Salzburg Chamber Soloists
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CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS Salzburg Chamber Soloists Sunday, September 26, 2004, 3 pm Hertz Hall Lavard Skou–Larsen, artistic director, leader, violin Lena Maria Elisabeth Neudauer, violin soloist Violin I Lavard Skou Larsen, leader Veronika Risa Schuchter, Nelson Diaz Guerrero, Lena Maria Elisabeth Neudauer, Antoine Bareil Violin II Ullrich Matthias Benedikt Poschner, principal Zoltan Laluska, Irene Castiblanco Briceno, Iveta Schwarzova Viola Firmian Tobias Lermer, principal Lena Fankhauser, Denes Ludmany Violoncello Detlef Johannes Willi Mielke, principal Adriane Ritzmann Savytzky, Claudia Hoedl Double Bass Stefano Schiavolin PROGRAM Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Serenade for Strings in C minor, K. 406 (K. 516b) Allegro Andante Minuetto in Canone – Trio in Canone al rovescio – Minuetto in Canone Allegro Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in D minor Allegro Andante Allegro INTERMISSION Antonín Dvo˘rák Serenade for Strings in E major, Op. 22 Moderato Tempo di Valse Scherzo: Vivace Larghetto Finale: Allegro vivace This performance has been made possible, in part, by the Friends of Cal Performances. Cal Performances thanks the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The Wallace Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation for their generous support. C AL PERFORMANCES 13 PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES Serenade for Strings in C minor, The Serenade for Eight Winds in C minor K. 406 (K. 516b) on which the String Quintet, K. 406, is based Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) occupies a special place in Mozart’s output as his The year 1786 was the zenith of Mozart’s career only piece of “entertainment” music in a minor in Vienna. Perhaps because of intrigue but more key. The occasion and patron for whom it was probably because the geometrical expansion of written are unknown, and even the exact date of deep expression in his newest music did not suit its composition is uncertain. It is possible that the fickle taste of the Viennese, his local popu- he referred to it in a letter of July 27, 1782, larity began to wane. Though he tried to econo- where he wrote that he was composing a Nacht mize by moving from his spacious apartment in Musique—a “night music” or serenade—“in a the Schullerstrasse (now a Mozart museum, just great hurry.” Though he did not identify the behind the Stephansdom, known as the “Figaro work completely, it may well have been this ser- House”) to a smaller flat at 224 Landstrasse, he enade, since he stated that the new composition could not abandon his taste for fine clothes and was for winds. It has been conjectured that the elegant entertaining, and took on debts, several work was written for the composer’s musician of which were to the textile merchant Michael friends in Vienna, either as listeners or as per- Puchberg, a fellow Mason. On April 2, 1787, an formers. Certainly the dramatic nature of the announcement signed by Mozart appeared in music and the elaborate technical machinations operatic love scene. The third movement is one spent several hours in private tutoring with the the Wiener Zeitung stating that he was offering of the third movement indicate that it was not of Mozart’s most elaborate contrapuntal inven- best available teachers. When his musical talents for sale by subscription three new quintets, intended for a simple outdoor party, but rather tions. The minuet proper is in strict canon (i.e., became obvious in his early years, he was first “finely and correctly written,” which would for a sophisticated audience that would give it exact imitation, like a round) between the first given instruction in piano, and soon thereafter be available at Puchberg’s establishment after the same attention usually accorded to a fine violin and the cello, with the other instruments in theory and composition by the distinguished July 1st. The intention was apparently that symphony or quartet. It was virtually Mozart’s filling in the harmony. The central Trio, occu- pedagogue Carl Friedrich Zelter. Mendelssohn’s Puchberg would keep the proceeds to repay a final essay in the form of entertainment music, pying yet another level of polyphonic complex- earliest dated composition is a cantata complet- debt. To create the promised trio of works succeeded only by Eine kleine Nachtmusik ity, is written in canone al rovescio, or “canon in ed on January 3, 1820, three weeks before his (18th-century publishing practice demanded (K. 525) and The Musical Joke (K. 522). In it, reverse.” The new canon melody of the Trio is 11th birthday, though this work was almost cer- that instrumental works usually be issued in sets he heralded the deepening spiritual resources played both in its original version and upside- tainly preceded by others whose exact dates are