Spring Celebration

SPRING CELEBRATION PROGRAM NOTES. By Erik Rohde © | Violin II, Illinois Symphony Orchestra | Music Director, Winona Symphony Orchestra | Director of Strings and Activities, Indiana State University ILSYMPHONY.ORG Voices of Spring seventeen days later. This too was met with acclaim by the audience and was also cheered until it was 30 JOHANN STRAUSS, II b. St. Ulrich near Vienna, Austria, 25 October 1825 encored at that performance as well. d. Vienna, 3 June 1899 Violin Concerto Premiered on March 1, 1883 in the Theater an der Wien ANTONÍN DVORˇ ÀK in Vienna with soprano Bianca Bianchi. As an orchestral b. Nelahozeves, Austrian Empire, 8 September 1841 work it was premiered by Eduard Strauss (the composer’s brother) on March 18, 1883 by the Strauss Orchestra in d. Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1 May 1904 the Goldene Saal of the Musikverein in Vienna. Premiered on October 14, 1883 in Prague by violinist (Approx. 6 minutes) František Ondrícek. (Approx. 32 minutes) Best known for his “Blue Danube” waltz and Die The Czech composer Antonín Dvorˇàk owed much of Fledermaus, Johann Strauss II was the son of the his widespread acclaim to “being discovered” by his elder Johann Strauss and the most prominent friend and elder composer Johannes Brahms, who member of the famous Strauss family waltz dynasty. had met Dvorˇàk through a composition competition Famous in Vienna, and later to tour across Europe in the 1870s and helped to bring public prominence and the United States, the Strauss family had a huge to his work after being substantially impressed by the influence on musical life in Vienna in the 1800s, talent of this young composer from Bohemia. Their enough that for a city that has cradled a plethora of relationship was fruitful in both directions, the two musical talent, it is Johann Strauss II who is depicted composers inspiring each other through their dances, in Vienna with a statue of gold. symphonies, chamber music, and concertos. The Voices of Spring first was written as a show piece Violin Concerto of Dvorˇàk has a specific debt to for the soprano Bianca Bianchi, who first premiered Brahms’ concerto, written just a few years earlier. Not the work at a charity performance in Vienna. The text only are there musical parallels – it seems clear that speaks of bird song, and especially the singing of a Dvorˇàk knew Brahms work well – but more lark and a nightingale. Breezes awaken the fields and importantly that Brahms introduced him to his friend, meadows and “spring breaks forth in all its splendor.” the violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim. It was so popular at the premiere that the piece was immediately encored, and Strauss quickly created an orchestral version which was premiered just ILSYMPHONY.ORG Just as Brahms did when writing his concerto, Dvorˇàk Symphony No. 1 “Spring” sent the score to Joachim, who responded with ROBERT SCHUMANN huge revisions suggested. So far reaching were his b. Zwickau, Saxony, 8 June 1810 comments that Dvorˇàk claimed to basically re-write d. Bonn, 29 July 1856 the whole piece. He sent the revised score back to 31 Joachim for further comments but Joachim took two Premiered on March 31, 1841 in Leipzig under the direction years to respond. While he praised the concerto, he of Felix Mendelssohn, conductor. (Approx. 28 minutes) sent further suggestions for revisions. Dvorˇàk The year of 1841 was an important year in the life of finally dedicated the further revised work to Joachim, Robert Schumann. After composing over 100 songs in undoubtedly hoping the brilliant master of the violin the previous year, he turned to the tempting palate of would perform the work, but he never played it the full orchestra for several works in 1841, including publicly. It was finally premiered by the young Czech his first symphony. These years of Schumann’s life violinist František Ondrícek. (and the glow lasted into 1842 for a year of The concerto has many unusual aspects, including monumental chamber music) were years of bliss the violinist leaping into the fray almost immediately, as a result of his marriage to his lifelong love Clara without the standard orchestral introduction which Wieck on September 12, 1840. Clara was a world was then more standard. This powerhouse opening famous pianist, and Schumann had had his eye on is a clear nod to his friend Brahms’ concerto, which her for a while, but Clara’s father vehemently opposed opens in virtually the same way. Dvorˇàk shows his their marriage. They finally moved ahead without his own character though by remaining true to his Czech approval, successfully suing him in order that they heritage, incorporating a slow, melancholy dumka might marry. and an energetic furiant into the last movement of the There is no doubt that Robert Schumann’s career was work. The work sparkles and dances through the heavily influenced by his relationship with Clara. All of distinctively Czech rhythmic language we now know his music of these years breathes of her influence so well. Dvorˇàk also linked the first two movements and his unbounded love for her. It was she who of his concerto to flow without pause (such as Max encouraged him to turn to orchestral compositions Bruch’s popular first violin concerto), again coming in 1841. Convinced that his musical voice was too under critical scrutiny for this decision, this time from limited by the piano. She stated that her “highest wish his publisher. He insisted that this idea stay in, is that he should compose for orchestra—that is his however, and the little bridge that links the two field! May I succeed in bringing him to it!” She did movements is one of the most beautiful moments of convince him. the concerto. SPRING CELEBRATION PROGRAM NOTES continued ... By Erik Rohde © | Violin II, Illinois Symphony Orchestra | Music Director, Winona Symphony Orchestra | Director of Strings and Activities, Indiana State University The Symphony, given the original title of “Spring Originally Schumann gave each of the four Symphony,” became his major symphonic work of movements titles, and while he removed them before the year 1841. He fully sketched it in an astonishing publishing the work, it is interesting to have a window ILSYMPHONY.ORG four days, and curiously enough, in the dead of winter. into what he was thinking about in each movement. He made clear, however, that spring was on his mind The first movement was to be titled “Spring’s 32 when he was composing it. In a letter to a conductor Awakening,” no doubt after the inspiration of the about the work, Schumann wrote: above-mentioned trumpet call. The second If only you could breathe into your orchestra, movement, a mellow and devout reverie, was to be when it plays, that longing for spring! It was titled “Evening.” This leads directly into the Scherzo, my main source of inspiration when I wrote the titled “Merry Playfellows.” The Scherzo is notable in work in February 1841. I should like the very that it includes not just one but two contrasting Trio first trumpet call to sound as though proceeding sections, the first more subdued, and the second from on high and like a summons to awaken. In a lively Ländler. The dancelike Finale was to be the following section of the introduction, let me “Spring’s Farewell,” and though it is a joyous say, it might be possible to feel the world turning movement indeed, Schumann was clear that he green; perhaps . a butterfly fluttering; and in wanted “to describe a farewell to spring, and the Allegro the gradual assemblage of everything therefore do not want it to be taken too frivolously.” that belongs to spring. However, it was only after I had completed the composition that these ideas came to my mind. .

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