Timo Andres & David Kaplan

Friday 27 April 2018 7.30pm Milton Court Concert Hall

Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances (for two pianos) interval 20 minutes Stravinsky The Rite of Spring (for two pianos)

Timo Andres piano David Kaplan piano Samantha West Part of Barbican Presents 2017–18

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If anything limits your enjoyment please let us know The City of London during your visit. Additional feedback can be given Corporation is the founder and online, as well as via feedback forms or the pods principal funder of located around the foyers. the Barbican Centre 2 that many first got to know it.Stripped duet anditwas initskeyboard incarnation the piecewas initiallypublishedasapiano onwards, this was not always the case. In fact from thathauntinghigh-lyingbassoonsolo days bestknown initsorchestral guise, Stravinsky’s ballet masterpieces of the20thcentury. If They return withtwo towering orchestral ’s 70thbirthday. Steady Hand premiered Andres’s doubleconcerto Kaplan. Lastyear they memorably piano duoTimoAndres andDavid Tonight we welcome back theAmerican Welcome

Available on iTunes, Soundcloud and the Barbican website Barbican the and Soundcloud iTunes, on Available Evgeny Kissin,Maxim Vengerov andNicoMuhly. Iestyn Davies, Joyce DiDonato, SirHarrisonBirtwistle, Sir JamesMacMillan, George Benjamin,, artists from around theworld. Recent artists include for exclusive interviews andcontent from thebestclassical Stream ordownload ourBarbican ClassicalMusicpodcasts Barbican Classical MusicPodcasts ataconcertcelebrating The Rite of Spring is these isthese Huw Humphreys, Head of Music,Barbican I hopeyou enjoy theconcert. piece isheard, astonight, ontwo pianos. intensity issuperblyconveyed whenthe it’s Russianthrough andthrough. That musical emotion andsenseof longing, homeland forever –butinitsheightened two decades after he’dlefthisbeloved composed intheUSA in1940 –over The relinquished hisRomantic musicallanguage. earlier thanStravinsky, yet henever really Rachmaninov was bornless thanadecade becomes stillmore savage ineffect. of itsorchestral plumage, itarguably

Symphonic Dances may have been spurred onby acelebration of hismusicduring least intheway they side-step theoldone.In1940, they assimilate amore modernmusicalstyle,orat Symphony –take different approaches intheway Rhapsody onaThemeof Paganini Concerto, his Americanyears –includingtheFourth Piano The works thatRachmaninov composedduring manner of today, butitwillnot cometo me.’ ‘I have made intense efforts to feel themusical writing, andIcannot acquire thenew,’ hewrote. largely irrelevant. ‘Icannot castouttheoldway of so naturally to himnow seemedoutdated and effusion of themusicallanguage thatcame It was alsobecauseherealised thattheRomantic most of histimeandenergy to touring asapianist. young family to support–forced himto devote pressure hewas underto earnaliving–with 26 years. Thisslowdown was partlybecausethe were composed by 1917, yet helived for another composing. Thirty-nine of his45opusnumbers settled inAmerica,Rachmaninov virtuallystopped After 1917, whenheabandoned Russiaand but had already embodiedit. years younger, not onlyembraced thenew style, vulgar. Stravinsky, ontheother hand,justnine expression cameto beviewed asindulgentand First World War, whenhisvein of lyricalself- change intheprevailing musicalstyleafter the older, Rachmaninov struggled to adapt to radical many composersof hisgeneration andalittle musically they face inopposite directions. Like and RussianswhosettledinAmerica–yet of Rachmaninov’s earlycareer inparticular), pianists andconductors (asignificant element of musicalallegiance–both were composers, Rachmaninov andStravinsky share many bonds vivace –Allegro assai 3 Lento moto con 2 Andante allegro 1 Non ( 45, Op Dances, Symphonic Sergey Rachmaninov for two pianos) Variations onaThemeof Corelli and the Third andtheThird (1940) ,

years earlierhad worked withStravinsky on choreographer MikhailFokine –whomany when heplayed the any extra-musical inspirations for hiswork, but Rachmaninov was generally reluctant to reveal orchestral andtwo-piano guise. composer, andoneof hisfinest scores, inboth its summation of Rachmaninov’s career asa being lavishly orchestrated. Thisisatriumphant finalised initsversion for two pianos,before four-stave shortscore inAugust 1940, andsoon and EugeneOrmandy, was completed ina Dances what would becomehisfinal work. The given inNew York in1909), hestarted composing (the premiere of thePianoConcerto No 3was anniversary of hisfirst performance inAmerica the 1939–40 season,whichmarked the30th Firebird us to Cmajor, before thereturn of C minorand subsides into amagical modulationthattakes building upalyricalhead of steam, themusic by undulating andinterweaving lines.After sound inthecomposer’soutput– surrounded cast thisfor thealto saxophone, aunique of Rachmaninov’s great tunes–heeventually us to theremote key of Csharp minor, andone orchestral version). The central episodetakes its piercing melodiclines(woodwind callsinthe stamping chords andtherhythmic propulsion of the Cminorouter sectionischaracterised by of Rachmaninov’s mosthauntingopenings, The first movement isinternary form. After one Midday –Twilight –Midnight. that thethree movements followed thesequence Rhapsody ballet usingthescore of Rachmaninov’s , written for thePhiladelphia Orchestra and (Covent Garden, 1939) –heexplained Petrushka (1873–1943)

