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Home , Alexander Borodin, Helen Huang, Islamey, Nikolai Rubinstein, Polovtsian Dances, Prince Igor

23 Season 2013-2014

Thursday, January 16, at 8:00 The Philadelphia Friday, January 17, at 2:00 Saturday, January 18, at 8:00 Cristian Ma˘celaru Conductor Hai-Ye Ni Cello

Borodin , from I. Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens II. Polovtsian Dance

Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33, for cello and orchestra

Intermission

Tchaikovsky Serenade in C major, Op. 48, for strings I. Pezzo in forma di : Andante non troppo—Allegro moderato—Andante non troppo II. Walzer: Moderato. di valse III. Élégie: Larghetto elegiaco—Poco più animato—Tempo I IV. Finale (Tema russo): Andante—Allegro con spirito—Molto meno mosso— Tempo I—Più mosso

Balakirev/orch. Liapunov

This program runs approximately 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. 224 Story Title The Jessica Griffin

The Philadelphia Orchestra community itself. His concerts to perform in China, in 1973 is one of the preeminent of diverse repertoire attract at the request of President in the world, sold-out houses, and he has Nixon, today The Philadelphia renowned for its distinctive established a regular forum Orchestra boasts a new sound, desired for its for connecting with concert- partnership with the National keen ability to capture the goers through Post-Concert Centre for the Performing hearts and imaginations of Conversations. Arts in Beijing. The Orchestra audiences, and admired for annually performs at Under Yannick’s leadership a legacy of innovation in Carnegie Hall while also the Orchestra returns to music-making. The Orchestra enjoying annual residencies in recording with a newly- is inspiring the future and Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and at released CD on the Deutsche transforming its rich tradition the Bravo! Vail festival. Grammophon label of of achievement, sustaining Stravinsky’s Musician-led initiatives, the highest level of artistic and Leopold Stokowski including highly-successful quality, but also challenging transcriptions. In Yannick’s Cello and Violin Play-Ins, and exceeding that level, by inaugural season the shine a spotlight on the creating powerful musical Orchestra has also returned Orchestra’s musicians, as experiences for audiences at to the radio airwaves, with they spread out from the home and around the world. weekly Sunday afternoon stage into the community. Music Director Yannick broadcasts on WRTI-FM. The Orchestra’s commitment Nézet-Séguin triumphantly to its education and Philadelphia is home and opened his inaugural community partnership the Orchestra nurtures an season as the eighth artistic initiatives manifests itself important relationship not leader of the Orchestra in numerous other ways, only with patrons who support in fall 2012. His highly including concerts for families the main season at the collaborative style, deeply- and students, and eZseatU, Kimmel Center but also those rooted musical curiosity, a program that allows full- who enjoy the Orchestra’s and boundless enthusiasm, time college students to other area performances paired with a fresh approach attend an unlimited number at the Mann Center, Penn’s to orchestral programming, of Orchestra concerts for Landing, and other venues. have been heralded by a $25 annual membership The Orchestra is also a global critics and audiences alike. fee. For more information on ambassador for Philadelphia Yannick has been embraced The Philadelphia Orchestra, and for the U.S. Having been by the musicians of the please visit www.philorch.org. the first American orchestra Orchestra, audiences, and the 8 Music Director

Nigel Parry/CPi Yannick Nézet-Séguin triumphantly opened his inaugural season as the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra in the fall of 2012. His highly collaborative style, deeply-rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times has called Yannick “phenomenal,” adding that under his baton “the ensemble … has never sounded better.” In his first season he took the Orchestra to new musical heights. His second builds on that momentum with highlights that include a Philadelphia Commissions Micro-Festival, for which three leading composers have been commissioned to write solo works for three of the Orchestra’s principal players; the next installment in his multi-season focus on requiems with Fauré’s Requiem; and a unique, theatrically-staged presentation of Strauss’s revolutionary Salome, a first-ever co-production with Opera Philadelphia.

