James Ehnes Orion Weiss
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JAMES EHNES Violin ORION WEISS Piano UMS Digital Presentation Hosted on UMS.org Sunday, February 14, 2021 Streaming on demand through Wednesday, February 24 Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center Fort Myers, Florida THANK YOU TO SUPPORTERS OF THIS UMS DIGITAL PRESENTATION Presenting Sponsor GIL OMENN AND MARTHA DARLING Supporting Sponsor BANK OF ANN ARBOR Patron Sponsor JOEL HOWELL AND LINDA SAMUELSON This digital presentation of James Ehnes and Orion Weiss is supported by Gil Omenn and Martha Darling, the Bank of Ann Arbor, and Joel Howell and Linda Samuelson. UMS also extends our gratitude to the University of Michigan for its partnership and support this season. Special thanks to David Halen, Danielle Belen, Alvin Hill, Fabiola Kim, and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance and Davin Torre and the Flint Institute of Music for their participation in events surrounding this digital presentation. PROGRAM Franz Schubert Sonatina in g minor for Violin and Piano, D. 408 Allegro giusto Andante Menuetto Allegro moderato Camille Saint-Saëns Violin Sonata No. 1 in d minor, Op. 75 Allegro agitate — Adagio Allegretto moderato — Allegro molto 3 SONATINA IN G MINOR FOR VIOLIN AND PIANO, D. 408 (1816) Franz Schubert Born January 31, 1797 in Himmelpfortgrund, near Vienna (now part of the city) Died November 19, 1828 in Vienna UMS premiere: Willy Burmester and Jeanette Durno; February 1899 in an unidentified hall. This work and its two companions composition process, but his own, were first printed about a decade unmistakable after Schubert’s death, under the title “Sonatina” given by the publisher, personal voice shines through at Tobias Haslinger. Schubert himself, many points as well. however, had called these works The first movement was inspired “Sonatas” in his manuscript. It by some of Mozart’s dramatic is important to cross out the two movements in g minor. In Schubert’s extra letters because, while these hands, these gestures sound three beautiful works are relatively determined and resolute but not modest in scope, they are certainly necessarily tragic. Also, Schubert not pedagogical in intent, as the significantly alters the usual diminutive form could lead us to harmonic trajectory, resulting in believe. The very fact that two of the some surprising key changes along three sonatas are in four movements the way. The slow second movement instead of the usual three indicates is similarly Mozartean in its overall that these are more than mere shape but, once again, there are miniatures. some rather unorthodox harmonic In April 1816, when this music was progressions in the middle section. written, the 19-year-old Schubert The minuet is more conventional, but was still living with his family in the its central portion—the Trio—is pure suburbs, helping out his father, a Schubert in the delicate and refined schoolteacher, in the classroom. The sound it brings to the folk Ländler. sonatas were probably written for the Finally, at the conclusion of a gentle frequent chamber music sessions and unpretentious “Allegro moderato,” in the Schubert household. (By the the sonata that sounded so grandiose summer, the young composer had at the beginning ends with a hearty moved to the city, where he shared smile. an apartment with his friend Franz von Schober.) The works show that Schubert, who already had such masterpieces as Gretchen at the Spinning-Wheel and Erlkönig under his belt, had not only made Mozart’s chamber music style vital to his 4 VIOLIN SONATA NO. 1 IN D MINOR, OP. 75 (1885) Camille Saint-Saëns Born October 9, 1835 in Paris Died December 16, 1921 in Algiers, Algeria (then known as French or Colonial Algeria) UMS premiere: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis; March 2013 in Hill Auditorium. Camille Saint-Saëns was an Vinteuil” which plays an important institution in 19th-century France. role in Proust’s Remembrance A virtuoso pianist and organist as of Things Past. Both themes are well as a composer of exceptional extensively developed in the course productivity, he dominated virtually of the movement, which also includes every aspect of the country’s musical a short fugal passage. The “Allegro life, and through his many concert agitato” melts without a break tours abroad, he also became a major into the lyrical “Adagio,” a soulful international celebrity. dialog between the two instruments He was an avid opera composer, accompanied by sensuous harmonies. but of his dozen or so stage works, The second section opens with only Samson and Delilah has remained a bouncy “Allegretto moderato,” in the repertoire. His instrumental a scherzo-type movement whose works, however, have continued to dance-like theme is tossed back enchant generation after generation and forth between the violin and of concertgoers. And during a the piano like a ball. A trio section compositional career spanning more with a singing violin melody follows, than 60 years, Saint-Saëns had a after which the dance returns. The chance to write chamber