Symphonic Dances , andhad recently devised a to the to the Symphonic Symphonic Paganini

The The

3 Programme notes 4 handful of furtherperformances, inParis and notorious Paris premiere, there were onlya brilliantly scored for large orchestra. After its from its stage presentation, asaconcertwork The Rite the composer’ssupporters. prompting anincreasingly vocal response from derision from more conservative ballet-goers the premiere, on29May 1913, withhowls of choreography ledto now infamous protests at the musicand–especiallyovertly brutalist Nijinsky, andtheuncompromising nature of both choreographed by theyoung dancerVaslav and following thesuccessof attention. Composedfor the1913 Paris season, Ballets Russeswhichfirst brought himinternational great balletshewrote for Serge Diaghilev’s Stravinsky’s RiteThe of Spring Stravinsky Igor of thetwilightcomposerdescribed. Its shadowy nature makes thisaperfect evocation times takes onthecharacter of a and Mahler. Beginningwithasnarl,themusicat of thesymphonic waltz, asestablished by Berlioz The secondmovement follows intherichtradition exorcism of oldghosts. clear. Perhaps itwas somesortof long-awaited and thesignificance of thisself-quotation isn’t to bereconstructed after Rachmaninov’s death), score had beenleftinRussiaandwas lost,only This work was completely unknown in1940 (the bout of depression andcreative self-doubt. disastrous premiere had plungedhiminto a written way back inhisearlytwenties andwhose a broad themetaken from hisFirstSymphony, again to acalmCmajor, Rachmaninov quotes the endof themovement, asthemusicresolves the stamping chords of thefirst section.Towards Petrushka isnow mostcommonlyheard divorced TheRite of Spring (1911), theoriginalballetwas The Firebird isthethird of the danse macabre (1910) (1910) (for (for . (1882–1971) repertoire. Thescore was first publishedinits London, before itfell outof theBalletRusses’ interval astonishingly hisrecord company, RCA, declined. with theearlierSecondSuite for two pianos,but Symphonic Dances Tantalisingly, Rachmaninov proposed to record the fitting conclusionto hiscompositionalcareer. the final pages of musichewould compose.Itisa if hehad somepremonition thatthesewould be (in Latinscript,withthatspelling)inthescore, as holds sway, Rachmaninov writes theword ‘Alliluya’ the closingpages, justasanew liturgical chant evil, asthe can ultimately beseenasatriumphof goodover from the motif inRachmaninov’s work –andaquotation struggle between the long-lost FirstSymphony, there isanongoing quotations. Aswell asanother reference to the plays outamid abattleof significant musical The third movement, again inaternary form, score of Firebird piano-duet score. Unlike played the wholeballetfrom thenewly minted premiere, Debussy joinedthecomposerand that includedDebussy. Shortlybefore the performed thefirst partto aninvited audience excerpts of thescore to Diaghilev, andthen he worked outhisideas.Heplayed through Korsakov thathecomposedatthepiano,where first heard. Stravinsky told histeacher Rimsky- it was onthepianothatthisstartling musicwas edition. Moreover, before theballet’spremiere, enthusiasts got to know thework through this piano-duet arrangement, andmusicians early dissemination. played a key partinthemusic’sgestation and two pianos) pianos) two , there isnopianopartintheorchestral 20 minutes The Rite of Spring All-night Vigil Dies irae withVladimir Horowitz, along chantisfinally overcome. In

Dies irae (or Vespers), Op 37. This Petrushka , but the instrument , buttheinstrument chant – a recurring chant–arecurring (1913) and The The