Yannick has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most exciting talents of his generation. Since 2008 he has been music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic, and since 2000 artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. In addition he becomes the first ever mentor conductor of the Curtis Institute of Music’s conducting fellows program in the fall of 2013. He has made wildly successful appearances with the world’s most revered ensembles, and has conducted critically acclaimed performances at many of the leading opera houses.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Deutsche Grammophon (DG) enjoy a long-term collaboration. Under his leadership the Orchestra returns to recording with a newly-released CD on that label of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Leopold Stokowski transcriptions. Yannick continues a fruitful recording relationship with the Rotterdam Philharmonic for DG, BIS, and EMI/Virgin; the London Philharmonic for the LPO label; and the Orchestre Métropolitain for ATMA Classique.

A native of Montreal, Yannick Nézet-Séguin studied at that city’s Conservatory of Music and continued lessons with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College. Among Yannick’s honors are an appointment as Companion of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors; a Royal Philharmonic Society Award; Canada’s National Arts Centre Award; the Prix Denise- Pelletier, the highest distinction for the arts in Quebec, awarded by the Quebec government; and an honorary doctorate by the University of Quebec in Montreal.

To read Yannick’s full bio, please visit www.philorch.org/conductor. 25 Conductor

Matthew Evearitt Cristian Ma˘celaru is the associate conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He began his tenure as assistant conductor in September 2011; in recognition of his artistic contributions to the Orchestra, his title was elevated to associate conductor in November 2012. In addition to assisting Yannick Nézet-Séguin, he leads several subscription and non-subscription performances in the 2013-14 season. Other highlights of the season include a subscription debut with the National and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist, a return to the Chicago Symphony, and appearances with the Florida Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic, and the Alabama and San Antonio . He also returns to his home country to lead the National Radio Orchestra of Romania in Mozart’s Requiem. He recently made two overwhelmingly successful appearances with the Chicago Symphony on subscription programs two seasons in a row as a replacement for Pierre Boulez. An accomplished violinist from an early age, Mr. Ma˘celaru was the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Miami Symphony and made his Carnegie Hall debut with that orchestra at age 19. He also played in the first violin section of the Houston Symphony for two seasons. Formerly he held the position of resident conductor at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. A proponent of music education, Mr. Ma˘celaru was the founder and artistic director of the Crisalis Music Project, a program in which young musicians perform in a variety of settings, side-by-side with established, renowned artists. He also served as a conductor with the Houston Youth Symphony. Last year Mr. Ma˘celaru received the 2012 Sir Georg Solti Emerging Conductor Award, a prestigious honor only awarded once before in the Foundation’s history. He has participated in the conducting programs of the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival, studying under David Zinman, Murry Sidlin, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Robert Spano, Oliver Knussen, and Stefan Asbury. Mr. Ma˘celaru’s main studies were with Larry Rachleff at Rice University, where he received master’s degrees in conducting and violin performance. He completed undergraduate studies in violin performance at the University of Miami. Mr. Ma˘celaru currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Cheryl, and children, Beniamin and Maria. 26 Soloist

Ryan Donnell Hai-Ye Ni joined The Philadelphia Orchestra as principal cello at the beginning of the 2006-07 season after having served as associate principal cello of the since 1999. She first came into prominence after her critically praised New York debut at Alice Tully Hall in 1991, a result of her winning first prize at the Naumburg International Cello Competition; she was the youngest recipient ever of that award. She has since won first prize in the 1996 International Paulo Cello Competition in Finland and became a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2001. Her recent engagements have included a recital at the San Francisco Conservatory; a performance with Anne-Marie McDermott and violist Paul Neubauer at the Bravo! Vail festival; a performance with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia; and a recital at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society with pianist Cecilia Licad. Ms. Ni made her solo debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2010 with Saint-Saens’s Cello Concerto No. 1. Past performances of note include Tan Dun’s The Map in July 2010 at the World Expo in Shanghai with the composer conducting and appearances with pianist on the October 2009 Carnegie Hall series Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture. In 2004 she gave a solo recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, featuring works by contemporary female composers Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and Chen Yi. In 1997 Ms. Ni premiered Bright Sheng’s cello concerto, Two Poems, on a 14-city United States tour, in which she replaced Yo- Yo Ma at his recommendation. Ms. Ni’s recent CD, Spirit of Chimes, is a collaboration with violinist Cho-Liang Lin and pianist Helen Huang of chamber music by Zhou Long, for Delos Music. She is featured on a recording of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach, on the Ondine label. Her 1998 debut solo CD on the Naxos label was named CD of the week by Classic FM London. Born in Shanghai, China, in 1972, Ms. Ni began cello studies with her mother and later studied at the Shanghai Conservatory. She continued her musical education with Irene Sharp at the San Francisco Conservatory, Joel Krosnick at the , and William Pleeth in London. 27 Framing the Program

