MAHLER’S FIFTH

CLASSICAL SERIES

THURSDAY, MARCH 8, AT 7 PM | FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 9 & 10, AT 8 PM

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY GIANCARLO GUERRERO, conductor CLASSICAL SERIES JENNIFER KOH, violin PRESENTING PARTNER ESA-PEKKA SALONEN Violin Concerto Mirage Pulse 1 Pulse 2 Adieu Jennifer Koh, violin CONCERT PARTNERS: - INTERMISSION-

GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor Part I Trauermarsch Stürmisch bewegt. Mit grösster Vehemenz Part II Scherzo: Kräftig, night zu schnell Part III Jennifer Koh's appearance Adagietto: Sehr langsam is made possible in part by Rondo - Finale: Allegro Allis Dale and John Gillmor.

This concert will last approximately two hours and 10 minutes, including intermission. to conduct a partnership with the Nashville Symphony to make our community a better place to live and work. TONIGHT’S CONCERT AT A GLANCE

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN Violin Concerto

• Like during his own lifetime, Salonen has established a high profile as a conductor — most notably serving as music director of the — but he is also a distinctive and original composer as well. • Currently serving a three-year term as a composer-in-residence with the , Salonen is part of a pioneering generation of contemporary composers in his native Finland, where he studied at the Sibelius Academy. The Violin Concerto is one of his most frequently performed works, receiving the prestigious Grawemeyer Award in Music in 2012. • The composer originally wrote the piece for violinist Leila Josefowicz, who played a collaborative role in its creation. “As a result of that process,” he writes, “this Concerto is as much a portrait of her as it is my more private narrative, a kind of summary of my experiences as a musician and a human being at the watershed age of 50.” • Written in four movements, each of which captures a distinct mood or feeling, the work closes on a chord unlike any other in the piece, while the violin holds out a soaring high note. “When I had written the very last chord of the piece,” Salonen writes, “I felt confused: why does the last chord — and only that — sound completely different from all other harmony of the piece? As if it belonged to a different composition. Now I believe I have the answer. That chord is a beginning of something new."

GUSTAV MAHLER Symphony No. 5

• Mahler wrote his Fifth Symphony shortly after experiencing a life- threatening hemorrhage and also while he was in the midst of his courtship with Alma Schindler, whom he married in the spring of 1902. He completed the work that summer — the time of year when he was able to be most prolific, as he was on a break from . • While Mahler’s previous symphonies incorporated voices or text addressing programmatic elements, his Fifth Symphony is purely instrumental and shows the development of his writing for orchestra. The work is structured in an arch-like design, with two longer parts flanking a shorter middle part, and Mahler connects movements within the piece through common musical ideas. • His choice of keys, beginning in C-sharp minor and ultimately concluding in D major, is both symbolic of a dark-to-light progression and also shows his disregard for tradition. Standard practice before Mahler was to have a work begin and end in the same key, or at least the relative major or minor key. His choice to break this precedent solidifies his role as a link between the Romantic and Modern eras. • Conductor Willem Mengelberg, who was a close friend of Mahler’s, claimed that the Adagietto movement was a musical love letter to the composer’s fiancée, Alma. Because of its somber, gentle mood, however, this music has been used as a musical memorial in times of collective grieving, most notably at Robert Kennedy’s 1968 funeral, with leading the New York Philharmonic

