Kahane Plays and Conducts The music of three Austrian composers, all active in Vienna, comprises this weekend’s concerts. Each half opens with a concerto by Mozart and concludes with a work by a native son: Schubert’s tuneful “Unfinished” Symphony” and Johann Strauss II’s frothy overture toDie Fledermaus.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Born 27 January 1756; Salzburg, Died 5 December 1791; Vienna, Austria

Concerto No. 14 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 449 Composed: 1782-84 First performance: 17 March 1784; Vienna, Austria Last MSO performance: MSO Premiere Instrumentation: 2 oboes, 2 horns, strings Approximate duration: 20 minutes

At the time he wrote his E-flat major concerto, the 28-year-old Mozart was the most idolized pianist in Vienna. He had composed three piano concertos the previous season (1782- 83), to draw attention to his own talents as a performer. These did him proud, so that in 1784 audience demand was high enough to warrant an additional six concertos. The first of these, K. 449, was his initial entry in a new catalog of his works he had begun keeping. From this, we know the concerto was completed on 9 February 1784, during “what were the busiest, the most successful, and probably the happiest months of his life.” (Stanley Sadie) The opening Allegro vivace’s 3/4 time signature is an unusual choice for an opening move- ment, something Mozart rarely did. There’s harmonic ambiguity at the start, including a fiery passage in C minor and an extended one in B-flat major before a martial-like rhythm settles us into the home key of E-flat major. Listen, in this appealing movement, to the delectable dialogue between soloist and orchestra. The gently swaying Andantino is set in B-flat major. Muted and elegant, the keyboard filigree becomes progressively elaborate as the movement continues. The Finale is a rondo, saturated with delightful polyphonic writing; the composer had recently embarked on an intensive study of counterpoint. Following the premiere in the private auditorium of the Trattnerhof, Mozart reported to his father Leopold: “The hall was full to overflowing, and the new concerto I played won extraordinary praise. Everywhere I go, I hear praises of that concert.” Recommended recording: Murray Perahia, English Chamber Orchestra (Sony)  Kahane Plays and Conducts PROGRAM NOTES

Symphony No.7inBminor, D.759“Unfinished” Died 19November1828;Vienna Austria 31January1797;Vienna, Born Allegro moderato forthefirsttimeinDecemberof that year,performed 37yearsafterSchubert’s death. score. In1865,itwasgiventotheconductoroforchestra Musikverein oftheVienna and payment foradebtoranobligation.Inanycase,Anselm hadaperfectrighttoretain the brenner in1823,topassonhisbrother Anselmasaprivategift.Thismayhavebeenin shows thatSchubertgavethemanuscriptofUnfinishedSymphonytoJosefHütten A fewdecadesago,thedisclosure ofdocumentsfrom theHüttenbrenner familyarchives Likewise, thefateofmanuscripthasbeenplaguedbytheoriesbasedonflimsyfacts. that adesire foradditionalmovementcan hardly arise.” in thefirstmovementdiesawaytransfigured inthesecond.Thisconclusionissosatisfying a musicianwasevergiventoutter. Thatwhichmovedusdeeplyasanemotionalstruggle songs. Thesecondtheme,playedbythecellos,containsoneofnoblestinspirations as wasattainedbynosymphonistexceptBeethovenandSchuberthimselfonlyinhis is fortunatethatitremained unfinished.The firstmovementisofatragicdimensionsuch (1898):“Ifeelit the caseforthisviewinhismonographTheSymphonySinceBeethoven Nearly 120yearsago,thegreat Austrianconductor FelixWeingartner (1863–1942)stated there issimplynothingelsetosay.” copy, there cameatimewhere isperfect; hethoughtthiscannotbecontinued.Theform bars ofascherzo.ButafterSchubertfinishedthefirsttwomovements,andwr after thesecondmovement.Whichisnottosayhedidn’t try. There are sketchesforafew ina2015interview,Nicolas Harnoncourt “thatSchubertfounditimpossibletocontinue Many believeSchubertregarded theworkascomplete.“Iamconvinced,” saidconductor composers. chamber worksoftheViennese find three consecutivemovements inbasicallythesamemetersymphonies,sonatas,or in 3/4,thesecond3/8,andincompletescherzoisalso3/4.Rar symphony incompletebecauseofthepredominance oftriplemeter. Thefirstmovementis all evidenceforthisiscircumstantial. Thenagain,saysanother, Schubertmayhaveleftthe that insteadbecamethebigBminorentr’acteforhisincidentalmusictoRosamunde,but immediately afterward. OthershavetheorizedthatSchubertmaysketchedafinale the inspirationforhisWanderer Fantasyforsolopiano,whichoccupiedhistimeandenergy because heassociateditwithhisinitialoutbreak ofsyphilis—orthathewasdistractedby Some havespeculatedthathestoppedworkinthemiddleofscherzofall1822 minor. To thisday, musicologistsdisagree astowhyhefailedcompletethesymphony. Franz Schubertwasonly25whenhecomposedthetwomovementsofSymphonyinB moment ofsweetlyricisminamovementotherwisedark andtroubled. unfinished —broken off inextraordinary gestures ofpathosanddrama.Itisalsoa rare syncopated accompaniment.Nolessremarkable thanthetuneitselfisthatit,too, tunes inallofclassicalmusic,statedfirstbythecellos andthenbytheviolins,toagently shared byoboeandclarinet.ThentheUnfinishedbringsusoneofmostfamous openssoftlyinthestrings, followedbyatheme The firstmovement,castinsonataform, Last MSOperformance: Approximate duration: First performance: Instrumentation: Composed: 1822 25 minutes 2 trumpets,3trombones, timpani,strings 2 flutes,oboes,clarinets,bassoons,horns, November 2015;Lawrence Renes,conductor 17 December1865;Vienna ely, ifever, doesone ote outaneat - Kahane Plays and Conducts PROGRAM NOTES