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Tchaikovsky Celebration Parallel Events continues with Associate Conductor Cristian Ma˘celaru 1869 Music joined by Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni in the elegant Rococo Balakirev Brahms Variations. Islamey Alto Rhapsody Literature Works by and , members Twain of the so-called Mighty Five, frame the program. This The Innocents group of nationalist composers, with Balakirev as their Abroad charismatic leader, took a progressive approach to Art music and sought inspiration in Russian folk materials. Manet They were also drawn to exotic themes of an imagined The Balcony East, as we hear in the pieces that open and close the History concert today. The Polovtsian Dances from Borodin’s Opening of Suez unfinished opera Prince Igor range from the sensuous to Canal the barbaric. Balakirev originally composed Islamey as a dazzlingly difficult piano work in the virtuoso style of Franz 1874 Music Liszt, using folk materials from the Caucasus Mountains. Borodin Grieg Polovtsian Peer Gynt We hear the piece today in a brilliant orchestration by one Dances Literature of the composer’s students. Hardy While Tchaikovsky rarely felt a comparable attraction to Far from the Orientalist subjects, he was deeply drawn to 18th-century Madding Crowd Classicism. Mozart was his favorite composer. Refinement Art mixed with passion are evident in both his works on the Renoir program today. Tchaikovsky based the Rococo Variations La Loge History on a theme of his own devising, initially stated by the cello First American soloist at the beginning and then transformed through zoo founded in seven variations. His Serenade for Strings calls upon Philadelphia the tradition of the Classical serenade. The Orchestra continues its exploration of the serenade this season 1880 Music with one that proves the perfect vehicle for the legendary Tchaikovsky Offenbach Philadelphia strings. Serenade for The Tales of Strings Hoffmann Literature Zola Nana Art Rodin The Thinker History First Boer War 28 The Music Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor

During the 1860s, as a member of a circle of musicians that gathered around the author and critic and also included Musorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin was present at the creation of a new Russian school of composition. He and his fellow composers, called the “Mighty Five” or “Mighty Handful,” sought to turn away from Western European models and toward a frankly Russian sound in their music—even if that meant including “primitive” tunes and rhythms from the countryside or the frontier. The exotic harmonies of the Alexander Borodin recently conquered peoples of Asia now could be added Born in St. Petersburg, to the “Russian” mix as well; in fact, it was Borodin’s November 12, 1833 1880 orchestral sketch In the Steppes of Central Asia Died there, February 27, that brought him to the attention of and other 1887 leading musicians. An Unfinished OperaIn 1868 Stasov bought to Borodin’s attention the poem Epic of the Army of Igor, supposedly written in the 12th century and “discovered” in 1800, but likely a literary hoax. Authentic or not, the poem contained more than enough love interest, fighting, local color, political intrigue, and dancing girls for an opera, and the writer and the composer began working on one together. Borodin was a chemist by profession, and as his workload increased he had less and less time to write music. His conscientiousness about research further slowed his progress; he insisted on studying the folk music of the medieval and of their antagonists in the opera, the Polovtsians of what is now southern , so as to write appropriate music for each. He broke off work on Prince Igor entirely for four years, from 1870 to 1874. When he resumed, he found that some scenes came to him fairly easily, including the real show- stopper, the Polovtsian Dances at the end of Act II. But the work slowed again, and at the time of his unexpected death from heart failure in 1887, at age 53, Borodin left substantial portions of the opera unfinished, sometimes even unsketched. Recognizing the importance of Prince Igor to his late friend, Rimsky-Korsakov enlisted the aid of another composer, , to create a performable version of the opera. After much orchestration, stitching, 29