— Corinne Fombelle & Thomas May Familiar to public awider from his appearance in seasons at Finnish National and Ballet. Opera to conduct his first complete advisor of London’s Philharmonia and is planning as principalHe conductor serves also and artistic include concertos for and as cello well). of his three major instrumental concertos (which (where he is conductor laureate) inperformances againpodium last month L.A.Phil tothe lead active careerhighly as aconductor, the taking York Philharmonic. But he continues toa lead term as composer-in-residence with New the Music. received prestigious the Grawemeyer Award in andperformed acclaimed works. In 2012it Finnishthe composer-conductor’s most frequently that world premiere, has gone on to become one of shared bill the with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony at more on composing. seriously follow through with his desire to focus position Angeles inLos was only the way he could realize that stepping away from his high-profile on creating it. By point, this Salonen had come to it, “nine months, length the of human gestation,” toConcerto world, the having spent, as he put that Esa-Pekka Salonen unveiled his Violin I in the work.”in the Salonen himself emphasizes that, pop music, and ends on achord any unlike other themes ranging from aquiet heartbeat to urban violin, movessolitary on to embrace of aseries movement work, noting that it with a “begins Satterwhite offered an apt summation the of four- W tenure helming Angeles Los the Philharmonic t was duringseason his final of a now legendary This season SalonenThis is completingthree-year a The Concerto,Violin particular, in which Violin Concerto Grawemeyer, award director Marc hen Violin the received Concerto the ESA-PEKKA SALONEN Los Angeles. currently resides in in Helsinki,Finland; Born onJune30,1958, Ring WHAT TO LISTEN FOR cycle infuture cycle Estimated length: performances. These are theNashville Symphony’s first First Nashville Symphonyperformance: conducting theLos Angeles Philharmonic. Josefowicz asthesoloist and thecomposer First performance: Composed: still astudent,still he joined with Magnus Lindberg Sibelius Academy inhis native Helsinki. While Finnish composers studied who together at the works featured inApple’s Orchestra App. and technology. The ConcertoViolin is one the of cutting edge of intersections the music between Salonen remainsConcerto), also involved inthe an iPad commercial (shown composing Violin the extraordinary conductor and composer alike. demandsbalance the of developing hisas gifts an had to contend to with challenges the of trying age Leonard 26.Like Salonen Bernstein, has he made his U.S. conducting debut in1984at Angeleswith Los the Philharmonic, with which door to his 17-year-long, influential highly era Symphony. That feateventually the opened Philharmoniathe Orchestra inMahler’s Third minute for to conduct by accident in hethe in1983,when last filled at enormously career successful he would launch world. the thatexperience can transform our perceptions of proclaimed: that music should an be ear-opening stayed to faith the true he and his fellow musicians typical of ayouthful disposition, but Salonen has years of adventurous may discovery have been Korvat called Auki!they (“Ears Those Open!”). and [Josefowicz] as it is my more private narrative, a resultingthe concerto as much “is aportrait of static and to nostalgic the autumnal.” He adds that aggressive and brutal, from meditative the and imagine…from and virtuosic the flashy the to cover as arange wide of expression as Icould Josefowicz,violinist Leila he “to determined in originally writing piece the for American the Salonen of is part apioneering generation of However, Salonen didn’t foresee the Kaija 2008-09

30 minutes April9, 2009, withLeila to direct an avant-garde group

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October 18, 1904, in with the October 72 minutes 72

1901-02 While Mahler’s previous symphonies symphonies previous Mahler’s While In addition to solo violin, the Violin Concerto Concerto Violin the violin, solo to addition In “Movement IV (Adieu): This is not a specific a not is This IV (Adieu): “Movement the of the very chord written I had last “When the Fifth that summer and then invited his new his invited and then summer the Fifth that the just-finished through him play hear to bride the piano. at composition programmatic overtly various incorporated the than less nothing to (relating elements of the possibility and the cosmos of evolution in the Fifthhe develops example), for resurrection, language woven densely and self-contained a more is scored for 3 flutes (2nd doubling alto, 3rd 3rd alto, doubling (2nd 3 flutes for is scored 2 , horn, English 2 , piccolo), doubling 2 , , contrabass clarinet, bass 2 , 2 , 2 horns, , strings. and celesta harp, percussion, timpani, of draft his completed 1902. Mahler in March her longer a heartbeat. This music is bizarre and and bizarre is music This a heartbeat. longer culture popular towards leaning heavily urban, violin The music. folk (synthetic) traceswith of Something very physically. its to limits pushed is of freedom for very in all Californian this. Hooray guys! you, thank And expression. related more is It in particular. anything to farewell something of nature, the very of to basic process new being something and end an to coming a has this music course Of the old. of born out the short of some nostalgia, and of element strong violent, almost are the full of orchestra outbursts within. from the harmony I tried illuminate to but light. with but gestures, big with Not — does chord thelast confused: why I felt piece from different completely — sound that only and to belonged if it As the piece? of all harmony other the I have I believe Now composition. a different of is a something beginning chord That answer. n e w.” Composed: First performance: the Gürzenich Orchestra conducting composer performance: Symphony First Nashville with Music Director 14 & 15, 1970, December Thor Johnson length: Estimated Born on July 7, 1860, in 7, Born on July died Bohemia; Kalischt, 18, 1911, in Vienna. on May GUSTAV MAHLER MAHLER GUSTAV

