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concert program iii: String Variations

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750) July 24 and 25 Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 (1721) Allegro moderato Wednesday, July 24, 8:00 p.m., Stent Family Hall, Menlo School Adagio Allegro assai Thursday, July 25, 8:00 p.m., The Center for Performing Arts at Soovin Kim, Frederik Øland, Kristin Lee, ; Paul Neubauer, Mark Holloway, Asbjørn Nørgaard, ; Menlo-Atherton Colin Carr, Laurence Lesser, Dmitri Atapine,

PROGRAM OVERVIEW (1864–1949) Concert Program III illuminates the limitless splendor of the String from Capriccio, op. 85 (1940–1941) string ensemble genre, as first realized by Bach in his e"erves- Sean Lee, Soovin Kim, violins; Paul Neubauer, Mark Holloway, violas; Laurence Lesser, Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cellos cent Third Brandenburg Concerto, scored for trios of violins, violas, and cellos. Representing one of the Baroque master’s DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH (1906–1975) warmest sonic creations, the work invites listeners to revel in String no. 3 in F Major, op. 73 (1946) Allegretto the luminescence of string instruments. The lush Moderato con moto from Richard Strauss’s Capriccio weaves an exquisite tapestry Allegro non troppo from one sinewy Romantic line to the next; Shostakovich’s Third Adagio Moderato o"ers a more piquant perspective on the string

Jorja Fleezanis, Arnaud Sussmann, violins; Mark Holloway, ; Laurence Lesser, PROGRAMSCONCERT literature. The program concludes with Mozart’s of 1788, a masterpiece for as beguiling in character as it INTERMISSION is epic in breadth. (1756–1791) Mingle with the Musicians Divertimento in E-flat Major, K. 563 (1788) Wednesday, July 24, 10:30 p.m., Stanford Park Hotel’s Menlo Allegro Adagio Grill (Dutch treat) Minuetto I Visit with the Concert Program III musicians for dinner or a Andante Minuetto II: Allegretto drink or just to say hello. Please RSVP to 650-330-2141 or Allegro [email protected]. Arnaud Sussmann, ; Paul Neubauer, viola; Colin Carr, cello

SPECIAL THANKS @Menlo dedicates these performances to the following individuals with gratitude for their generous support: July 24: Chandler B. and Oliver A. Evans July 25: Anne and Mark Flegel

