th SEASON PROGRAM NOTES 47 Week 5 August 11–17, 2019 Sunday, August 11, 6 p.m. FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797–1828) farewell. Making the connection even clearer Auf dem Strom (On the River), D. 943 (1828) is the fact that Rellstab had originally given WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–91) this poem to Beethoven, who had intended Serenade in B-flat Major for Winds & Bass, Almost all of Schubert’s 600-plus songs are to set it to music but never did. (Schubert K. 361, “Gran Partita” (ca. 1781) for voice and piano, but in the final year of acquired the text from Beethoven’s estate.) his brief life he began to experiment with In addition, to make his act of homage clear, A little more than a decade ago, it was new instrumental combinations. In October Schubert quotes the opening theme of the still widely believed that Mozart began to 1828, just a few weeks before his death, he Funeral March of the “Eroica” Symphony write this indescribable miracle in sound in wrote Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd at the beginning of the second verse of his Munich in 1781, when he was getting ready on the Rock) for soprano, clarinet, and piano, song, where it sets the words “Und so trägt to premiere his opera Idomeneo. But the and seven months earlier he wrote Auf dem mich denn die Welle fort” (“And so the waves only known performance of K. 361 (often Strom (On the River) for soprano, Waldhorn bear me away”). It’s a very subtle quotation, referred to as the “Gran Partita”) seems to (the “natural” or valveless horn), and piano. but Schubert’s gesture toward Beethoven is have been on March 23, 1784, as a critic Schubert wrote Auf dem Strom specifically clear. later mentioned a performance that day of for the famous Schubertiad of March 26, Schubert’s setting of Rellstab’s five-stanza four movements from a Mozart work and 1828, a concert in Vienna that featured his poem is a substantial one; it stretches out cited a specific list of 13 instruments that songs and chamber music. This was the only to more than nine minutes. He conceived were employed. concert in Schubert’s life that was devoted the vocal part for a high tenor, and the horn Regardless of when it was written, the solely to his compositions, and it was a very part requires a first-class player. Schubert’s Serenade No. 10 has always stood as one of successful one: the venue was packed, and writing for the horn here doesn’t include those sublime and delightful compositions the audience was enthusiastic. Schubert hunting-horn fanfares or the like, but that defy easy description. With its full seven used part of his profits from theSchubertiad the horn player must sustain a beautiful, movements, it far exceeds the scope of the to attend a violin recital by Niccolò Paganini, singing sound throughout the range of the symphony in Mozart’s day, and the unique who was all the rage in Vienna. instrument, seamlessly melding the horn’s instrumentation is sheer sonic delectability, Auf dem Strom is based on a poem by line with the vocalist’s. with its pairs of clarinets and basset horns Ludwig Rellstab (1799–1860), whose works Auf dem Strom was premiered in Vienna (a forerunner of the clarinet that was dearly Schubert would draw on again later that on January 30, 1829, the day before what loved by Mozart), four horns, two each of same year for part of the collection that’s would have been Schubert’s 32nd birthday. oboes and bassoons, and a string bass. The come to be known as Schwanengesang On that occasion, the horn was replaced opening movement and the first of the (Swan Song). On the surface, Auf dem Strom by a cello, and that version is frequently Menuetto movements overflow with their is a poet’s farewell to his love, but it’s also performed today. This evening, Auf dem own delights, but the Adagio is the crowning a farewell to the shore and to daylight as Strom is heard in Schubert’s original setting glory of the work. (Recall the actor F. Murray a boat proceeds out to sea and into the for tenor, horn, and piano. Abraham, as Antonio Salieri in the Oscar- blackness of night. Many have seen this as —Eric Bromberger winning 1984 filmAmadeus , staring with a metaphorical passage from life to death, astonishment at the score and proclaiming: pointing out that Schubert, weak and ill “This was the very voice of God.”) throughout 1828, died only eight months The second Menuetto is much briefer, after writing this song. Did he have a though hardly less endearing, and the premonition of death even as he conceived ensuing Romanze is merely framed by the this song for what turned out to be his most traditional slow tempo, with