he Fifth Symphony represents a major turning turning major a represents Symphony Fifthhe life. and career Mahler’s in Gustav point Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp Minor Symphony No. 5 in C-Sharp “Movement III (Pulse II): The pulseno III (Pulseis II): The “Movement “Movement II (Pulse I): All is quiet, static. II (Pulse static. I): All quiet, is “Movement “Movement I (Mirage): The violin starts alone, starts alone, violin The I (Mirage): “Movement The composer has provided the following following the provided has composer The

Viennese beauty from a prominent artistic family. artistic family. a prominent from beauty Viennese married the composer age, twice Alma’s Nearly Alma Schindler, a ravishing and brilliant young young brilliant and a ravishing Alma Schindler, his music — and so did the rejuvenating sense of sense of so did the rejuvenating — and music his met when Mahler came that a new life lease on fatal hemorrhage. The experience left its stamp on its stamp experience The left hemorrhage. fatal Early in 1901, several months before he began he before in 1901, severalEarly months nearly a suffered had he the work, composing T through the curtains, here represented by the by represented the curtains, here through flutes. mind. Finally the first rays of the sun can sun can be of the seen rays Finally the first mind. sound asleep. You cannot sleep, but there is no no is there but sleep, cannot You asleep. sound your on diffuse thoughts gentle, some just angst, the heartbeat of the person next to you in bed, you to the next person the of heartbeat I imagined a room, silent: all you can hear is is hear can all you silent: a room, I imagined movement stops on the note D, which leads to… which leads to… D, thenote on stops movement I zoom out once again at the very this time at end, again once out I zoom Finally all follows. violin The in the air. up straight line that leads into some impossibly fast music. music. fast impossibly some leads into that line while. The third close-up leads into a recitative. recitative. a leads into close-up while. The third melodic embellished an Solo playing is violin resonant. Zoom out again, and back in after a in after back and again, Zoom out resonant. by an extreme close-up of the strings, now played played now the strings, of close-up extreme an by and dark basses; is the sound the cellos and by amplified; the light playfulness has replaced has been playfulness light the amplified; zoom in to maximum magnification: the open the magnification: maximum in to zoom but their resonance, continue the violin of strings the virtuosic line here and there. Suddenly we we Suddenly there. and the here virtuosic line as if the music had been going on for some time some for on been had going if the music as on comment bell-like sounds light Very already. description of the music: of description and a human being at the watershed age of 50.” of age thewatershed being at a human and kind of summary of my experiences as a musician experiences a musician as my summary of of kind