Droplet Blues by Nicholas Monu

www.musicatmenlo.org Music@Menlo 2013 CONCERT PROGRAMS century: eighteenth the of parlance abject the in reads, dedication elector.The the certi, six these compose would later,he years the two About Cöthen. for at court harpsichord new a for terms the negotiating while Berlin in burg tal ensemblesduringthisperiod. dated 1721 and which testify to the vitality of his writing for large instrumen- Solo Violin, and the magnificent for Partitas and Cello,the Solo for Suites the as pieces such duce pro- to opportunity the him afforded Cöthen at Bach to available talent instrumental of wealth The works. instrumental of catalog important an for specifically,—and, accomplished the for muse as serve to ready chamber able an Bach’sarrival, upon having, thereby seventeen, power,assuming fromincreasedmusicians he court of number threethe to After Cöthen. in sorts of renaissance musical he a for and responsible lover,been music had avid an and ruler amiable an was Leopold Cöthen. in time his during kinship close a develop would he whom with Leopold, Prince employer, his of leave taking of account on all of least heart—not heavy a with so did he Leipzig, in position a for Cöthen left later he when that note to care takes Emanuel, Philipp Carl son his by written obituary, he took the position of Kapellmeister at the court in Cöthen. Indeed, Bach’s Bach’scareer,as in times happiest the of one into transition a marked also events these episode, embarrassing this Notwithstanding dismissal. nious Wilhelm, a feud that culminated in Bach’s brief incarceration and unceremo- employer,his and DukeBach between saga bizarre a off elsewhere—set or of post prestigious the to rise to tion post of Court Organist and Organist Court of post In late 1717, departed Weimar, where he had held the Approximate duration: 11minutes Book 1,BWV846–869(1722) French Suites, BWV825–830(1722–1725); The Well-Tempered Clavier, Other worksfrom thisperiod:Fantasia inCMajor, BWV573(1722); Composed: 1721 Brandenburg Concerto no. 3inGMajor, BWV1048 (Born March 21,1685, Eisenach; 1750, diedJuly Leipzig) 28, JOHANN SEBASTIANBACH Program Notes: String Variations thereby attempting to show to you. For the rest, Sire, I beseech I Sire,rest, Forthe you. to show to attempting thereby am I which obedience humble most the and respect deep the kindly consider to rather but possess, you knows everyone that pieces musical in taste delicate and refined the of measure strict the by imperfection their judge to not humbly most you ging severalarrangedpresentfor concerti, instruments,the with beg- Yourto Highness respectsRoyal humble most my tendering of liberty the taken demand, gracious most your with compliance in therefore, have I compositions: my of some you send I that request to honor the me Yourdid of you Highness,leave Royal taking was I when since, and me; given has Heaven that talent youthat derivedtime pleasure that some from musical small the to ago,Yourbefore command by play years Royalat Highness, observed and few a happiness, the had I Since Sire: etc. burg, ToBranden- Margraveof Ludwig, HisRoyal HighnessChristian Branden- of elector the for played had Bach 1719, and 1718 Between scored for varied assortments of instruments, and dedicate them to them dedicate and instruments, of assortments varied for scored Konzertmeister Brandenburg Concerti, whose autograph is —whether at Weimarat Kapellmeister—whether for nearly ten years. His ambi- His years. ten nearly for con- to factode a as serves it right: own its in work chamber beautiful a is sextet that fact, In rehearsed. being is Flamand by sextet string composed suitors:apoet,Olivier, two choosing between andacomposer, Flamand. of plot the art; greater the poetry—is or opera—music of element which of question career.the his Specifically,asks of it end the towards Strauss pied preoccu- that composition of nature the about questions addresses plot its as piece,”“conversation musical a as described often is work the opera, composer’s most interesting contributions to the literature. An opera about Strauss’sRichard of last the Capriccio,operas,the of fifteen represents one Approximate duration: 13minutes in E-flat Major, TrV 283(1842) timento forChamberOrchestra, op. 86(1940–1941); Horn Concerto no. 2 Other worksfrom thisperiod:Die LiebederDanae , op. 83(1938);Diver- First performance:October 28,1942 Composed: 1940–1941 String Sextetfrom Capriccio, op. 85 Partenkirchen) (Born June Munich; 1949, 11,1864, diedSeptember 8, Garmisch- RICHARD STRAUSS effervescence ofthefirstmovement.effervescence an improvisatory an chord Phrygian player to player, at times giving the impression of a game of musical hot potato. ensemble.Throughout the first movement, melodic lines bounce around from soloistic instruments—is full regarded as the Bach’s egalitarian treatment of were celloThird and viola the the before of well 1721, in composed Concerto—a workcharacteristics remarkable most the of one Indeed, sonorityrichthroughouta tationwith threemovements.infuseswork itsthe instrumen particular Its cellos. three and violas, three violins, three for scored Third The instruments. different for composition of opmenttheBaroqueof concerto grosso anddemonstrate thorough mastery devel fullest the represent they ensemble, instrumental different a for scored finestthemusicalofachievements onemark Baroque the era.Witheachof proficient musicianshehadathisowndisposal. technically of number greater the for them suited deliberately had Bach as Cöthen, at nevertheless life to came works the but Bach; paid or thanked lacking the musical resources to stage a performance of the concerti—never Capriccio but is just as often performed independently as concert music. examines this question through the metaphor of a countess a of metaphor the through question this examines Capriccio The opera begins with a scene in the countess’s chateau, where a newly —Patrick Castillo The second movement comprises just one measure: a simple two- simple a measure: one just comprises movement second The the genesis, their of circumstances the from Apart Brandenburg— of Margrave the dedication, flowery this of spite In 24, 1721 March Cöthen, Bach. Sebastian Johann servant, obedient and humble most Highness’s Your Royal Sire, zeal, matchless with am I since service, your and you of worthy more occasions employed on be to able be to as heart at much so nothing have I that convinced be to to and kindness me toward goodwill the your preserve have to humbly most Highness Royal Your cadence, marked . The concluding The cadenza. Adagio—often realized in performance as revisits the joyful the revisits assai Allegro ConcertoBrandenburg is BrandenburgConcerti Brandenburg overture - -