of three, six, or 12), Mozart created anew of such later works as his Piano Concerto in down, in mirror image, by the four voices of vio- not recorded. To display the boy’s blossoming the quintets in C major (K. 515) and G minor C minor (K. 491) and Don Giovanni, and even lins, first viola, and cello. This pedanticism musical abilities, the Mendelssohn mansion was (K. 516), and arranged the magnificent Wind looked forward to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, (derived from Mozart’s careful study of the turned into a twice-monthly concert hall featur- Octet in C minor (K. 388) for five strings also in C minor. works of Bach) can be clearly heard in the ing the precocious youngster’s achievements. A (K. 406, corrected to K. 516b in Einstein’s revi- Of the emotional milieu of this composi- music, but, as with all of his compositions, it large summer house was fitted as an auditorium sions of Köchel’s catalog). The quintets were tion, Alfred Einstein wrote, “If G minor is the results in a beautiful, euphonious whole that seating several hundred people, and every other completed in April and May during a hectic fatalistic key for Mozart, then C minor is the dra- may be enjoyed without the slightest bother Sunday morning the city’s finest musicians were interruption in the composition of Don matic one, the key of contrasts between aggres- about its compositional technique. The finale is brought in to perform both repertory works and Giovanni (those same weeks saw Mozart’s only sive unisons and lyric passages. The lyric quality a set of variations on a 16-measure theme the latest flowers of Mendelssohn’s creativity. meeting with Beethoven when the 16-year-old is always overtaken by gloomy outbursts.” The announced at the outset by the first violin. The These matinees—complemented by an elegant Bonn musician came to Vienna for a fortnight first movement opens with just such an “aggres- dark shadow of C minor passes from the music luncheon—began in 1822, when Mendelssohn of lessons, and the death of Papa Leopold sive unison” in long note values that establishes in the closing pages for a high-spirited galop in was 13 years old. He selected the programs, led Mozart in Salzburg), but the number of sub- the deeply emotional nature of the entire work. C major to the end. the rehearsals, appeared as piano soloist, played scribers was so small that Mozart placed anoth- Following a brief silence (Mozart’s characteristic violin in the chamber pieces, and even conduct- er advertisement in the Viennese press on marker for this important structural junction), Violin Concerto in D minor ed, though in those early years he was still too June 25th. This, too, was largely ignored, and the lyrical second theme is played in the brighter Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) short to be seen by the players in the back rows the project was dropped, though Artaria & Co. tonality of E-flat major. The development is In addition to being born with the proverbial unless he stood on a stool. With sister Fanny par- brought out K. 515 in 1789 and K. 516 a year given over to sighing figures derived from the silver spoon, Felix Mendelssohn was virtually ticipating as pianist, sister Rebecca as singer, and later. Mozart returned to the string quintet form main theme. The recapitulation recalls the the- bestowed a golden baton as a natal gift. His par- brother Paul as cellist, it is little wonder that invi- in December 1790 and April 1791 with works matic material from the exposition, but main- ents’ household was among the most cultured tations to these happy gatherings were among in D major (K. 593) and E-flat (K. 614) for the tains the dark color of the minor tonality to the and affluent in all of Berlin, but his family saw the most eagerly sought and highly prized of any wealthy Hungarian amateur violinist Johann stern closing measures of the movement. to it that his privilege was well balanced by in Berlin society. By 1825, Mendelssohn had Tost. They were the last pieces of chamber The second movement is a lyrical song in discipline and responsibility. Young Felix arose written over 80 works for these concerts, includ- music that he wrote. sonata form with the moonlit overtones of an at 5:00 every morning (6:00 on Sunday), and ing operas and operettas, string quartets and 14 C AL PERFORMANCES C AL PERFORMANCES 15 PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES other chamber pieces, concertos, motets, and a ments of the Mozartian model, though there are The members of the grants committee were Symphony No. 5, and the lovely Serenade for series of 13 symphonies for strings. everywhere evidences of the young composer’s a most distinguished lot—Johann Herbeck, Strings all appeared with inspired speed. A frequent participant in the Mendelssohn distinctive techniques and elegant manner of director of the Court Opera; the renowned crit- The Serenade for Strings, Op.