Thursday Evening, May 23, 2019, at 6:00

The Juilliard School presents Juilliard Orchestra Commencement Concert Matthias Pintscher, Conductor Hang Zhong, Piano

MAURICE RAVEL (1875–1937) La Valse

RAVEL Piano Concerto in G major Allegramente Adagio assai Presto HANG ZHONG, Piano

RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 Lever de jour Pantomime Baptismus Danse générale

Performance time: approximately one hour, with no intermission

The Juilliard School thanks Musical America for donating its “International Directory of the Performing Arts” to our students.

The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not permitted in this auditorium.

Information regarding gifts to the school may be obtained from the Juilliard School Development Office, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-6588; (212) 799-5000, ext. 278 (juilliard.edu/giving).

Alice Tully Hall Please make certain that all electronic devices are turned off during the performance. new freedom of musical expression but his Notes on the Program own music remained grounded in tradition- by David Crean al (if heavily embellished) harmonic ideals. This radical openness also extended to his MAURICE RAVEL well-known reluctance to accept students, Born March 7, 1875, Ciboure, France as he disliked the idea of imposing his own Died December 28, 1937, Paris, France views on others. In a famous (but possi- bly specious) anecdote, he is supposed to From an early age, Maurice Ravel seemed have refused to teach George Gershwin on immune to criticism. This characteristic, ap- the grounds that Gershwin would end up parently genuine and not assumed, served writing “bad Ravel and lose his great gift of him very well in a time when intense trib- melody and spontaneity.” In the absence alism and competing musical ideologies of an easy stylistic label, critics have often left little room for his highly individual and focused on craftsmanship as the defining idiosyncratic approach to composing. Early characteristic of Ravel’s music. He was a in his career he developed a reputation as slow, painstaking worker, especially after a radical—he was twice expelled from the the war, and this approach is reflected in Paris Conservatoire and fielded five un- a relatively small body of work of partic- successful applications for the prestigious ular refinement and elegance. Tonight’s Prix de Rome. The nepotism involved in program features a trio of his best-known this last rejection provoked a famous na- and most important works, about equally tional scandal. Ravel, however, followed spaced over a period of some 20 years a different path than other musical trail- blazers, and classification of his works La Valse has long proved elusive. Unlike many of La Valse is most often heard as a concert his contemporaries, he never became an work but was originally intended to be a ideologue—rather, he maintained a re- ballet performed by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballet ceptive and open-minded approach that Russes. Upon hearing the work, however, allowed him to absorb numerous and di- verse influences into his style without Diaghilev remarked to Ravel that it was compromising his unique voice. “not a ballet, but a portrait of ballet!” and refused to stage it. Impassive as ever, This reluctance to align himself with a Ravel made no protest but completely broader (or inflexible) artistic movement severed all ties with the famous impresa- manifested itself throughout his career. rio. Their only subsequent meeting nearly Ravel admired—and, for a time, befriend- ended in a duel. Ravel had long been fasci- ed—his older contemporary Debussy but nated with the Viennese waltz—in a 1906 bristled at being classified with him as an letter to a friend he remarked that “you “impressionist.” He was sufficiently patri- know of my deep sympathy for these won- otic to join the French army at the outbreak derful rhythms ... I value the joie de vivre of World War I (despite being almost 40 expressed by the dance.” Valses nobles et and of fragile constitution) but had no inter- sentimentales, a collection of eight waltzes est in joining the chauvinistic group Ligue Nationale pour la Defense de la Musique influenced by Schubert, followed five years Française, which sought to ban the per- later. If this earlier collection had been formance of German music in France. He a tribute to the waltz, then La Valse is a maintained a deep interest in the music of caricature—the waltz reflected in a fun- the 17th and 18th centuries but generally house mirror, or perhaps filtered through rejected the Neoclassicism of the 1920s the anxiety and cynicism of the immediate and 1930s. He acknowledged Arnold postwar years. Ravel described his unset- Schoenberg’s importance in promoting a tling work as “a sort of apotheosis of the Viennese waltz” and provided this laconic remuneration eventually changed his mind. note to accompany the score: Although Paris had already experienced something of a jazz craze, Ravel’s sojourn Through breaks in the swirling clouds, in America was his first exposure to the au- waltzing couples may be glimpsed. thentic American idiom, and he was imme- Little by little they disperse, one makes diately enamored of its “rich and diverting out (A) an immense hall filled with a rhythm.” In the G major concerto, begun whirling crowd. The stage is illuminated the year after his tour, he was able to in- gradually. The light of the chandeliers corporate the melodic inventiveness and peaks at the fortissimo (B). An Imperial rhythmic diversity of jazz into one of the Court, about 1855. most venerable classical forms.

