Mendelssohn & Mahler Music of two composer-conductors comprises today’s concert. Violinist Simona Lamsma plays Mendelssohn’s gracious concerto. After intermission, we’ll enjoy music by the young Mahler, his powerhouse Symphony No. 1.
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Born 3 February 1809; Hamburg, Germany Died 4 November 1847; Leipzig, Germany
Concerto in E minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 64 Composed: 1838-44 First performance: 13 March 1845; Leipzig, Germany Last MSO performance: September 2012; Gilbert Varga, conductor; Frank Almond, violin Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, strings Approximate duration: 26 minutes
In a letter dated 30 July 1838, Felix Mendelssohn wrote to Ferdinand David, “I should like to write a violin concerto for you next winter.One in E minor runs through my head, the be- ginning of which gives me no peace.” It would be another six years before the composition came completely to fruition — in September 1844, as Mendelssohn relaxed with his family at Bad Soden, near Frankfurt. Over the years, he had worked closely with David in shaping the work, possibly the first instance of the sort of collaboration between composer and performer that continues to this very day. Interestingly, David (1810-1873) was born in the same Hamburg house as Mendelssohn — one year later. When Mendelssohn was appointed as conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1835, he chose David as his concertmaster. And in 1843, David became the first violin professor at the newly founded Leipzig Conservatory. Four years later, he was one of the pallbearers at Mendelssohn’s funeral. The tuneful work Mendelssohn fashioned for David is one of the most beloved in its genre. Eschewing the usual orchestral introduction, the solo violin enters in the second bar, singing the E minor melody that caused the composer such unrest. (Joseph Kerman) The second subject is in G major, introduced by the woodwinds as the soloist sounds a pedal tone on low G. These two themes are combined in the development section — which, unusually, is capped by a written-out cadenza. In the recapitulation, that troublesome opening theme is cast in E major before returning to E minor. Mendelssohn & Mahler PROGRAM NOTES
Died 18 May 1911; Vienna, Austria Died 18May1911;Vienna, 7July1860;Kalischt,Bohemia(nowKalište,CzechRepublic) Born GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No.1inDmajor finale spinsalonginhighspirits,whichnooneneedbeashamedtoshare.” (Tovey) and accompanimentalfigures —foreground andbackground, inotherwords. “Andsothis ject inBmajor. Asintheopeningmovement,soloistcareens betweenmelodicmaterial ess musthavebeen.ItissetinEmajor, witha“cheeky”(DonaldFrancisTovey) secondsub- Night’s Dream—Mendelssohn givesusanideaofjusthowvirtuosicDavid’s technicalprow- molto vivace.Here—conjuring uptheatmosphere ofhisincidentalmusicforAMidsummer passage (Allegretto nontroppo) forthesoloistandstringsleadstoelfin-likeAllegro without words” isinCmajor, withatremulous middlesectioninAminor. A14-bartransition final Eminorchord, thenmovingupahalf-steptomiddleC.Thisthree-part (A-B-A)“song A solobassoonprovides aseamlesstransitiontotheAndante,sustainingitsBfrom the sandos asthewindsprovide counterpointandcontrastingtimbres. figure. Inthemiddlesection(trio),violinsfeature prominently, employing flirtatiousglis- wrote inhisearly20s,“HansundGrete.” Again,theperfect fourthisasalientmelodic The second-movementscherzo isarough-hewn folkdancethatquotesasongMahler thatprovideto thesoftcountermelodies Mahler’s unique typeofpolyphony. wentthrough(This morningI thefields).Listennotonlytothisgentlystridingtune,butalso This melodyisfrom thesecondoffourWayfarer songs,“GingheutMorgen übersFeld” cellos usherinthemovement’s expositionwithatunethatbeginsthetwo-notemotif. sounds asthoughnature isawakeningasdawnbreaks slowly. Asthetempoincreases, the note