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Home , Howard Shelley, John Foulds, Mariss Jansons, Tibor Paul

Photograph by Alastair Bett

Beethoven Rediscovered MASTER 5 • LAUNCESTON 2

A treasure for Friday Saturday 17 May 7.30pm 18 May 7.30pm Federation Concert Hall Princess Theatre Hobart Launceston all Tasmanians conductor & piano INTERVAL Duration 20 min CHERUBINI Médée, Overture SCHUBERT Duration 8 min Symphony No 4, Tragic Adagio molto – Allegro vivace BEETHOVEN Andante A live symphony can transport us Violin Concerto (version for Piano and to a world that’s enchanting and uplifting. Orchestra) Menuetto (Allegro vivace) – Trio Allegro ma non troppo Allegro We want all Tasmanians to be able to share that joy, so we’re Larghetto – Duration 28 min helping to make that happen. Rondo (Allegro) This concert will end at approximately Duration 42 min 9.30pm. Through the AccessTix program, Hydro provides free tickets for Tasmanians who, because of disadvantage or disability, Supported by couldn’t otherwise attend a TSO concert. To see if you, or someone you know, is eligible, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concerts are broadcast and streamed throughout go to tso.com.au/accesstix and around the world by ABC Classic. We would appreciate your cooperation in keeping coughing to a minimum. Please ensure that your mobile phone is switched off.

57 Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842)

Médée, Overture second a more sustained descending Beethoven in his deafness favoured a subject, beginning with imitation of one particular coffee-house in , where instrumental part by another. Repetitions, he could sit close enough to a music box mainly derived from the second idea, to hear it play Cherubini’s overture to the build a series of crescendos, issuing in opera Médée. Asked in 1817 who, after restatements of the powerful opening. Since winning the premier prize at the Royal Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony. Cherubini increases the contrasts College of Music at the end of his first year, He is Conductor Laureate of the London himself, was the greatest living composer, Beethoven named Cherubini. Cherubini’s and tensions by varying tonality, giving his recital debut in 1971 and making a Mozart Players and has been Principal texture, orchestration and dynamics. A televised Prom appearance the same season Conductor of Sweden’s Uppsala Chamber operas aroused great interest when performed in Vienna in the first years contemporary critic found Médée ‘broad, with the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra. expressive, majestic and terrible’. These Howard Shelley has enjoyed a distinguished of the 19th century. Haydn regarded Shelley has appeared on the soundtrack Cherubini as the greatest dramatic words could describe the overture, with career, regularly touring on all continents of several films including Un coeur en hiver ‘passionate and exciting’ thrown in including 33 consecutive years to Australia. composer of his time, and Médée is said (1992), Anna Karenina (1997) and Tony to have been Schubert’s favourite opera. David Garrett © 2014 Howard Shelley has had a longstanding Palmer’s Shostakovich bio-pic, Testimony Cherubini was an Italian who moved to relationship with the Tasmanian Symphony (1987). This is the first performance of this work by the Orchestra. Recordings with the TSO include Paris where he spent most of his life, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Television highlights include the 100th an admirer of the musical ideas of Mozart a March 2019 release of the Clara Schumann anniversary of the BBC Proms, a broadcast on Piano Concerto along with works by Herz, and Haydn – he and his music would Swiss-Italian television of Vaughan Williams’ not fit neatly any of the boxes of music’s Hiller and Kalkbrenner. Other notable London Symphony and a documentary on recordings include the Piano Concertos history. His reputation suffered from the Ravel made in 1998 by the ABC which won vivid portrait of him in Berlioz’s Memoirs, Nos 2 and 4 of and Czerny the Gold Medal for the best arts biography concertos in A minor and F. as a cantankerous old conservative, of the year at the New York Festivals Awards. yet Berlioz couldn’t escape Cherubini’s Shelley’s discography, now around 150 discs, Howard Shelley is married to Hilary influence, especially that of his sacred also includes the complete Rachmaninov Macnamara. One son, Alexander, recently music. piano music and concertos, series of Mozart, conducted the TSO. An Honorary Fellow of Cherubini’s imaginative treatment of the Hummel, and Mendelssohn concertos, the , Howard Shelley Gershwin’s works for piano and orchestra orchestra – his mastery of effects and was awarded an OBE for services to classical use of dynamics for drama – influenced and many British concertos, including, in music in 2009. 2015, Vaughan Williams’ Piano Concerto Beethoven considerably. His overtures, in C and John Foulds’ Dynamic Triptych for in particular, showed the way not only Piano and Orchestra. He has also recorded to Beethoven, but also to Weber and the concertos of Chopin-contemporaries even Wagner. Following Gluck’s maxim Dobrzyński and Lessel, and made many that the prime function of overtures is world première contributions to Hyperion’s ‘to apprise the spectators of the nature Romantic Piano Concerto series. of the following action’, Cherubini paradoxically created pieces capable of As pianist Howard Shelley has performed standing alone as independent concert with leading and conductors overtures. such as , , Sir , , Gennady Médée remained the most famous of Rozhdestvensky and . His Cherubini’s operas in the 19th century engagements these days are often in the and was revived in the 20th, especially dual role of conductor/pianist. Since his for who could match the debut with the LSO in 1985, he histrionic and vocal demands of the title has conducted widely in the UK (including all role. In the overture listeners may be four London symphony orchestras), as well as reminded immediately of Beethoven, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Filarmonica de his Coriolan and Leonore overtures in la Ciudad de Mexico, Symphony, St particular. There are two main ideas, the Gallen Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Naples first a powerful minor-key gesture, the