The Polovtsian Dances were and new composition by these two, Prince Igor made composed between 1874 and its debut at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on 1875. November 4, 1890. Although its modest success was Leopold Stokowski was overshadowed that season by the brilliant debut of on the podium for the first Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades, Prince Igor has offered Philadelphia Orchestra enough colorful action and fragrant Borodin melodies to performances of the Dances, in hold its place in the opera repertory ever since. And of October 1917. They have been course the Polovtsian Dances have been an evergreen heard numerous times since, in the concert hall—and even, now and then, on the pop including several performances charts. For a while in the mid-20th century, no Hollywood in the 1930s with the Ballets movie set in mysterious, romantic, barbaric Central Asia Russes de Monte Carlo, was complete without this music, or something a lot like it, and a special Children’s on the soundtrack. Concert for the benefit of Russia’s war orphans in A Closer Look In Act II the Russian warrior Prince Igor January 1945, led by Eugene and his son, Vladimir, are captives in the camp of the Ormandy. The entire opera Polovtsians and their Khan, Konchak. Having defeated was performed in December the Russians in battle, the Khan praises their valor and 1935, with Alexander Smallens puts on an entertainment for them. Vladimir is already conducting. The most recent enamoured of the Khan’s daughter, Konchakovna; this performances on subscription will complicate matters later in the opera, but for now concerts were in November 2004; Tan Dun led the young love is in the air, as reflected in the famous lyrical Orchestra. tune of the opening dance. A vigorous dance for the men is interrupted by a splendid fortissimo passage and lusty The Philadelphians have shouts of “Honor to the Khan!” A languid dance for the recorded the Dances four female slaves soon gives way to the men with a whirling times: in 1925 for RCA with dance, driven by a snapping four-note pizzicato figure. Stokowski; in 1944 and 1959 Now Borodin seems to say, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet” for CBS with Ormandy; and in 1971 for RCA with Ormandy. as he ingeniously combines the themes with each other, The Orchestra also recorded the stage fills up with dancers, and the music builds, più the first dance only in an animato, to its dazzling conclusion. arrangement by Stokowski in —David Wright 1937 for RCA, with Stokowski conducting. The score calls for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion ( drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, orchestra bells, snare drum, suspended cymbal, tambourine, triangle), harp, and strings, with an optional chorus for the second movement. The Polovtsian Dances run approximately 14 minutes in performance. 30 The Music Variations on a Rococo Theme

Many cellists no doubt live with a certain degree of concerto envy. They play such a wonderful instrument, capable of singing the most beautiful melodies in a lush range (but also with possibilities for transforming into a bass, a , and even, in the highest registers, a ). They can also proudly claim what some consider the greatest concerto ever written, Dvorˇák’s magnificent essay from 1894-95, as well as wonderful singular offerings from Schumann and Elgar. And yet when cellists look at the riches that and violinists have, so Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovksy many concertos by so many composers, there may be Born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, some sense of frustration. Nothing from Mozart at all, and Russia, May 7, 1840 a shared spotlight from Beethoven and Brahms in the Died in St. Petersburg, former’s Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello, and November 5, 1893 latter’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello. And even those works that cellists do possess sometimes require explanations, at least before the blossoming of repertory in the 20th century. Two concertos by Haydn are familiar fare, but the authenticity of the one in D major was long questioned and the charming one in C major was only discovered in the 1960s. Italian composer Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) is best known today for one work: the Cello Concerto in B-flat major. This piece came to prominence in the late through a mangled arrangement by a leading German cellist, Friedrich Grützmacher, who pieced together various works by the composer. A Partnership with a Soloist The situation with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, another beloved staple of the cello repertory, is somewhat similar. He composed the piece for a colleague at the Conservatory, the eminent young German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen. Tchaikovsky started work just before Christmas in 1876. He first wrote out a cello and piano version that he showed to Fitzenhagen, who heavily edited the solo part. Such partnerships were not unusual, especially when the composer did not play the instrument. Tchaikovsky accepted Fitzenhagen’s emendations and went on to orchestrate the piece, which he finished in early 1877. conducted the Moscow premiere later that year with Fitzenhagen as soloist. 31