rpgna Sai bne ay vn-ad atvt ars te rs the the of music twelve-tone arts: the across activity avant-garde any banned Stalin propaganda. Soviet into arts the co-opting justify regimeto autocraticStalin the by ized bastard- been had people” the to belongs “art that ethos populist Lenin’s Vladimir Revolution, October 1917 the Following disciplines. all of Soviet artists for time sensitive a was War.It World Second the of wake the in Shostakovichno.Quartet String his composed Major,F in 3 op. 1946,in 73, Approximate duration: 28minutes (1947–1948) 9 inE-flat Major, op. 70 (1945); no. 1inaminor, op. 99 (1926); StringQuartetno. 2inAMajor, op. 68(1944);Symphonyno. Sonatano.Other worksfrom thisperiod:Piano 1inDMajor, op. 12 String Quartet First performance:December 16, 1946, Moscow, bytheBeethoven Composed: 1946 String Quartetno. 3inFMajor, op. 73 St.Petersburg;(Born September 1906, 12/25, diedAugust9, 1975, Moscow) DMITRY SHOSTAKOVICH opp. 18 and 36; Dvoř 36; opp.and 18 medium’stheAmong examplesBrahms’sfinest areperiod. , two tic the in to especially appealed that sound sensuous rich, standarda quartetstringtheformakes tocello andviola a additionofThe and two cellos is immediately remarkable from the sextet’s opening measures. and serene—and perhaps, being one of Strauss’s final creations, even wistful. that pushed conventional tonality to its limits, the tenor of the sextet is idyllic and operasSalome the to contrast In work. enchanting an simply is Sextet Capriccio sextet’s operatic setting. the suit likewise which passages, arioso dolorous offers also work The tion. featuring tremolando nervous impassioned, opening, peaceful work’s the following Shortly instinct. dramatic composer’skeen the demonstrates also naturally and itsluxuriousharmonies, blissfullycontinuesthetradition ofthatliterature. The with. Schoenberg’s and lution, Stalin’s attack on the artistic community had already begun, affecting work onthemusicaldepictionof imagesoftheheroic Soviet people.” determination more still with shall resolution…I the in contained criticism for…allthe grateful deeply am “I response, in wrote Shostakovich ernment. gov- the before themselves prostrate publicly to but choice no had each artistry; wayward their reform Westernformalism of guilty composers that ernistic bourgeois music of Europe and America.” The resolution demanded mod- contemporary of spirit stronglythe reminiscentworks] of composing [and tastes artistic its and people Soviet the to alien are that tendencies “anti-democratic with composers leading other and Shostakovich charged Communist officially Partywhich ResolutionRussianMusic, a of published State the on the 1948, In demands. cultural rigorous state’s the to music capitalist decadenceandconsequentlyforbidden. of productsStravinsky’s as of seen most evenall wereand music Bartók, of The warm sonority created by the ensemble of two violins,violas,twoensemblesonoritywarmtwo thecreatedofThe by —Patrick Castillo the terrain, expressive broad a navigates it as even ultimately, But it opera,Strauss’s last for raiser curtain the as serving sextet the With Though the Third Quartet was composed two years prior to the reso- their in respond to forced were contemporaries his and Shostakovich Sextet,Capriccio withits long-breathed, intertwining melodic lines among others of Strauss’shyper- of others among Elektra, -like melodic lines set off a suddenly agitated sec- agitated suddenly a off set lines melodic recitative-like ekät Nacht Verklärte ák’s Opus 48 Sextet; Tchaikovsky’sák’sSextet; 48 Opus Second VienneseSecond School, al f hc Srus a srl familiar surely was Strauss which of —all scores expressionist the modernist works modernist the ;de Souvenir Roman -