Although Ravel insisted that this was not Jazz was not the only influence on Ravel’s the case, many listeners have interpreted concerto. Its formal clarity, relative conci- his work as symbolic of the destruction sion, economical scoring, and upbeat tone of European high culture in World War I. recall 18th-century concertos and reflect His protestations to the contrary notwith- Ravel’s belief that “a concerto should be a standing, La Valse strikes an ominous tone divertissement” rather than a pathos-laden from the outset, with murky, indistinct emotional outpouring. This clever marriage rumblings in the double basses. The other of freedom and structure is nowhere more instruments tentatively enter, playing snip- evident than in the opening movement, pets of melody as if heard from afar or which manages to fulfil many of the conven- partly remembered. Eventually a series of tions of classical sonata form while giving the short waltz melodies does emerge, each impression of a seamless tapestry of spon- with a distinct character, but the constantly taneous melody. The piano is involved from shifting harmonies and unusual phrase struc- the beginning, accompanying the energetic ture give them an air of tragic parody rather and angular primary theme in the winds, than joie de vivre. About midway through but it falls silent as the melody is picked up the piece, the opening rumblings return, and by the full orchestra. It returns for a series from that point the dance begins to disinte- of transitional, bluesy themes in a slow- grate. The short themes from the first half, er tempo, and introduces the traditionally already unusual, are now further distorted lyrical secondary theme shortly thereafter. by jarring cross-rhythms that destabilize the The development begins with a return to the traditional waltz patterns. As the waltz spins opening tempo, as driving rhythms in the out of control, the themes are freely atom- piano accompany fragmentary statements ized, recombined, and juxtaposed until the of the initial theme. The bluesy transitional whole piece ultimately collapses. theme also makes a reappearance before a long piano scale leads to the beginning of Piano Concerto in G major the recapitulation. Ravel takes a brief detour Ravel’s first term at the Paris Conserva- into a slow, dreamlike section dominated by toire was in the piano class, but he never the harp before the piano cadenza returns regarded himself as a dazzling virtuoso. to the secondary theme. An energetic coda When American supporters invited him concludes the first movement. to undertake an extended concert tour of North America, he initially demurred, but a Ravel was explicit regarding the influence of combination of curiosity regarding Ameri- Mozart on the slow movement, in particular can music and the possibility of substantial his Clarinet Quintet. The main theme of this ABA form combines a 6/8 accompaniment but Ravel never allows the sound to become with a tender 3/4 melody to create a subtle thick or oppressive, expertly maintaining a tension that undergirds the entire move- lightness of touch in the most complex tex- ment. Although it sounds quasi-improvised, tures. Ravel even includes wordless music Ravel wrote, “I worked over it bar by bar! for a chorus, almost unheard of in a ballet It nearly killed me!” After nearly three min- score, and apparently viewed by Diaghilev as utes of solo piano, the winds tentatively dispensable. Ravel’s displeasure at its elim- enter to pick up the theme accompanied ination was a prelude to their later rift over by shimmering strings. The music slowly La Valse. rises to a fleeting climax before the English horn restates the opening, now accom- The popular second suite comprises music panied by delicate scalar passages in the from the ballet’s third part: Lever du jour piano. The rollicking presto begins with (Sunrise), Pantomime, and the concluding toccata-like figures in the piano against a Danse générale, often referred to as a Bac- jagged theme in the winds. New themes chanale. The work opens with a constant follow quickly one after another, with the stream of rapid arpeggios that are subtly piano taking center stage throughout. Ravel traded off between the wind sections, as concludes the movement with the same the high strings imitate birdsong and the low four chords that began it. The piano concerto strings primordially rumble. A long-breathed was to be Ravel’s last major work. Shortly melody slowly unfolds as the dancers take after its successful premiere he began to the stage, accompanied by outbursts of shep- show symptoms of an as-yet-unidentified herds’ pipes and birdsong. More anxious neurodegenerative disease that eventually music accompanies the arrival of Daphnis robbed him of his ability to perform, con- and Chloe, but it is quickly dispelled as the duct, or even hold a pen to compose. music rises to a thrilling climax. An oboe solo concludes one of the score’s most Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2 evocative passages and moves the action The final work on tonight’s program was the into the second scene, where Daphnis and earliest to be composed: the second of two Chloe reenact the story of Pan and Syrinx. suites that Ravel compiled from his ballet This passage, as might be expected, fea- score Daphnis et Chloé. His longest work, it tures a substantial flute part as the other was commissioned by Diaghilev in 1909 but instruments mimic the onstage action. Fol- was not premiered until 1912, when it was lowing a brief return of the opening arpeg- generally overshadowed by the recent pre- gios, the Bacchanale begins with a stately miere of a choreographed (and scandalously presentation of the theme in the strings and erotic) version of Debussy’s Prelude to the winds. The mood transforms from solemn Afternoon of a Faun. The scenario, based on to ecstatic, however, as Ravel constructs a the ancient Greek novel of the same name, breathless dash to the finish. The constantly concerns the love between the goatherd shifting meter gives the effect of the danc- Daphne and shepherdess Chloe, the latter’s ers tripping over themselves in their frenzy, abduction by pirates, and subsequent rescue and Ravel’s deployment of the large percus- by the god Pan. sion section lends a special intensity.

