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CHAN 9908 Front.qxd 17/7/07 3:00 pm Page 1 CHAN 9908 CHANDOS CHAN 9908 BOOK.qxd 17/7/07 3:02 pm Page 2 Samuel Barber (1910–1981) Three Essays for Orchestra 1 First Essay, Op. 12 8:10 Andante sostenuto – Allegro molto – Largamente sostenuto 2 Second Essay, Op. 17 9:35 Andante, un poco mosso – Molto allegro ed energico – Più tranquillo, ma sempre muovendo 3 Third Essay, Op. 47 11:58 [ ] – Tranquillo – Poco muovendo – Più tranquillo – Lebrecht Collection Lebrecht Come prima – Broader Excerpts from ‘Vanessa’ 4 Intermezzo 3:19 With quiet motion 5 Under the Willow Tree 3:22 Rather sustained 6 Music for a Scene from Shelley, Op. 7 10:13 Adagio, ma non troppo Samuel Barber 7 Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance, Op. 23a 13:01 Broadly TT 60:20 Detroit Symphony Orchestra Neeme Järvi 3 CHAN 9908 BOOK.qxd 17/7/07 3:02 pm Page 4 composer remarked merely that this is 1935. Barber stated that this work was Barber: Orchestral Works ‘absolutely abstract music which is essentially simply incidental music to Act II, Scene 5 of dramatic in character’. Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound and ‘has nothing at all to do with the figure of Three Essays for Orchestra a musical composition. He was never inclined © Michael Fleming Prometheus’. This early work, Barber’s second All his life Samuel Barber longed for success in to speak much about his music, however, and piece for orchestra, does little to alter the the opera house, but it cruelly eluded him. His when asked to explain his choice of the word Excerpts from ‘Vanessa’ common belief that he was a ‘neo-Romantic’ Vanessa, though periodically revived, has never he simply referred to the Oxford English Vanessa was Samuel Barber’s first opera and composer, for it is plainly couched in the entered the repertoire, and Antony and Dictionary definition: ‘A composition of ranks among his major achievements. The musical language of the late nineteenth Cleopatra, which opened the new Metropolitan moderate length on a particular subject… four-act work, with a libretto by Gian Carlo century. Opera House at Lincoln Center in 1966, more or less elaborate in style though limited Menotti, was completed in 1957 and won the Barber constructed his music upon two was such a noted fiasco that there was not in range’. Pulitzer Prize the following year. Barber basic melodic ideas. The first is an ethereal, another professional staging until the Lyric There is no ‘form’ for an essay, then, merely composed one of his most varied scores for slow-moving triplet motive that resounds Opera of Chicago revived it in the autumn the presumption of a logical chain of thought, this tale of love in waiting; while much of it is throughout most of the piece; there follows a season, 1991. with theme connected to theme perhaps more written in a late-nineteenth-century vein, it is second, more optimistic thought, a soaring In the field of instrumental music, however, loosely than in a symphonic movement. Over at times unmistakably modern. The two melody first heard in the upper strings it was a different story. Not long after he the course of his three orchestral essays, excerpts presented here, ‘Under the Willow and later in the trumpet and the woodwinds. graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, Barber’s harmonic vocabulary grew a bit Tree’ and the brief ‘Intermezzo’, are among This work contains several modernisms: his Overture to The School for Scandal was bolder, and his instrumentation certainly fuller. the opera’s many highlights. ‘Under the Willow muted strings and winds offer a distant performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. A The First is the most gently scored and quietly Tree’, a waltz sung by the Old Doctor in the effect reminiscent of Bartók’s ‘night music’; few years later he caught the ear of Arturo spoken, though the composer is quite sure of first act, exhibits the composer’s considerable numerous time changes lend a feeling of Toscanini, who gave the first performance of what he has to say. In the Second, the timpani talent for cleverly setting text. The lyrical rhythmic uncertainty; and its thick his Adagio for Strings (arranged from the play the role of agents provocateurs, driving orchestral ‘Intermezzo’ from the third act is a chromaticism obscures its essentially tonal String Quartet) and the Essay for Orchestra. the orchestra on to a brilliantly worked-out melodic and richly textured segment, character. His concertos for piano and for violin have fugue. Even bolder is the use of percussion in somewhat sentimental but clearly illustrative While Music for a Scene from Shelley utilises established themselves as solid favourites with the Third Essay, in which the emotional turmoil of Barber’s skills in orchestration, particularly a standard large orchestra (supplemented by both players and audiences, and to his original of Barber’s late years seems to surge forth. By his gift for string writing. glockenspiel, cymbals and harp), one of the Essay Barber added two more over the years, the