are notoriously unreliable (hehad earlierstated Stravinsky’s descriptions of thegenesis of hismusic a sacrifice to ensure thesafe arrival of spring. while ayoung girldancedherselfto death,in a pagan rite withsage eldersseated inacircle dream hehad while completing later claimedthatthescenariostemmed from a great surge of thecreative power of spring’.He Russia …unified by asingleidea:themystery and choreographic work, [representing] pagan two parts’.Stravinsky describeditas‘amusical- The work’s subtitleis‘Pictures of Pagan Russiain primitivism allemerge insharprelief. musical architecture, andthemusic’sritual the massively sculpted buildingblocks of the incisiveness anddrive, theharmonicfoundations, come through withstartling clarity. Therhythmic one instrumentortwo –other aspectsof themusic piano. Yet whenheard inthisway –whetheron distinctive timbre, can’ttrulybereproduced onthe its fearsomely hightessitura generating sucha wailing bassoonof theopening,for example, associated withitsorchestral colouring.The Much of thesoundof piano. that Stravinsky couldnot encompassonasingle and add extra details from theorchestral score players theoption,ifthey wish,to flesh outtextures control andindependence.Anditalsogives the of pedalsallows for greater expressive freedom, space onthekeyboard. Second,theextra pair often intertwined andcompetingfor thesame needing to jostlefor elbow room, theirhands version isalmostimpossiblycramped, theplayers playing itontwo pianos.Thefirst isthattheduet piano version, there are enormousadvantages to But whenpresented asaconcertwork inits an arrangement for two players atoneinstrument. amateur market inminditmade senseto publish households, too, possessed apiano,sowiththe version suitable for balletrehearsals. Mostmusical served thepractical purposeof providing a Naturally, thepiano-duetversion of The Rite is indelibly isindelibly The Firebird The Rite The Rite , of of , and Debussy. Many of themelodicideas,too, previously beenutilised by Rimsky, Mussorgsky inflected (‘oriental’) scalesandharmoniesthathad both from superimposingcommonchords, rather asin and theharmoniesdissonancesderive either the musicof Rimsky-Korsakov andTchaikovsky; each other rather like amosaic,isprefigured in architectural blocks placed next to andontop of admit. Theway themusicisputtogether, withits his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov thanhewould ever musical tradition, andStravinsky owed far more to misleading: which and Iwrote whatIheard. Iamthevessel through no theory. Ihad onlymy earto helpme;Iheard tradition liesbehind Rite Stravinsky famously claimedthathewrote perform thesacrificial danceinfront of theelders. Girls’) leading to ayoung maidenbeingchosento mysterious games(‘Mystic Circles of theYoung part, ‘TheSacrifice’, hasadarker aspect,with sages, culminatinginafrenzied dance;thesecond of games,ritualdancesandaprocession of The first part,‘TheAdoration of theEarth’,consists rituals. Roerich, anexpert inancientSlavic culture and archaeologist, painter anddesignerNicholas part structure was devised withthehelpof the working title‘TheGreat Sacrifice’, andatwo- whatever theinspiration, theballetwas given the setting was suggested by themusic).Nevertheless, that themusicalideascamefirst andthe pagan Programme note ©TimParry musical tradition. central place withinthegreat lineage of Russian and, whatever hisclaims, of material into hisdistinctive musicallanguage, to develop andintegrate suchaninherited wealth Lithuanian wedding song.Stravinsky worked hard bassoon solo,whichcanbetraced back to a derive directly from folk tunes–even that opening in akindof trance: ‘Very littleimmediate The Firebird The Rite The Rite passed.’Thistoo issomewhat and isdeeplyrooted inRussian The Rite of Spring Petrushka The Rite , or from modally , orfrom modally occupies a occupiesa – and –and The The

