’S CREATION NASHVILLE SYMPHONY AND CHORUS

CLASSICAL SERIES

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 & 4, AT 8 PM

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY NASHVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS THANK YOU TO NICHOLAS MCGEGAN, conductor OUR PARTNER TUCKER BIDDLECOMBE, chorus director ASHLEY VALENTINE, soprano ISAIAH BELL, ANTHONY REED,

FRANZ , H. XXI:2 SERIES PRESENTING PARTNER Part I Part II Part III

Intermission will take place at the conclusion of Part I.

INCONCERT 15 TONIGHT’S CONCERT AT A GLANCE

JOSEPH HAYDN The Creation

• The enormously prolific of more than 100 symphonies, Haydn took at least a year-and-a-half to compose The Creation, which is considered by many to be his masterpiece. “Only when I had reached the half-way mark in my composition did I perceive that it was succeeding,” he said after its completion. • The depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as described in the . Part One captures the emergence of light and life from darkness and chaos, while Part Two depicts the creation of the animals, with musical motifs representing a lion, a tiger, insects and other creatures. Part Three describes and ’s first day. • This nearly two-hour oratorio was stylistically inspired by Handel’s and , which the Austrian composer heard during his trips to . The — which was rumored to have been offered to Handel himself — was initially provided by impresario in the form of a poem called The Creation of the World. • Haydn took this source poem and handed it to the , who adapted the libretto into German and then had this new version translated back into English. • In addition to drawing from the book of Genesis, the text takes some of its material from ’s . Key characters include the , and , as well as , all of whom are represented by vocal soloists. • Mirroring the diversity of creation itself, Haydn weaves a whole spectrum of music history into his score: Handelian textures for his choral double ; the Classical symphony that he himself spearheaded; heroic from ; and the popular idiom of the Singspiel. • The Creation won Haydn the most resounding praise of his career, and it led to several other choral works by the composer, including a series of Masses and the oratorio . • Now in his fifth decade on the podium, Nicholas McGegan is recognized as one of the most accomplished Baroque conductors working today. Well- known to Nashville audiences from previous engagements Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah, he is an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).

— Corinne Fombelle & Thomas May

16 NOVEMBER 2017 FRANZ JOSEPH Composed: 1796-98 First performance: April 29, 1798, in a private HAYDN performance in ; the public premiere took place March, 19, 1799, also in Vienna First Nashville Symphony performance: Born on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Lower Austria; November 22 & 23, 1976, with music director died on May 31, 1809 in Michael Charry, soprano Barbara Hendricks, tenor

Vienna John Aler and bass David Ford CLASSICAL Estimated length: 100 minutes (not including intermission)

