Pacific Symphony Proudly Recognizes Its Official Partners

0873 PS L1P2C3PSYO1 10/14/09 9:50 PM Page 8 ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RENÉE AND HENRY SEGERSTROM CONCERT HALL Thursday, Friday & Saturday, November 12–14, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. Preview talk with Alan Chapman at 7:00 p.m. PRESENTS 2009–2010 HAL AND JEANETTE SEGERSTROM FAMILY FOUNDATION CLASSICS SERIES GRANT LLEWELLYN, CONDUCTOR JAN VOGLER, CELLO CHRISTOPH BULL, ORGAN WALTON Orb and Sceptre C.P.E. BACH Concerto for Cello in A Major (1902–1983) (1714–1788) Allegro Largo ELGAR Serenade in E Minor for String Allegro assai (1857–1934) Orchestra, Op. 20 JAN VOGLER Allegro piacevole Larghetto ELGAR Variations on an Original Theme, Allegretto (1857–1934) Op.36 (“Enigma”Variations) Enigma: Andante TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, Variation I:“C.A.E.” L’’istesso tempo (1840–1893) Op. 33 Variation II:“H.D.S.- P.” Allegro Arr. Fitzenhagen Moderato assai quasi Andante - Variation III:“R.B.T.”Allegretto Thema: Moderato semplice Variation IV:“W.M.B.”Allegro di molto Variation I:Tempo della Thema Variation V:“R.P.A.” Moderato Variation II:Tempo della Thema Variation VI:“Ysobel” Andantino Variation III: Andante sostenuto Variation VII:“Troyte” Presto Variation IV: Andante grazioso Variation VIII:“W.N.”Allegretto Variation V: Allegro moderato Variation IX:“Nimrod” Moderato Variation VI: Andante Variation X:“Dorabella - Intermezzo” Variation VII e Coda:Allegro vivo Allegretto JAN VOGLER Variation XI:“G.R.S.”Allegro di molto Variation XII:“B.G.N.”Andante —INTERMISSION— Variation XIII:“*** - Romanza” Moderato Variation XIV:“E.D.U.” - Finale Pacific Symphony proudly recognizes its Official Partners: Official Airline Official Hotel Official Television Station The Saturday, November 14, performance is broadcast live on , the official classical radio station of Pacific Symphony. P-8 Pacific Symphony SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS 0873 PS L1P2C3PSYO1 10/14/09 9:50 PM Page 9 PROGRAM NOTES BY PETER LAKI, Program Annotator for Pacific Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra Orb and Sceptre (1953) lack of success. dreams, conjuring up the far-away and BY WILLIAM WALTON The Serenade in E minor was a prod- the long-ago. (OLDHAM, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND, 1902 - ISCHIA, uct of these hard years in Elgar’s life. It His “Rococo Variations” for cello and ITALY, 1983) was a work of which the composer him- orchestra evoke the world of the 18th self thought most highly; it remained one century.The term “rococo” belongs to Instrumentation: 3 flutes (third doubling piccolo), of his favorites even late in life. He was the vocabulary of French art history, 2 oboes, English horn, 3 clarinets (third doubling confident enough of its worth to offer it where it refers to a specific style of archi- bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, organ to a foreign publisher, the prestigious tectural decoration.The word comes (optional), and strings. Breitkopf and Härtel no less, for publica- from rocaille, French for “shell”—the shell Performance time: 7 minutes. tion.The Serenade, which received its was an ornamental motif frequently premiere in Antwerp, was one of the first encountered on Rococo artworks. William Walton, the composer of works to make Elgar’s name known on Tchaikovsky intended his work as a little Façade and Belshazzar’s Feast, wrote the continent. “diversion” (in the sense of divertimento, ceremonial marches for two English a beloved genre at the time). He kept his coronations: he honored George VI with WHAT TO LISTEN FOR orchestra small, as it had been in the Crown Imperial in 1936 and Elizabeth II The Serenade is in three movements, 18th century, and devised a theme for his with Orb and Sceptre in 1953.Although of which the central Larghetto is variations that respected certain Classical the first of the two is by far the better unquestionably the most important. It is conventions—though this melody is not known, Orb and Sceptre is a gem well framed by an Allegro piacevole (a “pleas- really typical of Haydn or Mozart. It is, worth rediscovering. ant”Allegro), and an equally charming rather, exactly what Tchaikovsky wanted Allegretto.The two movements’ thematic it to be: a nostalgic look at the past from WHAT TO LISTEN FOR materials are related: the main melody of a hundred years later. Both of Walton’s coronation marches the Allegro piacevole comes back in the follow the tradition established by Elgar’s finale.The outer movements are written WHAT TO LISTEN FOR Pomp and Circumstance marches. in a lilting 6/8 or 12/8 meter.The The work opens with a short orches- Following a long-standing custom, the melodies flow easily in both movements; tral introduction followed by the first Trio section is set off by a more expan- the idyll is not disrupted by any discor- presentation of the theme. Some