Tchaikovsky composed his Things got more complicated on the way to publication as Rococo Variations in 1876. Fitzenhagen considerably altered the piece, not limiting Herman Sandby was the himself any longer to just the solo line. The publisher Pyotr soloist in the first Philadelphia Jurgenson wrote to complain: “Loathsome Fitzenhagen! Orchestra performances of the He is most insistent on making changes to your cello work, in December 1903; Fritz piece, and he says that you have given him full authority Scheel was on the podium. to do so. Heavens!” Jurgenson nonetheless published The work was last heard on the work and one of Tchaikovsky’s students relates that subscription concerts in March the composer went along as well: “The devil take it! Let it 2006, with cellist Dimitri stand as it is!” The cello and piano arrangement appeared Maslennikov and conductor in 1878 and the full score in 1889. Tchaikovsky’s original Christoph Eschenbach. version was only reconstructed in 1941 and performed The Philadelphians recorded for the first time in Moscow; it is rarely played today. the Rococo Variations in 1962 A Closer Look Tchaikovsky once wrote to his generous for CBS, with Leonard Rose and . patron : “It is thanks to Mozart that I devoted my life to music. I adore and idolize him.” The The score calls for pairs affinity may seem a bit surprising as Tchaikovsky’s music of flutes, oboes, clarinets, is popularly viewed as so lushly Romantic and Mozart’s bassoons, and horns, strings, as an exemplar of refined Classicism, yet both used and solo cello. music as a vehicle for deep personal expression and did The Variations run so with exquisite technique. Tchaikovsky had a lasting approximately 20 minutes in affinity, indeed nostalgia, for the 18th century. The word performance. rococo is most associated with the decorative arts of the time—the word apparently derives from the French rocaille, “shellwork,” and today brings to mind paintings by Watteau, Boucher, and Fragonard. Following a short orchestral introduction, the cello states the principal theme (a melody of Tchaikovsky’s own invention) that has the character of a charming gavotte dance (Moderato semplice). It is made up of two complementary parts plus a codetta, which, as David Brown has remarked, projects a spirit both old and new: “If the original theme, chaste in outline and gracefully paced in its harmonies, masks the personality of its creator, a clear glimpse of the composer himself is provided by this codetta, with its richly detailed, pedal-supported chromaticism.” Tchaikovsky originally had eight variations follow, which Fitzenhagen reordered and cut to seven, saving a passionate Andante until just before the coda. Perhaps Tchaikovsky agreed only reluctantly to the changes, but he nonetheless remained friends with the cellist, who premiered much of his chamber music as well, arranged pieces, and was enlisted for advice years later on another piece for cello and orchestra. Whatever the relative merits of the versions, audiences (and cellists) remain grateful for the enchanting addition to the instrument’s repertory. —Christopher H. Gibbs 32 The Music Serenade in C major

Throughout its history the serenade—initially a sort of musical greeting performed outside the home of a loved one—has managed to retain something of the light-hearted serenity of its origins. When Mozart or Haydn composed a serenade, it was usually a set of pieces written for courtly entertainments requiring gentle, uncomplicated instrumental music. Even in the 19th century, when the constructs of feudalism had largely been replaced by the very different demands of public concerts, many composers still wrote works that made formalistic nods to popular courtly genres. But the function of the genres had shifted. The serenade or suite became, for many 19th-century composers, an opportunity to relax from the structural rigors of the symphony; thus the serenades of Brahms, Dvorˇák, and Tchaikovsky, for example, are works that call for supreme instrumental skill yet also permit a free and unfettered concentration on melodism and charm. Genesis and Premiere In addition to his six numbered symphonies and the , Tchaikovsky also wrote four suites for orchestra and several other concert works such as Francesca da Rimini and the C-major Serenade that were formally less restrictive and particular. “All my life,” he wrote, “I have been troubled by a difficulty in grasping and manipulating form in music.” Ironically, as he sketched the Serenade for Strings he thought at first that the work might become another symphony. But his most recent essay in the genre (the Fourth, of 1877) had taken a substantial toll on his mental and physical health, and one can well understand how happily he steered these sketches toward a less formal path. The summer and fall of 1880 gave rise to two of the composer’s most notable compositions—the 1812 , which Tchaikovsky said he found “loud and noisy” and “lacking any warm feelings of love,” and the Serenade, later published as Op. 48, which his musical mentor immediately dubbed his best work. Completed in November 1880, the Serenade was played informally at the the following month, with Nikolai Rubinstein conducting; the first public performance was at St. Petersburg in October 1881, under Eduard Nápravník’s baton. 33