heady subtitle “The eternal question: why and to what purpose?” Befittingpurpose?”what to and whyquestion: eternal “The subtitle heady Classical resembles seem devastated, emotionallynumb. with the quartet’s loneliest music: the viola and cello, in their lowest registers, ends movement The weight. emotional great with movement the endows Shostakovich sonorities, different in them couching and registers different in ideas those voicing by outset—but the at introduced materials melodic spare the on based is movement entire The desolation. and hopelessness of feeling a creates voices two lower the of loss sudden The violin. second the by only accompanied melody, mournful a with enters violin first The movement. preceding the of writing ensemble dense the to contrast sonic stark in movement the begin strings three lower The dead.”the quartet’sto the “Homage as identified originally was movement listener onedge. measure, 3/42/4every and almost in keepingbetween the alternates ment move- the of start the at signature time The unleashed.” are war of forces “The subtitled originally movement, third the in scherzo diabolical more the of cello’s tenorregister. timbre Themovement endsquietlydefeated. keening the by plaintive more made and aggressive, than rather dolorous, and slow theme—now main the of transfiguration a plays from earlier in the movement furtively return. The music slows, and the cello melodies grotesque the continue, whispers menacing these As unnerving. staccato chords, pianissimo and in rhythmic cello.whisper,a shrinks to music the When playing instruments four all with the in ostinato an over now solo, viola erratic an with unrest”—continues makes for unsettling music. This ominous atmosphere—these “rumblings of dance. The melody’s asymmetrical gait, set above the insistent viola ostinato, folk grotesque of kind a like sounds what plays violin first the while pattern, remote. The viola begins with a forbidding very harmonically major,but F movement, first the of key the to proximity in minor—close e of key steely the to turns music The anticipation.” and a thorny doublefugue. into unexpectedly dives theme first the begins, section development Classical in cast innocently seems movement first the notwithstanding, invention fiendish Shostakovich’s exposition, the out Through- unpredictability. theme, manic a second reveal to sober extends Shostakovich the which likewise and streak, mischievous its reveal to it extends nimbly then and theme first playful the linked. presents closely Shostakovich ideas musical various its with wrought, elegantly and ody was originallysubtitled“Calm unawareness ofthefuture cataclysm.” movement first The movement. each of character the suggest inadequately, if concisely, do subtitles supposed the Nevertheless, music. program as understood be not should and music absolute of work a as us to comes quartet the withdrawn, subtitles movements’ individual the With of thematic ideas and sonic textures to match its broad emotional compass. It shows the composer at the height of his creative powers, featuring a range wise towithdraw even anysuggestionofapoliticalsubtext. work would have been under by the authorities, Shostakovich was probably his scrutiny the and climate, social the given But II. WarWorld and following during life Soviet of experience the on reflection a as work the cate impli- movements.subtitles five The its of each to subtitles given originally gesting an extramusical program—and, indeed, Shostakovich is said to have Shostakovich’sstrongnarrativea quality,has Third Quartet the music, sug- of much Like prior. years the in filmmakers and directors, theater writers, h msc rces ihu pue o h fnl oeet which movement, final the to pause without proceeds music The A desperately sad desperately A even an by answered scherzo,is a essentially movement, second The unrest of “Rumblings subtitled originally was movement second The The The Third Quartet ranks among Shostakovich’s finest chamber works. of the -form first movement is rife with mel- with rife is movement first sonata-form the of exposition sonata-rondo form. Shostakovich assigned the finale the follows. Following “the forces of war,”this of forces “the Following follows. Adagio ostinato, or a steadily repeating unison, the effect is even more www.musicatmenlo.org but as the as but form; sonata a striking a octaves, Allegretto