of the sive melody in a slower tempo, after dant sounds.The Larghetto is a “song variations make use of the cello’s ability which the first section returns. without words,” built upon a single to sing long lyrical melodies, while oth- beautiful melody that keeps unfolding ers are extremely virtuosic in character. Serenade in E Minor for for the entire movement before reaching There is no shortage of spectacular trills, Orchestra, Op. 20 (1893) its peaceful conclusion. BY EDWARD ELGAR (BROADHEATH, NR. WORCESTER, ENGLAND, 1857 – Variations on a Rococo Theme, WORCESTER, 1934) Op. 33 (1876) BY PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Instrumentation: string orchestra. (KAMSKO-VOTKINSK, RUSSIA, 1840 – Performance time: 12 minutes. ST. PETERSBURG, 1893) It was only slowly and gradually that Instrumentation: solo cello, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, Edward Elgar rose to fame as the fore- 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, and strings. most English composer of his time. He Performance time: 20 minutes. first attempted to make his way in London’s musical circles in 1889, at the Sometimes, when the realities of the age of 32.A little more than a year after present become too much to deal with, moving to the capital, the composer and we all like to escape into the past. hony. his wife Alice retreated to the country, Tchaikovsky was no different: prone to disappointed by what seemed an utter depression and a repressed homosexual, he loved to take refuge in a world of Pacific Symphony P-9 0873 PS L1P2C3PSYO1 10/14/09 9:50 PM Page 10 PROGRAM NOTES (continued) double stops, and other technical stunts, son became synonymous with Empfindsamkeit for more than a century now, but they yet they never cover up the ingratiating (“sensitivity”), a term denoting the have been equally intrigued by what he melody. heightened emotional charge of many of had withheld, namely that the work had Although Tchaikovsky’s original version C. P.E’s works. It would be no exaggera- a secret that he refused to divulge. has survived, the “Rococo Variations” are tion to consider him a precursor of The story of the “‘Enigma’Variations” still almost always played in the adaptation Romanticism. began one night late in 1898 when Elgar of its dedicatee, German cellist Wilhelm was improvising at the piano at home in Fitzenhagen, who was Tchaikovsky’s col- WHAT TO LISTEN FOR Worcestershire. His wife,Alice, was struck league at the Moscow Conservatory. All three of C. P.E. Bach’s cello con- by a particular melody and asked her hus- Fitzenhagen changed the order of the vari- certos exist in versions where the solo band what it was. Elgar replied: ations and even cut one that Tchaikovsky part is played either by a harpsichord or “Nothing—but something could be made had written, despite the composer’s vehe- a flute.The musical material could be of it.”As he continued to develop his ment protests.Yet it was in this form that adapted for different instruments, with short theme, Elgar started to toy with the the work conquered the world. relatively minor adjustments, because the idea of how it could be made to reflect emphasis is not on instrumental color the personalities of some of his friends. but on the melodies and their develop- With one exception, each of the four- ment.And C. P. E. Bach, one of the fore- teen variations that follow the theme is most composers of his generation, pos- preceded by a heading that identifies the sessed a unique musical style. Initially people behind the music. influenced by his father, he quickly The theme consists of two ideas: an moved beyond the Baroque and closer to expressive string melody that is constant- what we call the “classical style” today. ly interrupted by rests on the downbeat The present concerto is a good exam- (and that fits the words “Edward Elgar” ple of C. P.E. Bach’s ingenious and ener- surprisingly well), and a second melody getic writing. Characterized by great that is more continuous, and is built of rhythmic vigor and requiring a great deal parallel thirds played by strings and of virtuosity.A recent reference book on woodwinds. cello literature calls it an “especially attractive” work with a wide range of Variation 1, “C.A.E.” is a portrait of sometimes quite quirky expression.” Caroline Alice Elgar, the composer’s wife. Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36 (“Enigma” Variation 2, “H.D.S-P.” Hew David Cello Concerto in A Major, Variations) (1899) Steuart-Powell was a pianist and Elgar’s H. 439 (1753) BY EDWARD ELGAR chamber music partner. BY CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH (WEIMAR, 1714 - HAMBURG, 1788) Instrumentation: 2 flutes (second doubling piccolo), Variation 3, “R.B.T.” Richard Baxter 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, Townshend, a writer and scholar who Instrumentation: solo cello, strings.

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