Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14 Sh

Program One hunDReD TwenTy-SeCOnD SeASOn Chicago symphony orchestra riccardo muti Music Director Pierre Boulez helen Regenstein Conductor emeritus Yo-Yo ma Judson and Joyce Green Creative Consultant Global Sponsor of the CSO Thursday, December 6, 2012, at 8:00 Friday, December 7, 2012, at 8:00 Saturday, December 8, 2012, at 8:00 Sunday, December 9, 2012, at 3:00 Vasily Petrenko Conductor robert Chen Violin Elgar Cockaigne Overture, Op. 40 (In London Town) Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14 Allegro Andante Presto in moto perpetuo RObeRT Chen IntErmIssIon shostakovich Symphony no. 10 in e Minor, Op. 93 Moderato Allegro Allegretto Andante—Allegro This program is partially supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. CommentsCommEnts by PhilliDAnieLP JhAFFuscheré PhiLLiP huSCheR Edward Elgar Born June 2, 1857, Broadheath, near Worcester, England. Died February 23, 1934, Worcester, England. Cockaigne overture, op. 40 (In London Town) lgar had already composed two it’s cheerful and Londony—stout Eof his greatest masterpieces, and steaky’.” the Enigma Variations and The While the connection between Dream of Gerontius, when, late in Elgar’s eventual title, Cockaigne, 1900, the London Philharmonic and London, the “land of Society wrote offering to perform a Cockneys,” is fairly obvious—and new orchestral work. Despondent was reinforced by the subtitle “In after the disastrous premiere in London Town” which Elgar added October that year of The Dream of at the recommendation of a lead- Gerontius, Elgar complained to his ing London music critic, Edward steadfast friend August Jaeger (the Algernon Baughan—it is clear Nimrod of his Enigma Variations) from personal annotations Elgar that the Philharmonic Society had made on its literary definitions that not offered a fee, and, after enu- there were other associations in his merating the expenses involved in mind: “Cockaigne . ‘the land of all performing such a work, plaintively delights’ . An imaginary country asked: “Now what’s the good of it?” of idleness & luxury . Usually Jaeger, as usual, bucked Elgar up associated with Cockney—but the with encouragement. By November, connection, if real, is remote.” Elgar was able to write: “Don’t say Certainly, Elgar told the conduc- anything about the prospective tor Hans Richter that “Cockaigne overture yet—I call it ‘Cockayne’ & is the old, humorous (classical) ComPosEd most rECEnt Cso InstrumEntatIon 1900–1901 PErFormanCEs two flutes and piccolo, two October 5, 1945, oboes, two clarinets, two FIrst PErFormanCE Orchestra hall. Désiré bassoons and contrabas- June 20, 1901, London, Defauw conducting soon, four horns, two england. The com- trumpets and two cornets, July 11, 1997, Ravinia poser conducting three trombones and Festival. Donald tuba, timpani, percussion, Runnicles conducting FIrst Cso organ, strings PErFormanCE november 29, aPProxImatE 1901, Auditorium PErFormanCE tImE Theatre. Theodore 15 minutes Thomas conducting 2 name for London & from it we get concerns of young lovers who, as the term Cockney”—effectively it were, represent the hope for that reinforcing the idea that the over- city and its culture; that is not to ture was a celebration of London’s mention the resonant similarities ordinary citizens rather than its between certain of Wagner’s and grandees; but one should beware of Elgar’s themes and their presenta- assuming the overture is a faithful tion, nor indeed the C major tonal- portrait of London in Elgar’s time. ity shared by both overtures. Yet At the time of its composition, there is greater Elgar and his wife Alice had only humanity spent one unhappy spell in the city in Elgar’s some ten years earlier, when they conception— had left their native Worcester boisterous for West Kensington in Elgar’s and less first unsuccessful bid to gain a “correct” in its professional foothold in the capital. deportment, Cockaigne is, rather, Elgar’s evoca- and with tion of an idealized community, a an amused place of goodwill and high spirits acceptance of where everybody, whether high- or human fail- low-born (something Elgar as the ings such as son of a tradesman was highly the Salvation sensitive to), plays a vital role in its Army band culture and sense of identity. which constantly Edward and Caroline Alice Elgar just after edicated to the composer’s fails to start in their marriage D“many friends, the members tune halfway of British orchestras,” the overture was first heard on June 20, through Cockaigne. 