Ravel is regarded as one of the great orches- David Crean teaches organ at Wright State trators in music history, and Daphnis is one of University in Ohio. He is a graduate of the his greatest essays in the art. The work calls C.V. Starr doctoral program at Juilliard and for a large, late-Romantic orchestra of the was the recipient of the 2014 Richard F. kind favored by Mahler and Richard Strauss, French doctoral prize. About the Artists Philharmonic. He began his musical training as a conductor, studying with Peter Eötvös while in his early 20s, during which time composing took a more prominent role in his life. He rapidly gained acclaim in both areas and continues to compose. Pintscher’s own music—championed by today’s finest per- forming artists, orchestras, and conductors— Matthias Pintscher has been performed by the Chicago Sym- Matthias Pintscher, who has been on the phony, , New York composition faculty of Juilliard since 2014, Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin is music director of the Ensemble Intercon- Philharmonic, London Symphony Orches- temporain, the world’s leading contempo- tra, and Orchestre de Paris, among others. rary music ensemble, which was founded Bärenreiter is his exclusive publisher and his by . In addition to a robust con- compositions have been recorded by Kairos, cert season in Paris, he and the ensemble EMI, Teldec, Wergo, and Winter & Winter. tour extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Known equally as one of to- day’s foremost composers, Pintscher has two new works premiering this season: Nur, a concerto for piano and ensemble, was per- formed by and the Boulez Ensemble conducted by the composer in January; and a work for baritone, chorus, Hang Zhong and orchestra will be performed by Dietrich Pianist Hang Zhong is pursuing his bach- Henschel and the Tonhalle-Orchester elor’s at Juilliard, studying with Yoheved Zürich conducted by Kent Nagano in June. Kaplinsky. He has performed three solo re- Pintscher—who is this season’s creative citals in China and participated in student chair for the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich group concerts at Sichuan Conservatory. and artist in residence at the Los Angeles While in high school, he won awards at sev- Chamber Orchestra—finishes a nine-year eral competitions including a finalist award term as the BBC Scottish Symphony Or- in the IIYM Competition at KU School of chestra’s artist in association. This season, Music (2016), fourth place in the Golden Bell he made his debuts with the Saint Louis National Piano Competition for Young Pia- Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philhar- nists in China and first place in Cooper Fes- monic, and Staatsoper Unter den Linden in tival Piano Competition at Oberlin (2015), Berlin, where he conducted the world pre- and fourth place in the CCTV National miere of Violetter Schnee, a new opera by Piano Competition in China (2014). He Beat Furrer. Return guest engagements in- earned a scholarship from Yamaha Music clude the symphony orchestras of Chicago, and Electronics China for his performance in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Mil- its selection competition. He began study- waukee; the New York Philharmonic; and ing the piano at age 4 with his mother, Litao Miami’s New World Symphony. In Europe, Fu. While in third grade, he started receiv- having begun the season conducting the ing lessons from Ji Luo, a piano teacher at Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Edin- Neijiang Normal University. From 2008 until burgh International Festival, Pintscher also high school graduation, he studied with Yan returns to the Orchestre de Paris, Danish Wang, associate dean of the piano depart- National Symphony Orchestra, and Helsinki ment at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. For several months before auditioning at Zhou in New York. William Petschek Piano Juilliard in 2017, Zhong was coached by Scholarship, Joan Elizabeth Brown Scholar- Quming Zhang in Shanghai and Yun-Chin ship, Thoba Corporation Scholarship Fund.