motif,adescendingperfectfourth.Littlefanfares erupt,bothonstageandoff, and it this blankcanvas,Mahlerbeginstopaintwithever-changing tonecolors,utilizingatwo- The symphonyopenswithasinglepitch(A)inthestrings, spread across fiveoctaves.Onto provided someofitsmelodicmaterial. ledtotheinceptionof hisFirstSymphony,The songcycle,inturn, and—asweshallsee the veryendofhiscreative life,thoughina phenomenalvarietyofguises(notdisguises).” “appears asthehero ofhisownwork.The Artist asHero isarole hecontinuedtoplay Mahler wrote thetextshimselfand,asmusicologistDonaldMitchellnotes,composer his firstmasterpiece,thesongcycleLiedereinesfahrenden Gesellen (SongsofaWayfarer). in lovewithJohannaRichter, oneofhissingers.Thissadstateaffairs ledhimtocompose and chorusdirector attheoperahouseinKassel, Germany. There, hesoonfellunrequitedly summer, hisoff-season. Hemadehislivingasaconductor. In1883,hewasappointedmusic It’s importanttoremember thatcomposingwasMahler’s avocation,oftencarriedoutinthe great effect. ed theinspirationforpurely instrumentalmovements;inothers,thevoiceisemployed,to in hisorchestra works.Insomeinstances,suchashere inSymphonyNo.1,theseprovid- symphony andsong.Hewrote numerous Liederforvoiceandpiano,alsoutilizedsongs Throughout hiscompositionallife,GustavMahlerwasoccupiedbytwomusicalgenres: Philharmonic Nathan Milstein;ClaudioAbbado,Vienna Recommended recording: : Last MSOperformance Approximate: duration : First performance 4 flutes,(2nd,3rd, and4thdoublingpiccolo),4oboes(3rd : Instrumentation Composed: (Deutsche Grammophon) October 2011;EdodeWaart, conductor 20 November1889;Budapest,Hungary 1884-88 53 minutes triangle), harp,strings tuba, 2timpani,percussion (bassdrum,cymbals, tamtam, 5trumpets,4trombone,doubling contrabassoon),7horns, E-flat clarinet,3rd doublingbassclarinet),3 bassoons(3rd 4clarinets(2ndand4thdoubling doubling Englishhorn),
Mendelssohn & Mahler PROGRAM NOTES
poser waswellonhiswaytoachievingthatgoal. must betheworld;itembraceeverything.”Inthis,hisfirstessay, the28-year-old com- withSibelius,Mahlerfamouslyopined,“Thesymphony Discussing thesymphonicform two-note slam”(DavidHurwitz)onoctaveDs. like nonebefore, andtheentire orchestra concludestheworkwithatouchofhumor, “a timpani andblazingbrass—wantstoliftusrightoutofourseats.It’s aHollywoodending the firstmovement.Initstriumphantfinalpages,Mahler’s gloriousmusic—withgalloping counterpoint. There’s evenasectionthatoffers asentimentalremembrance ofthemesfrom chamber-music textures, affecting violinmelodies,kaleidoscopictonecolors,andfelicitous terest bymakinguswonder justwhat’s comingnext.Listenforavarietyofkeys,transparent movement, Mahlerfirstcaptures ourattentionwiththisviolentoutburst,thenholdsin- snarling brass,screaming woodwinds,rushingstrings.It’s allrighthere. Inthis20-minute the openingbarsofFinale.Crashingcymbals,thuddingbassdrum,rumblingtimpani, hearing acheerfulchildren’s songinadolefulminorkey—musthavebeentakenabackby The Hungarianaudiencethatfirstheard thissymphonyin1889—confusedenoughby E-flat minor. the road andfallsasleep. Followingthisoasis,wereturn to“Frère Jacque,”thistimein Wayfarer ladliesdownunderalindentree songs,anddescribeshowthelovelorn beside cellos prepare thewayforamelodyofheart-rending beauty. It’s from thelastof strings withthewoodoftheirbows—addtofun.Asthissubsides,harpandpizzicato the composer’s Jewish/Czechbackground. Bassdrum,cymbals,andviolins—clickingthe two oboes,accompaniedbytrumpets,launchintoaklezmeresque tune,courtesyof ic levelremain soft,regardless ofhowmanyinstrumentsplay. Astheround windsdown, we sangit—thoughinthemajormodeaschildren. Mahlerinstructsthatthedynam- inDminor.Martin” inGerman) Otherinstrumentsjoin,playingthetune inaround, justas the onlyaccompanimentforamutedsolodoublebass,playing“Frère Jacque”(“Bruder At theoutsetofthird movement,mutedtimpani(soundingperfectfourths!)provide KlausTennstedt, ChicagoSymphonyOrchestra (EMI) Recommended recording :