music for trio melody is then fashioned into a almost every instrument available. transition section leading into the The present work, the first of Saint- perpetual motion of the finale. The Saëns’s two sonatas for violin and music gradually becomes more and piano, was written in 1885, the more impassioned as virtuoso figures same year as the famous “Organ” and runs multiply in both parts, to Symphony. The structure of the two breath-taking effect. “Vinteuil’s little works is similar: both are divided into phrase” reappears at first as a respite two large sections, each of which is from the whirlwind activity, but it is subdivided into two halves. eventually caught up in that whirlwind The opening movement is based and contributes more than a little to on two main themes: a stormy first the sonata’s climactic conclusion. idea and a second melody of innocent simplicity. The latter made literary history as it almost certainly became Program notes by Peter Laki. the model for “the little phrase by 5 ARTISTS James Ehnes has established himself as premiered the Aaron-Jay Kernis Violin one of the most sought-after violinists on Concerto with the Toronto, Seattle, and the international stage. Gifted with a rare Dallas symphony orchestras, and gave combination of stunning virtuosity, serene further performances of the piece with lyricism, and an unfaltering musicality, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Mr. Ehnes is a favorite guest of many of and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. the world’s most respected conductors Throughout the current season, Mr. Ehnes including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Marin Alsop, is Artist-in-Residence with the National Andrew Davis, Stéphane Denève, Mark Arts Centre of Canada. Elder, Iván Fischer, Edward Gardner, Paavo Alongside his concerto work, Mr. Ehnes Järvi, Juanjo Mena, Gianandrea Noseda, maintains a busy recital schedule. He David Robertson, and Donald Runnicles. performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall, The long list of orchestras he has worked Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, with include the Boston, Chicago, London, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Ravinia, NHK, and Vienna symphony orchestras, Montreux, Chaise-Dieu, the White Nights the Los Angeles, New York, Munich, and Festival in St Petersburg, Verbier Festival, Czech philharmonic orchestras, and the Festival de Pâques in Aix, and in 2018 he Cleveland, Philadelphia, Philharmonia, and undertook a recital tour to the Far East, the DSO Berlin orchestras. including performances in Hong Kong, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. and subsequent closure of concert halls, As part of the Beethoven celebrations, Mr. Ehnes announced the launch of a new Mr. Ehnes was invited to perform the online recital series entitled “Recitals from complete cycle of Beethoven Sonatas Home” in June 2020. He recorded the six at the Wigmore Hall in 2019–20 and Bach Sonatas and Partitas and six Sonatas throughout the current season will of Ysaÿe from his home with state-of-the- perform the Grieg Sonatas on tour with art recording equipment and released six Orion Weiss. In 2016, Mr. Ehnes undertook episodes over the period of two months. a cross-Canada recital tour, performing in These recordings have been met with each of the country’s provinces and critical acclaim by audiences worldwide. territories, to celebrate his 40th birthday. Mr. Ehnes was described by Le Devoir as As a chamber musician, he has being “at the absolute forefront of the collaborated with leading artists such as streaming evolution.” Leif Ove Andsnes, Renaud Capuçon, Louis Recent orchestral highlights Lortie, Nikolai Lugansky, Yo-Yo Ma, Antoine include the MET Orchestra at Carnegie Tamestit, Jan Vogler, Inon Barnatan, and Hall with Gianandrea Noseda, Yuja Wang. In 2010, he formally established Gewandhausorchester Leipzig with the Ehnes Quartet, with whom he has Alexander Shelley, San Francisco performed in Europe at venues including Symphony with Marek Janowski, Frankfurt the Wigmore Hall, Auditorium du Louvre Radio Symphony with Andrés Orozco- in Paris, and Théâtre du Jeu de Paume in Estrada, London Symphony with Daniel Aix. Mr. Ehnes is the artistic director of the Harding, and Munich Philharmonic with Seattle Chamber Music Society. Jaap van Zweden. In 2017, Mr. Ehnes Mr. Ehnes has an extensive discography 6 and has won many awards for his record- Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. ings, including a Grammy Award (2019) for His deeply felt and exceptionally crafted his live recording of the Aaron Jay Kernis performances go far beyond his techni- Violin Concerto with the Seattle Symphony cal mastery and have won him worldwide and Ludovic Morlot, and a Gramophone acclaim. Award for his live recording of the Elgar Named the Classical Recording Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra Foundation’s “Young Artist of the Year” in and Andrew Davis. His recording of the September 2010, in the summer of 2011 Korngold, Barber, and Walton violin con- Mr.