The Creation

espite his status as Europe’s leading composer by Handel’s ability to move a diverse audience. Dof instrumental music at the end of the 18th Johann Peter Salomon, the impresario who century, Joseph Haydn endured a notable degree had organized Haydn’s London concerts, had of self-doubt while at work on The Creation. This provided him with an English libretto recounting score was one with which he wrestled mightily the biblical creation story — a libretto allegedly — a fact easy to overlook for this enormously once offered to Handel himself. Perhaps this added prolific composer — and he let it preoccupy him a competitive thrill to Haydn’s undertaking. The for at least a year and a half, between 1796 and decisive catalyst was provided in Vienna by Baron 1798. “Only when I had reached the half-way Gottfried van Swieten, the music-loving diplomat mark in my composition did I perceive that it was and court librarian. Enamored of the Baroque succeeding,” Haydn declared, “and I was never so heritage, van Swieten had earlier enlisted Mozart devout as during the time when I was working on to “update” several Handel (including The Creation.” Messiah) for their belated Viennese premieres. Haydn had succeeded in creating his own For Haydn, van Swieten not only arranged identity as a freelance artist during a period of a handsome commission; he also extensively epochal social change in Europe — even while he tailored the original English libretto. Its actual was still officially a servant of His Serene authorship remains a matter of scholarly debate. Prince Esterházy, for whom he served as court In translating The Creation into Die Schöpfung, music director. This autonomous identity, spread the Baron generally shortened the original lengthy across Europe thanks to the power of publishing text but elaborated or rewrote several numbers, houses in and foreign commissions, then translated the new version back into English. eventually brought Haydn to London in the 1790s Haydn set both the German and English texts for two triumphant, extensive residencies that and — a first for music publishing — had the would have made a glorious final chapter to his two languages printed side by side in a bilingual career. Yet the aging master refused to rest on edition. these laurels. He would reinvent himself one more The Creation won Haydn the most resounding time, turning from his unmatched achievements praise of his career, beginning with a semi- in the symphony to sacred music. private premiere in April 1798, followed by the Already in the 1770s, Haydn had experimented highly acclaimed first public performances in with the oratorio, drawing on the genre’s Italian Vienna’s in 1799. The composer Baroque heritage. But the ambition fueling The further explored his newfound mastery of choral Creation, which he modeled on the English three- music in a final series of Masses and in a “sequel” part oratorio, was entirely different in ambition oratorio, The Seasons (the libretto for which was and scope. unequivocally authored by van Swieten). But it What inspired Haydn to take up this new was above all thanks to The Creation that Haydn challenge after his return to Vienna in 1795? The spent his twilight years admired as a celebrity- London experience had exposed him to stirring sage. During Napoleon’s bombardment and performances of several of Handel’s oratorios (in occupation of Vienna, the emperor (who himself particular, Israel in Egypt and Messiah). Haydn was had survived a bombing attempt on the night of deeply impressed not only by the music, but also the work’s Paris premiere in 1800) gave orders to

INCONCERT 17 protect the composer’s house. Haydn transforms the libretto’s various The Creation’s three parts trace the six days numbers into chains of interconnected musical CLASSICAL of the divine Creation of the world, culminating structures. — both with mere continuo in a day of paradisal rest. The text draws on the backing and with richly detailed “accompanied” first and second chapters of Genesis (originally settings — introduce full-scale pieces for the from the King James Bible) and includes poetic soloists, while each day of the Creation story meditations on the biblical narrative, rendered as concludes with a choral celebration. paraphrases from Milton’s Paradise Lost (especially Along with chorus and an expanded Classical from Books VII and VIII). calling for a third , Part One depicts the first four days, involving and trombones, Haydn scores for soprano, tenor the creation of light; the separation of heaven, the and bass soloists, who appear, respectively, as earth and the seas; and formation of the heavenly the archangels Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael. (Not bodies. Days five and six make up Part Two, present in the scriptural account, these three roles which depicts the creation of animals and, finally, appear as part of the epic cast in Paradise Lost.) In of humans. In Part Three, where only Milton’s the third part, the soprano and bass take the parts source is used, the subject is Adam and Eve’s first of Eve and Adam. The concluding number adds an day, during which they offer thanksgiving to the alto to complete a solo quartet, whose sonority is Creator and then discover love. contrasted with that of the full chorus. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

he most imposing challenge that Haydn consistency, the score offers musical depictions T set for himself occurs, fittingly enough, before the objects that they describe are identified. right at the beginning — or rather, before the The Creation is a virtuoso score in terms of such beginning, in the orchestral prelude titled “The gestures of musical imitation. These are scattered Representation of Chaos.” Here Haydn brings throughout the accompanied recitatives, as in the his expertise as a symphonist to the fore, but he delightful calling forth of the creatures of the land, invents an original instrumental language by and developed in more detail in the solo arias intentionally distorting the very traits that made (Gabriel’s hymns to flowering vegetation and to him a master symphonist (clarity of form above the variety of birds, for example). The composer’s all) and exaggerating the “tricks” that had been the approach here was later viewed as a liability, foundation of his witty : deceptive , derided as “naïve” by Romantics and Modernists. surprising dynamic shifts and tonal detours. The Haydn’s music transcends local details of clever human voice enters in a subdued bass representation and generates its own structures (the angelic role of Raphael), followed by a hushed of tension and release. The libretto’s retelling of chorus, which then famously blazes into white-hot the Creation story encodes an Enlightenment- at the appearance of light. This single ploy inspired focus on rational order — one allied — the sudden eruption of triumphant major after to the Masonic image of God-as-architect, with painful wandering in the minor — established a which the composer very likely sympathized. paradigm that Beethoven would later use to give Haydn’s own architecture includes gestures of the symphony a metaphysical intensity. reenactment to reinforce the most significant Here and elsewhere in the first two movements, patterns of the created universe. Thus the opening Haydn also illustrates one of The Creation’s guiding refinement of chaos into light is echoed twice musical principles: in the beginning was the tone, more: in the rising of the sun in Part Two and in so to speak, which precedes the word, the verbal the first human dawn that opens Part Three. The image conjured by the singers. With remarkable Masonic faith in enlightening reason serves as a

