimited number at the Mann Center, Penn’s to orchestral programming, of Orchestra concerts for Landing, and other venues. have been heralded by a $25 annual membership The Orchestra is also a global critics and audiences alike. fee. For more information on ambassador for Philadelphia Yannick has been embraced The Philadelphia Orchestra, and for the U.S. Having been by the musicians of the please visit www.philorch.org. the first American orchestra Orchestra, audiences, and the 8 Music Director Nigel Parry/CPi Yannick Nézet-Séguin triumphantly opened his inaugural season as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra in the fall of 2012. His highly collaborative style, deeply-rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times has called Yannick “phenomenal,” adding that under his baton “the ensemble … has never sounded better.” In his first season he took the Orchestra to new musical heights. His second builds on that momentum with highlights that include a Philadelphia Commissions Micro-Festival, for which three leading composers have been commissioned to write solo works for three of the Orchestra’s principal players; the next installment in his multi-season focus on requiems with Fauré’s Requiem; and a unique, theatrically-staged presentation of Strauss’s revolutionary opera Salome, a first-ever co-production with Opera Philadelphia. Yannick has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most exciting talents of his generation. Since 2008 he has been music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic, and since 2000 artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. In addition he becomes the first ever mentor conductor of the Curtis Institute of Music’s conducting fellows program in the fall of 2013. He has made wildly successful appearances with the world’s most revered ensembles, and has conducted critically acclaimed performances at many of the leading opera houses. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Deutsche Grammophon (DG) enjoy a long-term collaboration. Under his leadership the Orchestra returns to recording with a newly-released CD on that label of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Leopold Stokowski transcriptions. Yannick continues a fruitful recording relationship with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for DG, BIS, and EMI/Virgin; the London Philharmonic for the LPO label; and the Orchestre Métropolitain for ATMA Classique. A native of Montreal, Yannick Nézet-Séguin studied at that city’s Conservatory of Music and continued lessons with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College. Among Yannick’s honors are an appointment as Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors; a Royal Philharmonic Society Award; Canada’s National Arts Centre Award; the Prix Denise- Pelletier, the highest distinction for the arts in Quebec, awarded by the Quebec government; and an honorary doctorate by the University of Quebec in Montreal. To read Yannick’s full bio, please visit www.philorch.org/conductor. 29 Conductor and Soloist Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Itzhak Perlman made his debut as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 1965 and his conducting debut with the ensemble in 1999. His long history with the Philadelphians includes recording Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with Eugene Ormandy for EMI in 1978 and performing with pianist Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the opening of the Kimmel Center in 2001. Mr. Perlman has performed with every major orchestra and at venerable concert halls around the globe, and in 2003 he was granted a Kennedy Center Honor in celebration of his achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of the U.S. He has performed multiple times at the White House, most recently in 2012 at the invitation of President Obama for Israeli President and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree Shimon Peres. Born in Israel in 1945, Mr. Perlman completed his initial training at the Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He came to New York and was propelled to national recognition with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Following his studies at the Juilliard School, he won the Leventritt Competition in 1964, which led to a burgeoning worldwide career. A four-time Emmy Award winner and recipient of 15 Grammy awards, Mr. Perlman was honored in 2008 with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His most recent recordings include Eternal Echoes: Songs & Dances for the Soul (Sony), featuring a collaboration with cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot in liturgical and traditional Jewish arrangements for chamber orchestra and klezmer musicians; a recording of Mendelssohn piano trios (Sony) with Mr. Ma and Mr. Ax; and a recording for Deutsche Grammophon with Mr. Perlman conducting the Israel Philharmonic. Mr. Perlman has established himself as a cultural icon and household name in classical music, beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent. Highlights of his 2013- 14 season include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony; an eight-city recital tour of Asia with pianist and longtime collaborator Rohan De Silva; and conducting appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Baltimore Symphony. His presence on stage, on camera, and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of Mr. Perlman’s life. 30 Framing the Program Three relatively early works by Beethoven show him Parallel Events heading toward more ambitious projects that would later 1801 Music change perceptions about music forever. He composed Beethoven Haydn his two lyrical Romances for violin and orchestra around Symphony The Seasons 1800, when he was about to turn 30; they foreshadow No. 2 Literature the more familiar slow movement of his Violin Concerto Chateaubriand from 1806. Atala Art In contrast to his Third Symphony, the monumental Goya “Eroica,” Beethoven’s Second now seems much tamer and The Two Majas more Classical, looking back to the models of Haydn and History Mozart. When it premiered in 1803, however, critics found Fulton produces the Symphony enormously challenging. It was composed first submarine at a time of great personal crisis in Beethoven’s life, as he was confronting the reality of his hearing loss 1875 Music and contemplating suicide. Yet the boundless humor Dvorˇák Tchaikovsky and vitality of the work, which French composer Hector Serenade for Piano Concerto Strings No. 1 Berlioz later remarked is “smiling throughout,” forces us Literature to challenge facile connections between the immediate Twain events at a given time in Beethoven’s life and the music The Adventures he created.