58 59 Retaining the skilful and richly ingenious play than the violin. It is full of fiendish (1770–1827) orchestration of the accompaniment, the difficulties, a tour de force of virtuosity. Piano Concerto develops and fills out But perhaps the greatest challenge for Violin Concerto Op 61 (version for composer had readily agreed to adapt it the original (melodic) solo part. There is the pianist – certainly for the modern Piano and Orchestra) for pianoforte. some debate as to whether the composer listener – is to put the original Violin Concerto out of mind for forty minutes Allegro ma non troppo The transcription of a violin concerto himself carried out the transcription or and approach this music for what it is: a Larghetto – for keyboard in 1808 might seem to us whether it was compiled by a copyist or student working to Beethoven’s piano concerto. Rondo (Allegro) old-fashioned, a throwback to Baroque practices, but the art of transcription did instructions. Detractors point to the Yvonne Frindle © 2001 Tonight’s concerto is announced with five not die with Bach. It remained common dearth of chords in the right hand but it is taps from the timpani – a gesture said to practice in an era when the piano reigned not impossible that Beethoven expected This is the first performance of this work by the have been inspired by someone knocking Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. supreme on the concert platform and was the soloist fill these in ad libitum – the on the door of a neighbouring apartment the primary vehicle for domestic music: practice of harmonic improvisation from during the night. The rhythm of these five Haydn’s symphonies were published as a bass line was still strong. In any case, repeated notes is to dominate discreetly piano trios; Liszt, an arranger to rival Beethoven is known to have checked the whole of the first movement, even Bach, was later to make countless piano and approved the final proofs of the more so, it turns out, than in Beethoven’s transcriptions; and Viotti’s violin concertos publication, and he sent a score of the Violin Concerto, which you might well were adapted for piano by virtuosos new concerto to pianist Charles Neate think you were hearing. The long and such as Dussek and Steibelt. Given their in 1816, claiming not only that he had lyrical exposition sets out with a radiant prepared the transcription but that he theme in the woodwinds – just as we are ubiquity and utility, it is easy to dismiss transcriptions as lesser or inadequate had performed it. And when, in 1809, accustomed – and takes on a symphonic Beethoven composed cadenzas for all life of its own. The sense of expectancy versions of the original works. We forget that transcription is an act of illumination, his piano concertos, cadenzas for this is palpable. But instead of the solo work were among them – a sure sign that violin’s poised flourish of octaves, it is revealing inherent possibilities not apparent, or possibly not even available, he accorded it a legitimate place in his a piano that enters to offer its serene oeuvre. interpretation of the opening ideas. That in the sound world of the original. entry makes clear – if the sight of the So while Clementi’s enterprising request It is easy to imagine Beethoven playing glossy Steinway on the stage has not of a transcription for the English market the remarkable cadenza he wrote for already done so – that this is no violin was commercially driven, it was also a the first movement – complete with concerto. stroke of musical genius. The London an obbligato part for timpani that school of pianism favoured the legato, or further develops the opening motif, it is We owe the existence of Beethoven’s fantastically pianistic and unashamedly Violin Concerto in its revision for piano connected, manner of playing above the articulation and inflection of the Viennese impudent. Good taste is restored in and orchestra to Clementi, a familiar the moving and beautifully coloured figure to many piano students. Italian- style (Mozart or Haydn, for example). English instruments were built to produce variations of the pastoral slow movement, born Muzio Clementi (1752–1832) settled and Beethoven provides for the soloist a in England at an early age, enjoying a massive sound, rich in overtones, with a deliberately inefficient damping fresh link between this movement and the fame as a virtuoso pianist as well as a capricious and dazzling finale. composer, and teaching John Field and mechanism. Beethoven’s own performing Jan Dussek among others. As an older style was closely attuned to the London The major violin concertos of the 19th man he took to piano manufacture, school – he used more pedal than other century were composed by pianists: continuing his role in the development players, creating, as tonight’s soloist Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, of a distinctive – and specifically English describes it, ‘swathes of undamped Tchaikovsky… While each of these – piano technique and sound. He also sound’. (In the Moonlight Sonata, for concertos was written for and in became involved in music publishing, example, Beethoven instructs that the consultation with a specific violinist, and in 1807 finally ‘made a complete dampers are to be raised for the entire Beethoven in particular has often been conquest of that haughty beauty, first movement.) If a piano were to even accused of giving the soloist figurations Beethoven’. Clementi secured the approach the legato, singing style of the derived from the keyboard and his Violin rights for the ‘British dominions’ of an 19th-century violin, it would be an English Concerto was still considered ‘unplayable’ impressive list that included the recently instrument. And if a composer were to by many when Clementi proposed the premièred Violin Concerto. This concerto, bring a violin concerto to life at the piano transcription. Which is not to suggest that reported Clementi, was beautiful and the it would be Beethoven. the piano version is somehow easier to