The Creation’s three parts trace the six days of the divine Creation of the world, culminating in a day of paradisal rest.

18 NOVEMBER 2017 compass, though Haydn does not stint on drama heroic arias from opera; and the popular idiom and emotion. The rhetoric ofSturm und Drang of the Singspiel. In Adam and Eve’s duet, he even returns in Uriel’s number with chorus at the end foreshadows the program music of the Romantics of the First Day, which mixes praise for creation who would follow him. Past, present and future with acknowledgment of darker forces. Together, become entangled as Haydn instils into the both elements generate a powerful miniature tone familiar story of Creation a sense of fresh wonder. poem of contrasts.

With the shift toward the human perspective The Creation is scored for solo soprano, tenor, CLASSICAL in Part Three — note that it is Eve who has the bass, mixed chorus and an orchestra of 3 , honor of singing first — Haydn writes the most 2 , 2 , 2 , contrabassoon, extensive number of the work in the first humans’ 2 horns, 2 , 3 trombones, , song of thanksgiving, which is amplified by the harpsichord and strings. chorus. The act of conscious praise is, after all, what Haydn himself aimed to imitate and initiate —Thomas May, the Nashville Symphony’s program through his own creative effort — and what annotator, is a writer and translator who covers we as listeners are invited to share. Mirroring classical and contemporary music. He blogs at the diversity of Creation, Haydn weaves a memeteria.com. whole spectrum of music history into his score: Handelian textures for his choral double fugues; the Classical symphony that he had spearheaded;

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

NICHOLAS at the Hollywood Bowl for two programs (his MCGEGAN 21st consecutive appearance at the Hollywood CONDUCTOR Bowl) and return engagements with the s he embarks on Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pasadena, Dallas, St. Ahis fifth decade on Louis, Indianapolis and New Jersey . the podium, Nicholas A residency at The Juilliard School this fall will McGegan — long hailed lead to performances in New York and a side-by- as “one of the finest side with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and baroque conductors Juilliard415 on the West Coast. He will make his of his generation” (The Independent) and “an annual return to the Aspen Music Festival as well. expert in 18th-century style” (The New Yorker) Abroad, he appears at Casa da Musica (Portugal) — is recognized for his probing and revelatory and with SWR Sinfonieorchester, Gottingen explorations of music of all periods. The 2017/18 Symphonieorchester and Jerusalem Symphony. season marked his 32nd year as music director of McGegan’s prolific discography includes more Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale, than 100 releases spanning five decades. Having and he is also principal guest conductor of the recorded over 50 albums of Handel, McGegan has Pasadena Symphony. explored the depths of the composer’s output with Best known as a Baroque and Classical a dozen oratorios and close to 20 of his . specialist, McGegan has appeared with many of Under its own label, Philharmonia Baroque the world’s major orchestras. At home in opera Productions (PBP), Philharmonia has recently houses, he shone new light on close to 20 Handel released almost a dozen acclaimed albums of operas as the artistic director and conductor at Handel, Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Brahms, Haydn, the Göttingen Handel Festival for 20 years (1991- Beethoven and more. McGegan’s latest release 2001) and on the Mozart canon as principal guest with PBO is the first-ever recording of the recently conductor at Scottish Opera in the 1990s. rediscovered 300-year-old work La Gloria di McGegan’s 2017/18 guest appearances include Primavera by Scarlatti, recorded live at his return to the the U.S. premiere.