the bulk of successful public concert? the faster central section scurrying away in Yet there’s a much deeper level of C minor. The Tema con variazioni includes meaning in this music. That Schubertiad took one last, tender Adagio, and the finale is all place on the first anniversary of Beethoven’s scampering high spirits. death. Schubert, who’d been overwhelmed —Greg Hettmansberger by the older composer’s achievements, served as a torchbearer in Beethoven’s funeral procession, and now, a year later, he wrote this song as an act of homage and Program notes for Music at Noon concerts are sponsored by Barbara & Ronald Balser with thanks to the gifted Festival musicians who inspire us all. AUF DEM STROM ON THE RIVER JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–97) Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (1865) Nimm die letzten Abschiedsküsse, Take the last parting kisses, Und die wehenden, die Grüsse, and the waving farewells Brahms liked to get away from Vienna Die ich noch ans Ufer sende, that I send back to the shore during the hot months, and he spent Eh’ Dein Fuss sich scheidend wende! before your feet turn away! the summer of 1864 in the little town Schon wird von des Stromes Wogen Already the surge of the river of Lichtenthal in the Black Forest near Rasch der Nachen fortgezogen, pulls the boat swiftly downstream, Baden-Baden. Lichtenthal was home to Doch den tränendunklen Blick yet a tear-darkened glance a flourishing artists’ colony during the Zieht die Sehnsucht stets zurück! draws desire endlessly back! summer, and there Brahms, surrounded by congenial friends, could indulge his Und so trägt mich denn die Welle And so the waves carry me passion for long walks through the woods. Fort mit unerflehter Schnelle. away with relentless speed. He returned the following summer, but this Ach, schon ist die Flur verschwunden, Ah, already the meadow has vanished time he had a special reason to seek the Wo ich selig Sie gefunden! where I blessedly found you! solitude of the forests: his mother had died Ewig hin, ihr Wonnetage! Gone forever, days of rapture! on January 31 of that year, and he was still Hoffnungsleer verhallt die Klage Hopeless, the lament dies away coming to terms with the loss. He composed Um das schöne Heimatland, by the beautiful homeland the Horn Trio that summer, and the music Wo ich ihre Liebe fand. where I found her love. was intended, at least in part, as a memorial to his mother. The beautiful slow movement Sieh, wie flieht der Strand vorüber, Look how the river’s edge flies past, contains a quotation from the Rhenish Und wie drängt es mich hinüber, and how it calls me back, folksong “In den Weiden steht ein Haus” (“In Zieht mit unnennbaren Banden, pulled by unnamable ties, the Willows Stands a House”), an evocation An der Hütte dort zu landen, to land by that cottage, of happy childhood memories. In der Laube dort zu weilen; to linger in that arbor; The lovely and peaceful forest setting Doch des Stromes Wellen eilen but the waves of the river hurry seems to have had a profound effect on Weiter ohne Rast und Ruh, onward, without rest or peace, the Horn Trio. Brahms said that the opening Führen mich dem Weltmeer zu! carrying me out to the ocean! theme came to him during a walk along “wooded heights among fir trees,” and Ach, vor jener dunklen Wüste, Ah, before that dark wasteland, many have noted the calm, almost pastoral Fern von jeder heitern Küste, far from every fair coast, nature of this music. The Horn Trio isn’t so Wo kein Eiland zu erschauen, where no island can be seen, much elegiac, though, as it is reflective and O, wie fasst mich zitternd Grauen! oh, how trembling horror seizes me! commemorative. Brahms observes the death Wehmutstränen sanft zu bringen, No song from the shore can reach me of his mother not by wearing his heart on Kann kein Lied vom Ufer dringen; to call forth tears of tender sorrow; his sleeve but by writing gentle and beautiful Nur der Sturm weht kalt daher only the storm blows cold music. Durch das grau gehobne Meer! across the high gray sea! The opening movement is remarkable for not being in sonata form. Aware that sonata Kann des Auges sehnend Schweifen If my eyes, wandering in longing, form brings a type of musical drama alien to Keine Ufer mehr ergreifen, can no longer catch the shore, the spirit of this trio, Brahms instead cast it Nun so schau’ ich zu den Sternen then I will look to the stars in rondo form: the opening Andante episode Auf in jenen heil’gen Fernen! up in that blessed distance! occurs three times, separated by a slightly Ach, bei ihrem milden Scheine Ah, in their gentle glow quicker section marked Poco più animato.