About the Juilliard Orchestra Juilliard’s largest and most visible student conductors this season including John Ad- performing ensemble, the Juilliard Orches- ams, Marin Alsop, Joseph Colaneri, Barbara tra, is known for delivering polished and Hannigan, Steven Osgood, and Gil Rose as passionate performances of works span- well as faculty members Jeffrey Milarsky, ning the repertoire. Comprising more than Itzhak Perlman, and David Robertson. 350 students in the bachelor’s and mas- The Juilliard Orchestra has toured across ter’s degree programs, the orchestra ap- the U.S. and throughout Europe, South pears throughout the season in concerts America, and Asia, where it was the first on the stages of Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Western conservatory ensemble allowed Hall, David Geffen Hall, and Juilliard’s Peter to visit and perform following the opening Jay Sharp Theater. The orchestra is a strong of the People’s Republic of China in 1987, partner to Juilliard’s other divisions, appear- returning two decades later, in 2008. Other ing in opera and dance productions, as well ensembles under the Juilliard Orchestra as presenting an annual concert of world umbrella include the conductorless Juilliard premieres by Juilliard student composers. Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Wind Orches- The Juilliard Orchestra welcomes an im- tra, and new-music groups AXIOM and pressive roster of world-renowned guest New Juilliard Ensemble. Juilliard Orchestra Matthias Pintscher, Conductor

Violin Cello English Horn Bass Trombone Alice Ivy-Pemberton, Philip Sheegog, Principal Rachel Ahn Aaron Albert Concertmaster Clare Bradford Lucian Avalon Kyung-Ji Min, Mari Coetzee Tuba Principal Second John-Henry Crawford Clarinet David Freeman Zeynep Alpan Noah Krauss Wonchan Will Doh, Shenae Anderson Songhee Lee Principal Timpani Yuki Beppu Thapelo Masita Ruogu Wang, Principal Joseph Bricker Mark Chien Sung Moon Park Ning Zhang, Principal Tyler Cunningham Ann Sangeun Cho Anne Richardson Sydney Lusby Harrison Honor Ji Soo Choi Rachel Siu Phoebe Gardner Aaron Wolff E-flat Clarinet Percussion Leerone Hakami Dan Giacobbe Joseph Bricker, Principal Qianru Elaine He Double Bass Tyler Cunningham, Chisa Kodaka Yi-Hsuan Annabel Chiu, Bass Clarinet Principal Yi Hsin Cindy Lin Principal Ning Zhang Harrison Honor, Principal Yaegy Park Brittany Conrad Benjamin Cornavaca Yeri Roh Janice Gho Bassoon Toby Grace Lucas Stratmann Dominic Law Soo Yeon Lee, Principal Simon Herron Ziyao Sun Justin Smith Steven Palacio, Principal Stella Perlic Agnes Tse Andrew Sommer Rebecca G. Krown Leo Simon Jacqueline Tso Reed Tucker Angela Wee Contrabassoon Harp Christine Wu Flute Emmali Ouderkirk Madeline Olson, Principal Mira Yamamoto Hae Jee Ashley Cho, Lenka Petrovic, Principal Cherry Choi Tung Yeung Principal French Horn Katy Wong, Principal Hikaru Yonezaki Giorgio Consolati, Vincent Kiray, Principal Mitsuru Yonezaki Principal Jasmine Lavariega, Keyboard Pinhua Zeng JiHyuk Park, Principal Principal Chang Wang Wei Zhu Audrey Emata Cort Roberts, Principal Emma Zhuang Harry Chiu Chin-pong Piccolo Jason Friedman Viola Hae Jee Ashley Cho En-Chi Cheng, Principal Audrey Emata Trumpet Sofia Basile JiHyuk Park Wyeth Aleksei, Principal Charles Galante Anthony Barrington, Esther Kim Alto Flute Principal Halam Kim JiHyuk Park Michael Chen, Principal Ao Peng Madison Lusby Taylor Shea Oboe Lauren Siess Rachel Ahn, Principal Trombone Sophia Sun Lucian Avalon, Principal Kevin Carlson, Principal Yin-Ying Tseng Mitchell Kuhn, Principal Stephen Whimple, Jacob van der Sloot Principal Chien Tai Ashley Wang

Administration Adam Meyer, Director, Music Division, and Deputy Dean of the College Joe Soucy, Assistant Dean for Orchestral Studies Joanna K. Trebelhorn, Director of Orchestral and Ensemble Operations Matthew Wolford, Operations Manager Lisa Dempsey Kane, Principal Orchestra Librarian Michael McCoy, Orchestra Librarian Daniel Pate, Percussion Coordinator Adarsh Kumar, Orchestra Personnel Manager Geoffrey Devereux, Orchestra Management Apprentice