INCONCERT 19 McGegan is committed to the next generation of musicians, frequently conducting and coaching ISAIAH BELL CLASSICAL students in residencies and engagements at TENOR Yale University, The Juilliard School, Harvard University, the Colburn School, Aspen Music ailed in The New Festival and School, Sarasota Music Festival, and HYork Times for “a the Music Academy of the West. In 2013 he was performance of haunting awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Music beauty, ideally depicting by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and emotional distraction with in 2016 was the Christoph Wolff Distinguished ultimate economy and Visiting Scholar at Harvard. glowing vocal skill,” Canadian-American tenor The English-born McGegan was educated at Isaiah Bell looks forward to a season highlighted Cambridge and Oxford. He was made an Officer by the works of Handel, Britten and Weill. His of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire current season includes Messiah with the Toronto (OBE) “for services to music overseas.” Most Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic (both recently, he was invited to join the board of Early conducted by Nicholas McGegan), Bernstein’s Music America. Mass with Bethlehem Bach, Britten’s Curlew River at the Brooklyn Academy of Music with the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Weill’s Sieben Todsünden for the Toronto Symphony’s Decades series, conducted by Peter Oundjian. ASHLEY Bell also looks forward to Messiah with the VALENTINE St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, National Arts SOPRANO Centre Orchestra and Vancouver Bach , passionate and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the A performer of early Seattle Symphony. In 2018, he will appear as music, soprano Ashley Urimeco/Sailor in Opera Atelier’s production Valentine recently of Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses as well as performed the title role a return to Opéra-Théâtre de Metz Métropole in Handel’s at singing the male lead in the premiere of Pierre Indiana University, where she studied historical Bartholomée’s Nous Sommes Eternels. performance. She has sung with the Philharmonia On the opera and concert stage, Bell Baroque Orchestra as a soloist in Mendelssohn’s continues to be recognized for his “beautiful Lobgesang and with the American Bach Soloists, tenor, command of style and natural stage portraying the role of Orfeo in the American presence,” his “willingness to invest himself premiere of Handel’s . Other wholly into the character,” the “fervency and performances include Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, clarity” and “overwhelming emotional force” of concerts with Cappella SF under Ragnar Bohlin, his performances, and his “uncommonly warm Haydn’s Creation with the Bloomington Chamber light tenor, smooth musical line and sound artistic Singers, and Bach Cantatas with the Bloomington choices,” to quote recent reviews of his work. Bach Cantata Project. Bell received his formal training at the Valentine holds a Bachelor of Music degree University of Victoria, from which he holds a from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Bachelor of Music in Performance. Subsequently, where she studied under mezzo-soprano Catherine he was an ensemble member in the Young Cook. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Artist Program of Pacific Opera Victoria, Music degree at the Royal Academy of Music in Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program and London, studying under soprano l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, with Lillian Watson. supplementary training gained at the Tanglewood Music Centre, Salzburg’s Universität Mozarteum, Edmonton’s Opera NUOVA and the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

20 NOVEMBER 2017 Opera. Opera. Grenville ( ( season’sThis engagements includeCount Ceprano Spencer ( Coyle ( ( Basilio of ( Egypt Zauberflöte amassed operatic credits including Sarastro (D January 2015.Aversatile singer and actor, he has Rigoletto d’amore L’elisir ), Tutor of Orest ( Aida La Traviata La ), Truffaldin ( Il Barbiere di Siviglia ), Don Magnifico ( ), Death ( Owen Wingrave Owen ), all with San the ), all Francisco as an Adler Fellow in Santhe Francisco Opera Anthony joined Reed “warm, promising bass,” H BASS ANTHONY REED Der KaiserDer von Atlantis Ariadne auf Naxos Elektra Baltimore Sun Baltimore Hailed by the ) and many others. La CenerentolaLa ), Dulcamara ) and Doctor for his ), King ie ie ), ), Woods. , George Manahan and Darren Keith Sheri Greenawald,Mikael Eliasen, Danielle studied under tutelage the of William Stone, Universitythe of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He has Wolf Trap Studio, Curtis Institute of Music and alumnus of Merola the Program, Opera the Encouragement Award, is adistinguished Reed Tempore Belli Mass, Handel’s Creation soloist inMozart’s , Adam inHaydn’s others. Notable performances including bass Baroque and Curtis Symphony Orchestra, among Bay East Symphony,Oakland Philharmonia Francisco Orchestra, Symphony, Opera Berkeley has with performed orchestras including San the Worth Alexandria, Minnesota, the native Opera, National Auditions Council Regional A winner of 2011Metropolitan the Opera In addition to his mainstage debut with Fort , and bass the of solos Bach’s BMinor . Messiah and Handel’s Missa in