5 Programme notes 6 Michael Wilson About the performers Orchestra andtheLosAngelesPhilharmonic. Chamber Orchestra, LosAngelesChamber He hasalsowritten works for theOrpheus a PulitzerPrizefinalist in2016. the ArtsandOrchestra of St Luke’s, andwas Orchestra with Caramoor Center for Musicand co-commissioned by theSaintPaul Chamber concerto for JonathanBiss.Thislastwork was as soloists;and Centre withthecomposerandDavid Kaplan Sinfonia andpremiered here attheBarbican piano concerto commissionedby theBritten Hall ConcertSeries; commissioned by CarnegieHallandtheShriver a stringquartet for theTakács Quartet, Director AndrisNelsons; Boston Symphony Orchestra underitsMusic Much Notable works include pianos, acclaimed, aswas his2010 debutalbumfor two orchestral works, Nonesuch Records artistandhislatest discof and now lives inBrooklyn, New York. Heisa Palo Alto in1985, grew upinrural Composer/pianist TimoAndres was bornin Timo Andres Timo Andres , commissionedandpremiered by the Shy andMighty piano The BlindBanister Home Stretch Steady Hand . Everything HappensSo Strong Language , has been critically , hasbeencritically , atwo- , a piano , apiano , is celebrating its30thanniversary. Heperforms Art andRavinia’s Steans Institute of Music,which performances attheMetropolitan Museumof Inbal Segev andMetropolis Ensemble;and for theMusicAcademy of theWest andfor Highlights thisseasonincludewritingnew works recipient of thisaward. Gould Protégé Prize;Glassselected Andres asthe where hereceived theCityof Toronto Glenn appeared attheNationalArtsCentre inOttawa, Études with PhilipGlass,performing thecomplete Glass LA Philharmonic.Hehastoured internationally specifically for him–withJohnAdams andthe a pianoconcerto by Ingram Marshall–written Brad Mehldauandgiven theworld premiere of Sawdust, amongothers. He has toured with Collection, (le)Poisson Rouge andNational at LincolnCenter, theWigmore Hall,thePhillips As apianist,TimoAndres hasgiven solorecitals FranciscoPerformances. Hall, theAmsterdam ConcertgebouwandSan co-commissioned by CarnegieHall,Wigmore quintet for JonathanBissandtheEliasQuartet, of theNew World Symphony andapiano Eighth Blackbird, GabrielKahane, musicians Chamber musicincludespiecesfor yMusic, among others. Symphony, CarnegieHallandEighthBlackbird, collective, withwhomhehaswritten for theAlbany He isonesixthof theSleepingGiantcomposers’ master’s degrees from theYale Schoolof Music. Timo Andres earnedboth hisbachelor’s and Quartet andLosAngelesDanceProject. Performances andcollaborates withtheKronos recitals atBargemusic andfor SanFrancisco the Orchester Cottbus Staatstheater, gives solo .HealsojoinsEvan Christand that alsoincludes Symphony underJohnAdams inaconcert Ingram Marshall’sConcerto withtheNew World alongsidethecomposer. Herecently The BlindBanister played by Dario Acosta asked for new works from Anthony Cheungand Brahms, Ligeti,Rzewski andGubaidulina,he has called Aucoin andTimoAndres. For anew programme composers, includingAlex Weston, Matthew He haspremiered works by numerous other Andrew Norman. Shaw, Marcos Balter, and composers were Augusta Read Thomas,Caroline Davidsbündlertänze newly commissionedminiatures into Schumann’s the League of David and present hasresulted in His interest inconnectingmusicof thepast Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven’s PianoConcerto No 3withtheBerlin his debutattheBerlinPhilharmonie,performing Strathmore inBaltimore. This season,hemakes Gallery, MusiconMaininVancouver and Sarasota Opera House,Washington’s National Perlman, andinrecital attheRavinia Festival, Sinfonia, Miami’sArshtCenter withItzhak appearances attheBarbicanCentre withBritten and technical ease.Recent highlightsinclude programming, aswell ashiscolouristicflair David Kaplan isrenowned for hisadventurous David Kaplan David Kaplan Chaconne piano , featuring works by Beethoven, . Amongthe16 participating , asuite thatincorporates New Dancesof Music, acommunityseriesinMorrisCounty, NJ He istheArtisticDirector of LyricaChamber Tanglewood, Bard andMostlyMozartfestivals. In addition, hehasbeenaguestattheRavinia, and theCanadian festivals of BanffandOrford. Center, ChamberMusicNorthwest, Bargemusic Festival, theChamberMusicSocietyof Lincoln festivals, includingtheSeattleChamberMusic He hasalsoappeared atleading chambermusic Dhabi, Mexico andScotland. venues, aswell asholdingresidencies inAbu performs frequently inNew York’s most exciting the Affiliate Ensembleof CarnegieHall,which Andres. Heisalsoacore memberof Decoda, performed aspartof apianoduowithTimo Capps andNickCanellakis.Since2007hehas Ashley Bathgate, JoshuaRoman, Benjamin Lee Priday andArnaudSussmanncellists Hausmann andTesla Quartets, violinistsRachel he hasappeared withtheAttacca, Ariel,Enso, Chamber musicisalsoimportant to himand Steve Reich, Richard Strauss andMorton Feldman. in works by composersasdisparate asJ SBach, last autumnfeaturing more thanadozenartists for whichhecurated aninnovative pianoseries is aResident Artistof theMetropolis Ensemble, , to bepremiered in 2019. He University of California, LosAngeles. and isnow lecturer inpianofor 2016–18 atthe recipient of aDMAfrom in2014 Fellowship from 2008to 2010. Hewas the with LutzKöhler, undertheauspicesof aFulbright conducting attheUniversität derKünste Berlin Richard GoodeandEmanuelAx.Hestudied included thelate ClaudeFrank, Walter Ponce, His distinguishedmentors over theyears have Mighty with TimoAndres, thetwo-piano disc Fairouz with soprano Kiera Duffyfor Naxos; and, David Kaplan hasrecorded musicby Mohammed currently inits31st season. (2010) onNonesuch. Shy and Shy and

7 About the performers 11 Feb 26 May 2019 Benjamin Grosvenor with the Doric Quartet Grosvenor joins the Doric Quartet for a pocket-sized Chopin concerto cycle

Browse the full 2018–19 season at barbican.org.uk/classical1819 Image: Benjamin Grosvenor Patrick Allen Patrick Benjamin Grosvenor Image:

Benjamin Grosvenor A5 mono programme ad.indd 1 23/04/2018 15:08