CLASSICAL Romantic poet Friedrich Rückert, whose poetry Romantic Friedrich Rückert, poet poetry whose material for previous symphonies), and to the also folk-song(the that collection provided source enchantedthe world of Mahler’s songs: score buriedinthe are allusions to That’s not sayto that lacksthe Fifth references to for orchestra alone —no voices, no texts set. to be associations of dance country the known as the and kaleidoscopic detail. Blending humbler the amid Scherzo’s the continually evolving swirl out athree-note as motif asignpost that serves vibrant dance. At outset the four horns peal of Funeral the March, pulses with Scherzo the matters. In contrast to stark, the ritualistic tread weightier between thus more than mere “relief” foreshadows key and the spirit of finale the and is life is illustrated by to major. the aswerve This midpoint of Fifth. the acceptanceIts cheerful of by expanding its dimensions and placing it at the final inthe measures.ruins apart, much as Funeral the March crumbles into I. Mahler allows music the to fragment and break darker strains only intensifiesthe bleakness of Part into world. this Yet it is transient, and return the of orchestra,full brings of asudden sense optimism expanded into atriumphant statement from the Funeral March. Aconsoling brass chorale, later violent extremes of despair, with flashbacks the to gestures. The music develops restlessly as it attains vehemence”), with ariot begins which of turbulent — “tempestuously agitated, with greatest the (Stürmisch mit bewegt, grösster Vehemenz introduction to “real” the first movement inconsolable sorrow. overwhelming climax and afinal breakdown into ensuing threnody return, leading eventually to an of torment. grief-stricken and Thecall its original ’s no longer call, suggests solemn, shrieks is interrupted by impassioned music as the A internal coherence. We it architecture inthe see Alma represented by Adagietto. the counterpartwhose is implicit the “love song” to March”) —an explicitly programmatic reference He evengives first the movementtitle a (“Funeral composingMahler while beganto set Fifth. the Mahler assigns great importance to Scherzo the ofAll functions this as alarge-scale But displays Fifth the concentration a new on

March. Athrenody to but begins unfurl preludial opens trumpet solo Funeral the Des Knaben Wunderhorn WHAT TO LISTEN FOR

Viennese intriple waltz meter, (also like the first of takes shapetwoits trios sophisticated as a rangethe of associations Scherzo. inthis The Ländler coherence of Fifth. the different movements strengthenthe overall hourglass, cross-references while among the arch-like that design likened to has an been musicallylikewise interlinked. The result is an consists of Adagietto the and Finale, are which toSymmetrical Part Iintotal length, Part III movement, yet shortest the of three the parts. contains alone, Scherzo the longest the single movements, share which musical Part ideas. II three major Part parts. Icomprises first the two is cast infive movementsthat aregrouped into of design and entire the symmetrical work, which the freneticthe motions at end the of Scherzo. the In contrastpowerful anxiety of to grim the Part Iand Adagietto introduces a note of timelessness, in alternatively, like atranscendent serenade. The musicthe sound like agentle resignation or, slow”).(“very The resulting choicecan make yet Mahler’s marking score inthe is “Adagietto” is by definition not as slow as Adagio, courtship.their amusicalencoded love letter to his beloved during Schindler. The Adagietto, Mengelberg claimed, here was none other than his fiancée,Alma of friend Mahler’s,close composer’s the inspiration conductor Willem Mengelberg, achampion and that Symphony. opened the Yet according to the musicobsessed —areturn to funerealtone the has acquired areputation as world-weary, death- Fmajor the oftimes collective grieving, Adagietto anticipates elements of Finale. the savored Scherzo’s inthe which section, coda approach to polyphony here especially can be admirationa deeper for J.S. Mahler’s Bach. own no coincidence that he was at exploring time the textures, rather than merely juxtaposing It’s them. together amultitude of individual voices and ofmastery polyphony of art —the weaving was evolving Fifth inthe Symphony is a genuine protagonist,the evoking apristine Alpine vastness. Ländler The choice of tempo herean is crucial: of itsBecause as amusical use memorial in Another signature of Mahler newer the style with other Mahler enhances perspectives, ), while the second the presents), while horn asolo as sehr langsam sehr