60 61 FAMILY CLASSICS 2 (1797–1828)

Symphony No 4 in C minor, D 417, symphonic dynamism. Tragic The exquisite second movement sums Adagio molto – Allegro vivace up all that is lovable in Schubert’s music Andante – poetic expansiveness and songful Menuetto (Allegro vivace) – Trio beauty. If the Fourth Symphony were to Maximus Allegro be truly tragic then this would have been Most listeners encountering Schubert’s Schubert’s opportunity to introduce a Fourth Symphony for the first time languishing adagio; instead we hear an would be unlikely to christen it ‘Tragic’. Andante, nostalgic and lyrical. Musicus Schubert didn’t set out to write a ‘Tragic’ Schubert’s early Menuetto movements visits the Orchestra symphony (he added the title later) and dance a line between the Austrian Ländler it wasn’t like him to give a title to an and a Beethoven scherzo. This one is abstract instrumental work. His use of a closest to the true scherzo; certainly it is title here owes more to the 18th-century a far cry from the elegance of an 18th- practice of appending nicknames to century ballroom. It has a brashness Benjamin Northey conductor symphonies than it does to Beethoven’s brought about partly by the suggestions Allison Farrow narrator definitive labelling with works such as the of cross-rhythms, partly by astringent ‘Eroica’ and ‘Pastoral’. Haydn’s Surprise confrontations in the harmony and partly Allow us to explain. Maximus Symphony, for example, isn’t full of by the presentation of its melodies in is a very cute mouse whose surprises, and his Clock Symphony ticks strong unisons. By contrast, the Trio is itinerant life takes a turn for the in just one movement. In the same way plaintive and candid. better when he hides out in a Schubert’s Fourth Symphony isn’t imbued The agitated finale has two qualities concert hall. He soon discovers with tragedy – it was simply the symphony common to Schubert’s early symphonies: that his new digs have their that was in a minor key and began with an apparently limitless supply of very own sound system – a a particularly dark and powerful slow imaginatively lyrical material, and the live symphony orchestra! introduction. Tragedy is a distinguishing development of ideas through melodies Come on Maxi’s journey of rather than a defining feature. rather than harmony or thematic motifs. discovery as he gets to know Like Beethoven’s Fifth, Schubert’s Fourth This is the work of a composer who spent the instruments of the orchestra begins in C minor and ends in C major. the eight months between his third and and the terrific music that they But Schubert treads the path twice (in the fourth symphonies composing more than play, including Beethoven’s first and last movements) and the means 200 songs. The effusiveness of the Allegro Fifth Symphony and Ravel’s and the effect are quite different. The finally draws to a close – as in the first Bolero. More than a concert, opening brings in the full orchestra with movement – in a resoundingly optimistic Maximus Musicus includes a dramatic unison on the note C. There is C major. The same open unison that had storytelling and big-screen nothing to suggest whether this will be a pronounced a mood of tragedy in the projections. major- or a minor-key symphony, but the first movement returns to triumph over suspense is broken by throbbing violas Schubert’s ‘Tragic’ Symphony. and second violins followed by the main Abridged from a note by Yvonne Frindle theme in the first violins. The introductory Thursday © 1999 Adagio molto constantly shifts harmonic 23 May 6pm ground with striking changes of key and The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra first Federation Concert Hall highly chromatic lines, resolving finally in performed this work with conductor Tibor Paul in Hobart C minor for the beginning of the Allegro Hobart on 13 July 1961 and, most recently, with vivace. Schubert’s increasing technical Sebastian Lang-Lessing in Launceston and confidence is most evident in this on 8 and 27 August 2009. movement – the born melodist for once shakes his compulsion to think in ‘tunes’ and develops his themes with a pithy TICKETS TSO.COM.AU | 1800 001 190 62 63