The Serenade for Strings was A Closer Look The work begins with a stately composed in 1880. introduction that looks back to the 18th-century serenade, Fritz Scheel conducted the which often required a processional march to open and first Philadelphia Orchestra close the occasion (to which music the nobility and/or the performances of the piece, in musicians would march in and out). The first movement December 1900. The most proper begins with a Pezzo in forma di sonatina (Piece recent appearance of the in the form of a sonatina): Andante non troppo—Allegro Serenade on a subscription moderato, much like a sonata structure but basically concert was conducted by without a development section. The waltz (Moderato. Christoph Eschenbach, in Tempo di valse) contains all the flavor of the ballet music November 2007. for which Tchaikovsky is so well known; the Élégie finds The Philadelphians have the composer in his finest and most plaintive melodic vein. recorded the Serenade four The vigorous finale (Tema russo: Andante—Allegro times: in 1946, 1952, and con spirito) is built from a Russian folk tune that is an 1960 with Eugene Ormandy outgrowth of the first movement’s introductory theme. for CBS, and in 1981 with Riccardo Muti for EMI. —Paul J. Horsley Performance time is approximately 28 minutes. 34 The Music Islamey

Debates in the latter half of the 19th century about what kind of music to write pitted the so-called New Germans around Franz Liszt against a supposedly more conservative group exemplified by Brahms. Both camps had aesthetic agendas (“program” versus “absolute” music) and critical advocates (such as Eduard Hanslick for Brahms) that continue to resonate to this day. Similar concerns arose in Russia, where a significant native musical culture was developing that looked to the European mainstream for models.

Mily Balakirev One group centered around Mily Balakirev, who promoted Born in Nizhny-Novgorod, a progressive aesthetic line against a purportedly Russia, January 2, 1837 conservative—and conservatory—opposition spearheaded Died in St. Petersburg, by the Rubinstein brothers. Anton founded the Russia’s first May 29, 1910 professional orchestra and established the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862, while his younger brother Nikolai started the Moscow Conservatory four years later. Tchaikovsky was their ally—one of the first students at the former institution, he later taught at the latter. Despite the sometimes strong aesthetic differences between these two camps, the interactions and collaborations were generally more cordial than they were among their German counterparts. Nikolai Rubinstein, for example, played the premiere of the original keyboard version of Islamey, and Balakirev freely offered suggestions to Tchaikovsky, including for Romeo and Juliet and the Manfred Symphony. A New Russian School The charismatic Balakirev most influenced four younger composers: Alexander Borodin (1833–87), César Cui (1835–1918), Modest Musorgsky (1839–81), and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908). All were gifted amateurs and autodidacts who otherwise held day jobs: Cui worked as a military fortifications expert, Borodin as a celebrated chemist, Musorgsky as an army officer, and Rimsky-Korsakov as a naval cadet. The group also had their counterpart to Hanslick in the brilliant critic Vladimir Stasov, the one who gave them their nickname: moguchaya kuchka, meaning “mighty little bunch,” usually translated in English as the “Mighty Five” or “Mighty Handful.” Stasov coined the term in connection with a concert that featured compositions from different Slavic countries. Being particularly proud of the new Russian pieces, which he said made a great impression on “our 35