time he wrote it Barber was confronted work’s most notable features is its delicacy. A the Third being the last work completed both with his own impending death and with Music for a Scene from Shelley unique transparency of texture is maintained before his death. the knowledge that some of the artistic Barber completed his Music for a Scene from by employing all the instrumental sections As a well-read man, Barber must have come acceptance he sought had escaped him. The Shelley in 1933, two years before its premiere only at the points of greatest drama. This naturally upon the term ‘essay’ as a name for mood is contentious almost throughout: the by the New York Philharmonic on 24 March composition, although unheralded in 4 5 CHAN 9908 BOOK.qxd 17/7/07 3:02 pm Page 6 comparison with some of Barber’s other people annually in a year-round performance national de Paris-Bastille. He has amassed a Swedish Academy of Music and the University works, is one of the true gems of twentieth- schedule that includes national and distinguished discography of more than 350 of Michigan and has been appointed century American music. international tours, as well as twenty-six weeks discs. Neeme Järvi holds honorary degrees Commander of the North Star Order by the of classical subscription concerts at Detroit’s from the University of Aberdeen, the Royal king of Sweden. Medea’s Meditation and Dance of historic Orchestra Hall. These concerts are Vengeance broadcast nationally to more than one million Barber collaborated with modern dance listeners across the United States, currently legend Martha Graham to produce the ballet making it the most listened-to orchestra in the Medea (Cave of the Heart) which was country. The Orchestra Place Development premiered in 1946. Although the ballet itself Project, announced in 1996 and now is seldom performed today, the orchestral underway, will include the new Fine and movement Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Performing Arts, Communication and Vengeance (1955) is one of the composer’s Technologies High School and the Max best-known works. It was first performed in M. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, 1956 by Dmitri Mitropoulos and the New housing new patron amenities and a second York Philharmonic, and Barber stated that it is performance hall. The expansion will be directly related to the ballet’s central anchored by the Jacob Bernard Pincus Music character, Medea, and her struggles with Education Center, providing music learning jealousy and rage which eventually lead to programmes for people of all ages. murder. The music appropriately emphasises winds and percussion, thrilling brass climaxes, Since 1982 Neeme Järvi has been Principal and generally luxuriant orchestration. The Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony influence of Stravinsky is particularly evident Orchestra and last season celebrated ten years in the dance portion of the work where as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony frenzied syncopation and Dionysian turmoil Orchestra. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, he makes create one of Barber’s greatest orchestral frequent guest appearances with the foremost tours de force. orchestras and opera houses of the world including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, © Bill F. Faucett Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia Neeme Järvi Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Founded in 1914, the Detroit Symphony Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra is heard live by over 450,000 The Metropolitan Opera and the Opéra 6 7 CHAN 9908 BOOK.qxd 17/7/07 3:02 pm Page 8 dem der emotionale Aufruhr der späten Jahre beachtliche Talent und Geschick des Barber: Werke für Orchester Barbers hervorzubrechen scheint. Um die Zeit Komponisten beim Vertonen von Texten. Das seiner Entstehung war Barber sowohl mit lyrisch orchestrale “Intermezzo” aus dem seinem eigenen kurz bevorstehenden Tod als dritten Akt ist ein melodisches, gediegen Three Essays for Orchestra Als gebildeter Mann muß Barber ganz auch mit dem Wissen konfrontiert, daß ihm die strukturiertes Segment, ein wenig sentimental, Sein ganzes Leben lang sehnte sich Samuel natürlich auf das Wort “Essay” als künstlerische Anerkennung, nach der er aber beispielhaft für Barbers gekonnte Barber nach Erfolg im Opernhaus, der ihm Bezeichnung für eine Komposition gestoßen gestrebt hatte, teilweise entgangen war. Die Orchestrierung und vor allem für seine jedoch ungerechterweise versagt blieb. Seine sein. Allerdings neigte er nie dazu, viel über Stimmung ist fast durchweg streitlustig: Der begnadete Streicherführung. Vanessa wird zwar gelegentlich wieder seine Musik zu sagen, und als man ihn Komponist selbst meinte dazu nur, daß es sich aufgegriffen, ist jedoch nie ins Repertoire aufforderte, seine Wahl des Titels zu erläutern, um “absolut abstrakte Musik mit grundsätzlich Music for a Scene from Shelley eingegangen, und Antony and Cleopatra, mit verwies er schlicht auf die Definition im dramatischem Charakter” handle.