CLASSICAL CLASSICAL NASHVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS

TUCKER BIDDLECOMBE, Director

SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS Beverly Anderson† Carol E. Armes Eric Boehme Gilbert Aldridge Bae Kathy Bearden Calvin Bottoms Anthony R. Barta Amie Bates Mary Callahan* Brett Cartwright Kevin Brenner Elizabeth Belden Cathi Carmack† David DuBose James Cortner Jill Boehme Kelsey Christian Joe A. Fitzpatrick Nick Davidson Stephanie Breiwa Lisa Cooper Fred Garcia Kenton Dickerson Christine Brosend Helen Cornell Danny Gordon* Thomas Eden Sara Jean Curtiss Janet Keese Davies Kory Henkel Daniel Elder* Claire Delcourt Carla M. Davis† William F. Hodge† Mark Filosa Amanda Leigh Dier Marian Dorst Scott M. Karan Stuart Garber Katie Doyle Mary Hewlett Elder* John R. Manson George Goetschel Kat Drinkwater Cara Frank Lynn McGill Tim Goodenough Becky Evans-Young Debra L. Greenspan Andrew McKnight Duane Hamilton Kelli Gauthier Judith Griffin Alex Moore Richard Hatfield† Jennifer Goode Stevens Leah Handelsman Mark Naumann Jamie Hawkins Rebecca Greer Kathleen Hiltz Ryan Norris Carl Johnson J. Guill Sidney Hyde Nathan Z. O'Connell Kenneth Keel Ally Hard Caroline Talbert Bill Paul Justin Kirby Stacey Haslam Leah Koesten John Perry Matthew Landers Vanessa Jackson* Stephanie Kraft Keith E. Ramsey Bill Loyd Jené Jacobson Sarah Miller John Mark Redding Rob Mahurin* Carla Jones Barbara Miller David M. Satterfield†* Bruce Meriwether Katie Lawrence Asha Moody Zach Shrout Andrew Miller Penny Lueckenhoff Stephanie Moritz Daniel Sissom Christopher Mixon Jennifer Lynn Shelia Mullican Eddie Smith Steve Myers Marcy McWilliams Alexandra Niederle Stephen Franklin Sparks† Jason Peterson Alisha Menard Lisa Pellegrin Joel Tellinghuisen Steve Prichard Anna Mercer Annette Phillips Christopher Thompson J Paul Roark† Jean Miller Ella Radcliffe Brett Trent Scott Sanders Jessica Moore Lauren Ramey Jordan Williams Jesse Sarlo Carolyn J. Naumann Stacy L. Reed Scott Wolfe Dan Silva Jessie Neilson Debbie Reyland John Logan Wood Merv Snider Maria Spear Ollis Jacqueline Scott Jonathan Yeaworth Jordan Southern Angela Pasquini Clifford Laura Sikes Kyle Stallons Beth Pirtle Ring Madalynne Skelton Larry Strachan S. Schrauger Sarah Stallings Renita J. Smith-Crittendon Allison Stokes Alex Tinianow Ashlinn Snyder Melissa Swingle Samuel Trump Anna Spence Priscilla Wortman Brian Warford Clair Susong Eric Wiuff Marva A. Swann Marjorie Taggart Debra Greenspan, President Angela Thomas* Sarah Crigger, Librarian Jennice Threlkeld Jeff Burnham, Accompanist Jan Staats Volk† Janelle Waggener * Section leaders Kathryn Whitaker † 25-year members Sylvia R. Wynn Callie Zindel

22 NOVEMBER 2017