Islamey was composed for dear guests from the Slavic West,” he concluded his review piano in 1869 and revised in “with a wish: God grant that our audience never forget 1902. today’s concert; God grant that they always remember how Leopold Stokowski was on the much poetry, feeling, talent, and skill there is in the small podium for the first Philadelphia but already mighty little bunch [kuchka] of young Russian Orchestra performances of musicians.” the work, in October 1925. Balakirev held meetings at his house where the group The piece has been heard infrequently here, most recently would study scores and discuss musical matters. They in February 1961, with Eugene were inspired by the example set by , the Ormandy conducting. foundational figure in Russian music, and also attracted to Russian folk traditions. Despite the benefit derived from The Orchestra recorded studying German models, they shared a desire to create a Islamey in 1961 for CBS with more truly Russian musical style. Ormandy. The Mighty Five composers were also drawn to so-called The score calls for two piccolos, two flutes, oboe, Orientalist topics, which looked to an imagined exotic East. English horn, two clarinets, Elements in Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Lyudmila pointed E-flat clarinet, two bassoons, the way to later (the Polovtsian Dances from four horns, four trumpets, Borodin’s Prince Igor and the “Dance of the Persian Slave three trombones, tuba, Girls” from Musorgsky’s ) and orchestral timpani, percussion (bass works (notably Rimsky’s Sheherazade). Balakirev’s best drum, cymbals, snare drum, known composition proved an influential part of this tambourine, triangle), two tradition: Islamey, subtitled “Oriental Fantasy.” He wrote harps, and strings. it quickly in 1869 as a virtuoso piano fantasy based on Islamey runs approximately folk tunes and looking to the keyboard model of Franz nine minutes in performance. Liszt. Today we hear it in an orchestration by Balakirev’s later disciple Sergei Liapunov, who transfigured the dazzling difficulty of the piano original into a colorful tone poem. There is some evidence that Balakirev was initially planning for the work to be for orchestra, similar to his later Orientialist masterpiece Tamara. A Closer Look Balakirev and his colleagues often called upon folk traditions and he was particularly attracted to the music of the Caucasus Mountains, where he often vacationed. The combination of natural beauty and folk music provided the inspiration for Islamey, the name of one of the dance melodies he heard that provides the opening theme in the three-section work (Allegro agitato). The theme for the contrasting middle section (Tranquillo—Andantino espressivo) is of Crimean origin, which Balakirev learned from an Armenian actor who he heard in Moscow. This part begins lyrically, but becomes Program notes © 2014. All increasingly virtuosic. The final section (Allegro vivo— rights reserved. Program Presto furioso) brings back the fast and furious opening notes may not be reprinted material with even more sparkle. without written permission from The Philadelphia Orchestra —Christopher H. Gibbs Association and/or David Wright. 36 Musical Terms

GENERAL TERMS Serenade: An Andante: Walking speed Chord: The simultaneous instrumental composition Andantino: Slightly sounding of three or more written for a small quicker than walking speed tones ensemble and having Animato: Lively, animated Chromatic: Relating to characteristics of the suite Con spirito: With spirit tones foreign to a given and the sonata Elegiaco: Mournful, key (scale) or chord Sonata: An instrumental lamenting Coda: A concluding composition in three or Espressivo: With section or passage added four extended movements expression, with feeling in order to confirm the contrasted in theme, Furioso: Wild, passionate impression of finality tempo, and mood, usually Larghetto: A slow tempo Codetta: A short coda for a solo instrument Meno mosso: Less Development: See Sonata form: The form in moved (slower) sonata form which the first movements Moderato: A moderate Divertimento: A piece (and sometimes others) tempo, neither fast nor of entertaining music of symphonies are usually slow in several movements, cast. The sections are Più mosso: Faster often scored for a mixed exposition, development, Presto: Very fast ensemble and having no and recapitulation, the Semplice: Simply fixed form last sometimes followed Tempo di valse: Tempo Gavotte: A French court by a coda. The exposition of a waltz dance and instrumental is the introduction of Tranquillo: Quiet, form in a lively duple-meter the musical ideas, which peaceful, soft popular from the late 16th are then “developed.” In Vivo: Lively, intense century to the late 18th the recapitulation, the century exposition is repeated with TEMPO MODIFIERS Op.: Abbreviation for opus, modifications. Molto: Very a term used to indicate Suite: A set or series Non troppo: Not too the chronological position of pieces in various much of a composition within a dance-forms. The modern Più: More composer’s output. Opus orchestral suite is more like Poco: Little, a bit numbers are not always a divertimento. reliable because they are DYNAMIC MARKS often applied in the order THE SPEED OF MUSIC Fortissimo (ff): Very loud of publication rather than (Tempo) composition. Agitato: Excited Pizzicato: Plucked Allegro: Bright, fast 37 January/February The Philadelphia Orchestra

Pete Checchia Enjoy the ultimate in flexibility with a Create-Your-Own 4-Concert Series today! Choose 4 or more concerts that fit your schedule and your tastes. Hurry, before tickets disappear for this exciting season.