Concerto inAmajorforClarinetandOrchestra, K.622 WOLFGANG AMADEUSMOZART Andante conmoto scured thereby. Buthappytheartistwhoseonlyfaultlies inanall-too-great perfection.” abundance ofbeautyalmosttires thesoul,andeffect ofthewholeissometimesob- concerto: “IfanyfaulthadtobefoundwithMozart,itcouldsurely beonlythis:thatsuch the pianistandcomposerBernhard Weber offered anopinionequallyapplicabletothis ofDonGiovanniinBerlinthesamemonthasK.622’sReviewing aperformance premiere, mood, butalsoventure intodarkerminor-key territory. withthesoloistinconversationorchestra;ritornello, itsthree episodesreflect this music thecomposereversetdown.ThesprightlyRondo:Allegro (in6/8)hasacheerful The achinglylyricalAdagio,setinDmajorandelegiactone,issomeofthemostsublime passages, andexcitingtimbralcontrastsbetweentheclarinet’s highestandlowestnotes. graceful Allegro brimmingwithelegant,sinuousthemes,supplecoloratura insonataform, The workiscastinthethree traditionalmovementsofthelate18thcentury. Thefirstisa colors thatoffset theclarinet’s distinctlybeautifultimbre. —butnooboes)mustsurelysoons, andhorns reflect themaster’s desire tocreate tone a profundity initsseemingsimplicity. Thegentleinstrumentalwriting(strings,flutes,bas- Like Mozart’s operaTheMagicFlute,composedafewmonthsprior, theconcertopossesses , K.621(1791). Tito to ariasinLaclemenzadi Trio,Kegelstatt K.498(1786),theClarinetQuintet,581(1789),andobbligatoparts — hadloanedhim,theyremained close.For Stadler, Mozarthadearlierwrittenthe friends and,despiteStadler’s failure torepay moneyMozart—whocouldillafford ithimself premiered inPragueOctober1791.MozartandStadlerwere brother Masonsandgood ed, inthefinalmonthsofhislife.DesignedforvirtuosoAntonStadler(1753-1812),itwas Mozart pennedthegracefulA-majorclarinetconcerto,lastmajorworkhecomplet Recommended recording: Recommended recording: keys andchromaticthatSchubertlaterbuildshisgentlylingeringcoda. harmonies, which introduces thesecond theme.Itisuponthisinspired moment,thoughwithstrange soar overshiftingchords; the plaintivelystillpassageforviolins,outliningaminorchord, alogue betweenlowstrings/brass/windsandhighstrings;theserene woodwindsolosthat Inthislovelymovement,afeweloquentdetailsstandout:thefirsttheme’sform. lyricaldi- twocontrastingthemesinsonatina spirit butnotwithoutmomentsofdrama.Italternates The secondmovement,setinthesomewhatunexpectedkeyofEmajor Last MSOperformance: Approximate duration: First performance: Instrumentation: Composed: 1791 George Szell,ClevelandOrchestra (Sony) (Sony) Robert Marcellus; George Szell,ClevelandOrchestra 25 minutes strings 2 flutes,bassoons,horns, Todd Levy, clarinet October 2013;AsherFisch,conductor; 16 October1791;Prague,Bohemia   , iscalmerin - Kahane Plays and Conducts PROGRAM NOTES

Overture toDieFledermaus Died 3June1899;Vienna Austria 25October1825;Vienna, Born JOHANN STRAUSS,JR. the proceedings. valediction before goingtoprison.Thematerial isrepeated, withthewaltzmonopolizing from theoboe,withacontrastingsectionoftunesassociatedEisenstein’s mock-serious in Act3.Thencomesthegrandwaltzwithitssongfulrefrain, interlude followedbyaforlorn sic thatlaterbecamefamiliaronBroadway. Thefirstthree tunesare from theprisonscene pourri ofmelodiesthatwillbeheard intheoperetta —notunlikethetypeofopeningmu- of farcically maskedball.TheOverture confusedidentitiesataViennese isessentiallyapot- Its plot—withalibretto byRichard Genée,basedonanearlierFrench vaudeville—isone Die Fledermaus[TheBat],JohannJr.’s third operetta, isthemostpopularworkingenre. respect.” also hisgreatest admirer, opining“HeisoneofthefewcolleaguesIcanholdinlimitless Wagner, Tchaikovsky, andRichard Strauss.Brahms,JohannJr.’s closepersonalfriend,was cal popsconcerts,butinitsowndaywaswidelyadmired bysuchmusicalheavyweightsas For alongtime,themusicofStrausswasconsidered “light”musicandrelegated toclassi- conductor’s podium—probably from abraintumor—attheyoungageof43. known work.Hisyoungerbrother Josefsetdown283piecesbefore collapsingonthe Johann seniorpenned251opuses,including152waltzes;theRadetskyMarch ishisbest- Johann Strauss,Jr. —“TheWaltz King”—wasthescionofamusicalfamily. Hisfather Recommended recording: Last MSOperformance: Approximate duration: First performance: Instrumentation: Composed: 1873 Willi Boskovsky,Willi Symphony(EMI) Vienna 9 minutes bass drum),strings percussion (chimes,cymbals, snare drum,triangle, 2trumpets,3trombones,2 bassoons,4horns, timpani, 2 flutes(2nddoublingpiccolo),oboes,clarinets, March 2003;Andreas Delfs,conductor Austria 5 April1874;Vienna, 