1901, at a Royal Philharmonic Elgar’s overture starts not with a Concert conducted by Elgar in grand statement as does Wagner’s, London’s Queen’s Hall. It was but with a perky yet distinctive an instant success. To many of theme played sotto voce, almost as his contemporaries, including if it were overheard. Indeed, the the astute critic George Bernard slight hold on a high note seems to Shaw, the overture’s boisterous graphically suggest the intrigued and celebratory character instantly listener, perhaps Elgar himself, to recalled the overture to Wagner’s whom the theme has occurred, has Die Meistersinger. Indeed, there is paused to listen out for its further much in common between the two development. The theme then works (despite Elgar’s disingenuous continues, building into a boister- protestations that he had learned ous, brass-capped full statement by more from Delibes’s ballet Sylvia): the orchestra. Then follows a more both celebrate a city’s mythical past, wistful theme on the strings, full interwoven with the individual of blissfully sighing chromaticisms, 3 which might have been identified new, which is built up—with per- as that of the young lovers (similar haps a hint of a tolling bell by the as it is in character to Wagner’s love muted brass—into a grand march theme in Meistersinger); except this by the full orchestra (after which, is the theme Elgar himself identi- in a calm interlude, we hear the fied as being inspired “one dark day incompetent Salvation Army band). in the Guildhall: looking at the In this way, Elgar seems to sug- memorials of the city’s great past & gest that the greatness and spirit of knowing well the history of its Cockaigne is not only nourished by unending charity, I seemed to hear such institutions as the Guildhall, far away in the dim roof a theme, but also from the grassroots and echo of some noble melody.” upwards. Indeed, Elgar explicitly After a vigorous near-peroration said that vulgarity “often goes with by the brass, the orchestra quietens inventiveness,” and such inventive- for a more wistful, reflective theme, ness “in the course of time may presented first by the strings, then be refined”—implicitly, one may by the woodwinds. This now is the assume, in his own music! Indeed, theme which Elgar described as the every major theme has its spotlight lovers’ theme—not yearning like in the overture’s kaleidoscopic Wagner’s, but more assured, calm procession, whether in intimate and tenderly loving. scoring, or in a grand tutti state- Rather than needing a blow- ment. There is no hierarchy as such by-blow commentary, the music among those themes: the Salvation unfolds its own eloquent narra- Army band apart, nothing is “inci- tive from these principal themes. dental,” but every musical theme But do listen for the solo clarinet, or character is essential in Elgar’s which twice initiates a crescendo: vision of “the land of all delights.” the first time with a perky theme which is in fact a cheekily speeded —Daniel Jaffé up version of the Guildhall theme, described by the critic Ernest Newman as a whistling tune of “the perky, self-confident, unabash- able London street boy . just Daniel Jaffé is a regular contributor to BBC Music Magazine and a special- as Wagner obtained the theme of ist in English and Russian music. his Nuremberg apprentices out of He is the author of a biography of the Master-singers.” The second Sergey Prokofiev (Phaidon) and the occasion, the clarinet plays another Historical Dictionary of Russian Music perky theme, this time genuinely (Scarecrow Press). 4 samuel Barber Born March 9, 1910, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Died January 23, 1981, New York City. Violin Concerto, op. 14 his is not the first violin Oistrakh and Nathan Milstein.) Tconcerto to have been declared Fels offered Barber $1,000—$500 unplayable by the person for whom up front, $500 on completion of the it was written. Tchaikovsky’s score. For a composer at the begin- now-popular concerto also was ning of his career, it was without rejected at first—although Leopold doubt a good deal. Or so it seemed Auer, Tchaikovsky’s chosen soloist at the time. and a violinist of considerable Barber wrote the first two move- accomplishment, eventually had ments that summer in Switzerland, the decency to admit his error but when Briselli saw them he (and later taught the work to his complained that the music was “too pupil Jascha Heifetz, who regularly simple and not brilliant enough for played it). Barber was not so lucky, a concerto.” There are conflicting although time has proved the value accounts of what happened next. of his work. According to the “official” story, In 1939, Barber accepted a dutifully repeated in program notes commission from Samuel Fels, a for years, Barber wrote a dazzling Philadelphia businessman (and perpetuum mobile finale, which the manufacturer of Fels Naphtha Briselli declared too difficult; Fels soap) who wanted a violin concerto then asked for his money back, for his adopted son, Iso Briselli, a and Barber set up a performance child prodigy. (Briselli was born in to demonstrate that the movement Odessa, the birthplace of so many was indeed playable—and that violinists including David and Igor he needn’t repay the $500, which ComPosEd April 9, 1981, Orchestra InstrumEntatIon 1939–40 hall.

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