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Tchaikovsky Week 3: The Violin Concerto January 23 & 24 8:00 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Vadim Gluzman Violin Rimsky-Korsakov “Battle of Kerzhenets,” from The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto Musorgsky Pictures from an Exhibition

Radu Lupu Joins Yannick January 30 & February 1 8 PM January 31 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Radu Lupu Piano Smetana “The Moldau,” from Má vlast Bartók Piano Concerto No. 3 Dvorˇák Symphony No. 6 The January 30 concert is sponsored by MEDCOMP.

TICKETS Call 215.893.1999 or log on to www.philorch.org PreConcert Conversations are held prior to every Philadelphia Orchestra subscription concert, beginning 1 hour before curtain. All artists, dates, programs, and prices subject to change. All tickets subject to availability. 1638 Story Title Tickets & Patron Services

TICKETS & PATRON PreConcert Conversations: Ticket Philadelphia Staff SERVICES PreConcert Conversations are Gary Lustig, Vice President held prior to every Philadelphia Jena Smith, Director, Patron Subscriber Services: Orchestra subscription concert, Services 215.893.1955 beginning one hour before curtain. Dan Ahearn, Jr., Box Office Call Center: 215.893.1999 Conversations are free to ticket- Manager holders, feature discussions of the Catherine Pappas, Project Fire Notice: The exit indicated by season’s music and music-makers, Manager a red light nearest your seat is the and are supported in part by the Michelle Parkhill, Client Relations shortest route to the street. In the Wells Fargo Foundation. Manager event of fire or other emergency, Mariangela Saavedra, Manager, please do not run. Walk to that exit. Lost and Found: Please call Patron Services 215.670.2321. Gregory McCormack, Training No Smoking: All public space in Specialist the Kimmel Center is smoke-free. Web Site: For information about Samantha Apgar, Business The Philadelphia Orchestra and Operations Coordinator Cameras and Recorders: The its upcoming concerts or events, Elysse Madonna, Program and taking of photographs or the please visit www.philorch.org. Web Coordinator recording of Philadelphia Orchestra Patrick Curran, Assistant Treasurer, concerts is strictly prohibited. Subscriptions: The Philadelphia Box Office Orchestra offers a variety of Tad Dynakowski, Assistant Phones and Paging Devices: subscription options each season. Treasurer, Box Office All electronic devices—including These multi-concert packages Michelle Messa, Assistant cellular telephones, pagers, and feature the best available seats, Treasurer, Box Office wristwatch alarms—should be ticket exchange privileges, Patricia O’Connor, Assistant turned off while in the concert hall. guaranteed seat renewal for the Treasurer, Box Office following season, discounts on Thomas Sharkey, Assistant Late Seating: Latecomers will not individual tickets, and many other Treasurer, Box Office be seated until an appropriate time benefits. For more information, James Shelley, Assistant Treasurer, in the concert. please call 215.893.1955 or visit Box Office www.philorch.org. Tara Bankard, Lead Patron Accessible Seating: Accessible Services Representative seating is available for every Ticket Turn-In: Subscribers who Jayson Bucy, Lead Patron Services performance. Please call Ticket cannot use their tickets are invited Representative Philadelphia at 215.893.1999 for to donate them and receive a Meg Hackney, Lead Patron more information. You may also tax-deductible credit by calling Services Representative purchase accessible seating online 215.893.1999. Tickets may be Julia Schranck, Lead Patron at www.philorch.org. turned in any time up to the start Services Representative of the concert. Twenty-four-hour Alicia DiMeglio, Priority Services Assistive Listening: With the notice is appreciated, allowing Representative deposit of a current ID, hearing other patrons the opportunity to Megan Brown, Patron Services enhancement devices are available purchase these tickets. Representative at no cost from the House Maureen Esty, Patron Services Management Office. Headsets Individual Tickets: Don’t assume Representative are available on a first-come, first- that your favorite concert is sold Brand-I Curtis McCloud, Patron served basis. out. Subscriber turn-ins and other Services Representative special promotions can make last- Scott Leitch, Quality Assurance Large-Print Programs: minute tickets available. Call Ticket Analyst Large-print programs for every Philadelphia at 215.893.1999 or subscription concert are available stop by the Kimmel Center Box in the House Management Office Office. in Commonwealth Plaza. Please ask an usher for assistance.