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joie de de joie arco collaborative arco with the Orchestre the Orchestre with Musical America’s Musical , a recital series that traces series the , a recital that RestHands These Born in Chicago of Korean parents, Koh Koh parents, Korean Born of in Chicago Koh is the artistic director of of the artistic is director Koh Advancement for the Arts, a scholarship program program the Arts, a scholarship for Advancement in the arts. high school students for Symphony the Chicago with debut her made is 11. She age at Orchestra of a winner the Year, of 2016 Instrumentalist a and the Concert Competition, Artists Guild Grant. Career Fisher Avery an of recipient Bach Beyond and Bach’s from repertoire the solo violin history of 21st-century 20th- to and Partitas and Sonatas Six of range also a broad performs She composers. musical her of breadth reflects the that concertos Concerto with Violin Barber’s including interests, Oklahoma and Orchestra Symphony the Marin with Serenade Bernstein’s Philharmonic; City Violin Chin’s Unsuk Philharmonic; the Fresno and Symphony; theConcerto Melbourne with Clyne’s Anna de Lausanne. de Chambre a better fosters that nonprofit artist-driven an musical through world our of understanding won has she educator, dialogue. A committed in classrooms performances her for high praise Messenger Music the her country under around the Board of a member is She program. outreach the for Foundation the National of Directors of had heard in the second movement — this time in movement in the second heard had as But soon affirmation. irrepressible of a sunburst been a dignified, has triumphal set the stage as for adds and the trickster plays Mahler conclusion, the very at end, passage anarchic irreverently an of dose the Fifth a with fresh crowning vivre. doubling (2 flutes for 4 scored is Symphony Fifth The 3 horn), English doubling (3rd 3 oboes piccolo), 3rd and clarinet E-flat doubling (2nd clarinets doubling (3rd 3 bassoons clarinet), bass doubling trombones, 3 4 trumpets, 6 horns, contrabassoon), cymbals, drum, snare drum, bass timpani, , and harp glockenspiel, whip, tam-tam, triangle, strings program Symphony’s Nashville the May, — Thomas covers who translator is and a writer annotator, at blogs He music. contemporary and classical memeteria.com. , , , and , and

Trouble launched in launched Shared Madness Shared iolinist Jennifer Koh Koh Jennifer iolinist her recognized for is intense, commanding commanding intense, delivered performances, virtuosity dazzling with technical assurance. and for well-known is She JENNIFER KOH VIOLIN V New American ConcertoNew New American ConcertoNew

Koh also continues critically acclaimed series critically acclaimed also continues Koh Rambunctiously fertile, breaking up and and up fertile, breaking Rambunctiously All of this sets us up for the outburst of of the outburst for this setsAll up us of

than 30 of today’s most celebrated composers; and and composers; celebrated most today’s 30 of than virtuosity in the 21st century, written by more more by written century, in the 21st virtuosity from past seasons, including including seasons, past from explore that solo violin for works short comprising

by Christopher Cerrone, commissioned by the by commissioned Cerrone, Christopher by Orchestra. Symphony Detroit this season Koh will premiere a new concerto a new concerto will premiere this season Koh and issues. issues. and Iyer’s Vijay 2017 with of the summer engagement with contemporary societal concerns contemporary with engagement her multi-season commissioning project exploring exploring project commissioning multi-season her artistic for potential its and concerto the violin new works written for for written new works today’s foremost composers, and among her many many her among and composers, foremost today’s the premieres season, 2017/18 she activities during curating projects that involve commissions from from commissions involve that projects curating vindicates the hopeful but transient chorale we we chorale transient the hopeful but vindicates of its melody. Near the end of the Fifth, Mahler the Fifth, of the end Near melody. its of Bach with even greater force. Even the ethereal Even force. even greater Bach with in via speeded-up fragments woven gets Adagietto the music of the Finale summons the spirit of of the spirit the Finale summons of the music recombining ideas with a bold sense of invention. invention. a bold ideas sense with of recombining substantial “breather.” “breather.” substantial a modest, lighthearted finish, much as he had he as much finish, lighthearted a modest, the Scherzoa less as of rejected stereotypes “Rondo-Finale,” he upsets any expectations of of expectations any upsets he “Rondo-Finale,” the all-important role of the horns in the Scherzo). the horns of role the all-important a movement Mahler fifth the labels Though horn bridging the two movements (a reference to to (a reference movements the two bridging horn animated good humor in the Finale, for which the for in the Finale, good humor animated a solo with — serves a lyrical as prelude Adagietto ensemble of strings accompanied, with almost almost with accompanied, strings of ensemble harp. by delicacy, Impressionistic contrast, reducing his forces to a chamber-like a chamber-like to forces his reducing contrast, terms of orchestration, too, Mahler points up the up points Mahler too, orchestration, of terms ABOUT THE ARTIST

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