CONCERT PROGRAMS the audacity of such a far-reaching question, Shostakovich develops the main Following the divertimento tradition, Mozart divided the work into theme extensively throughout the movement, while offering a kaleidoscope six movements, which constitute what Einstein has called “the finest, most of timbres and expressive characters in the richly varied episodes. perfect trio ever heard.” The opening Allegro, in , immediately The movement begins pensively, with the cello spinning a ruminative establishes the key with a unison E-flat major , which naturally flows melody, accented by pizzicati in the viola. In the first contrasting episode, into the buoyant violin theme and complex lower accompaniment. The sec- the first violin introduces a melancholy new melody above a hocketing stac- ond theme illustrates Mozart’s skill in writing for the string trio ensemble, cato accompaniment in the lower strings. The music shifts in both tempo with the viola pacing a steady bass below the violin and cello melody. The and character, from the lilting 6/8 meter to a buoyant 2/4, as the cello pres- development, though comparatively brief—Mozart had developed many ents a lighthearted tune, reminiscent of the “calm unawareness” of the first of these themes before the development officially begins—casts the sunny movement. The main theme returns and builds in intensity towards loud, themes from the exposition in a more sinister nature. The recapitulation anguished cries in the violins; the viola and cello extend the refrain, full- closes the movement with an even more euphoric sensibility than when throated in their upper registers, leading to a powerful return of the morbid the movement began. The Adagio second movement, in sonata-allegro theme from the Adagio, now presented in a shrieking fortissimo. Follow- form, provides a dramatic and lyrical balance to the work. Painting a pensive ing this, in another dramatic turn, Shostakovich writes a short cello monody, portrait, the movement’s three sections expound on the tranquil arpeggio to be played forte but with muted strings. The sonic effect is of a stifled melody presented by the cello in the exposition. Then naturally follows the voice struggling to cry out. The second violin, perhaps playing the role of first of two minuettos, a delightfully syncopated dance. the oppressor, shouts back with furious trills at the bottom of its range. The fourth movement Andante begins simply with a unison melody The work soon concludes in a soft, ambiguous glow—whether in peaceful in the violin and viola, above a dance-like accompaniment in the repose or defeat is up to the performers’ and listeners’ personal response. cello. The movement evolves into a series of four variations, each grow- “The eternal question: why and to what purpose?” remains unanswered. ing contrapuntally more intricate. Then follows the second minuetto, which Many listeners consider the Third Quartet to be the finest of Shosta- begins with the violin and viola mimicking a horn-like hunting call. The kovich’s cycle of fifteen. Shostakovich himself felt very deeply about it. movement contains two trios, rather than the typical single trio, each resem- Violist Fyodor Druzhinin of the Beethoven String Quartet told this story of bling a rustic ländler, an Austrian folk dance. The movement concludes with a rehearsal with Shostakovich some two decades later: a coda in the same lighthearted fashion with which it began. The finale is in sonata-rondo form, each episode further revealing the Only once did we see Shostakovich visibly moved by his own music. complex thematic development that Mozart deploys as the trio gallops We were rehearsing his Third Quartet. He’d promised to stop us towards the final joyous E-flat major chord. Of the concluding Allegro, Einstein when he had any remarks to make. Dmitri Dmitriyevich sat in an arm- writes, “each instrument is primus inter pares; every note is significant—every chair with the score opened out. But after each movement ended, note is a contribution to spiritual and sensuous fulfillment in sound.” he just waved us on, saying, “Keep playing!” So we performed the —Andrew Goldstein whole quartet. When we finished playing he sat quite still in silence like a wounded bird, tears streaming down his face. This was the only time that I saw Shostakovich so open and defenseless.

—Patrick Castillo

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

CONCERT PROGRAMSCONCERT (Born January 27, 1756, Salzburg; died December 5, 1791, Vienna) Divertimento in E-flat Major, K. 563 Composed: 1788 First performance: September 27, 1788, Vienna Other works from this period: Don Giovanni, K. 527 (1787); no. 40 in g minor, K. 550 (1788); Piano Concerto no. 26 in D Major, K. 537 (1788); Adagio and Fugue in c minor for String Quartet, K. 546 (1788); Symphony no. 41 in C Major, K. 551 (1788); Così fan tutte, K. 588 (1790); Requiem in d minor, K. 626 (1791) Approximate duration: 42 minutes

The Divertimento in E-flat, written in 1788, is the only complete surviving string trio from Mozart’s pen. There are incomplete fragments of other works for this ensemble, including the String Trio in G Major (KV Ahn. 66), which Mozart abandoned in favor of writing the Divertimento in E-flat. However, the musicologist Alfred Einstein considered the G Major trio a stepping stone to the Divertimento, one of Mozart’s most “noble” works. The Divertimento was dedicated to Johann Michael Puchberg, a Masonic brother to whom Mozart owed large sums of money, and debuted to critical acclaim during a German tour in April 1789.

Music@Menlo 2013