PROGRAM NOTES March 23, 2019

PROGRAM NOTES March 23, 2019 The overture opens with a brash flourish from the Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 carnival music from Act II of Cellini. The subsequent HECTOR BERLIOZ (1803 - 1869) English horn melody comes originally a duet for Cellini and his beloved, Teresa, heard at the end of Act I. he aphorism “Life imitates art” applies perfectly to The melody first sings first alone, and then in canon, Tthe account of Berlioz’ ill-fated attempts to stage accompanied by a festive, jingling chivaree from the his opera Benvenuto Cellini. The pairing of composer orchestra’s brass and percussion sections. Swirling and subject seemed to be perfect match – Berlioz’ woodwind flourishes signal the return of the saltarello fiery Romantic idealism found particular resonance in carnival music in the overture’s main Allegro, characterized the swashbuckling escapades of the sixteenth-century by witty rapid-fire interplay between the woodwind and Florentine goldsmith (whose autobiography remains one string sections. The duet music returns in a long fugato of the raciest literary works of the Renaissance). While section over the underlying saltarello rhythm, building the original libretto was rejected for performance, a new to an impressive climax that brings back the carnival one by Léon de Wally and Henry Auguste Barbier was music in full force. The dance music’s muscular energy approved by the Paris Opéra in 1835 and Berlioz set to wins the day, joyfully frolicking to the final blazing A work to bring Cellini to life onstage. major chord, clothed in Berlioz’ brilliant orchestration.▪ Berlioz’ trials and tribulations in staging Benvenuto Cellini seem to eerily parallel the goldsmith’s difficulties Piano Concerto No. 5 (Egyptian) in casting the great equestrian statue of Perseus, which CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS (1835 - 1921) forms the focal point of the opera. Faced with a less than stellar libretto, problems with the censors, singers either e was born in the same year as Mark Twain and unwilling or unable to cope with the musical complexities HAndrew Carnegie; he died in the same year as of the work, and an indifferent and incompetent Enrico Caruso. He knew Hector Berlioz, John Philip conductor, Berlioz must have felt like his hero, whom Sousa and Igor Stravinsky. He was a child prodigy, the Pope commanded to cast the enormous bronze playing concertos by Mozart and Beethoven in the statue in one day, or be hanged for his crimes. In the Salle Pleyel in Paris at the age of ten. He was a virtuoso end, Cellini was an abject failure at its first performance pianist as well as a prominent conductor and organist – in 1838 – Berlioz noted that the audience “hissed with Franz Liszt called him “the best organist in the world.” admirable energy and unanimity.” The tenor in the lead He traveled widely, performing in Britain, Russia, North role quit after the third performance, prompting the Africa, South America, and the United States. He wrote management to shut down the production, leaving the the first original film score in 1908. He was an avid composer depressed and discouraged. student of mathematics, philosophy, archaeology and Berlioz knew that Cellini contained some of his astronomy. He was fluent in both Latin and Greek and best music, which deserved a better fate than the Paris wrote books of poetry, philosophy, and astronomy as audience had given it. No stranger to musical repurposing well as several plays. (his Symphonie Fantastique and Harold in Italy both Despite his many accomplishments, most music contain material from earlier works), in 1844 Berlioz history texts dismiss Camille Saint-Saëns in a sentence created a concert overture entitled Roman Carnival or two. His popularity with the general public rests from portions of the music from Cellini. Roman on The Carnival of the Animals (subtitled “Grand Carnival became one of his most popular works (he Fantasie Zoölogique”), an occasional piece that he never included it frequently on concerts he conducted), and intended to be heard beyond its first performance. remains so to this day. In the infrequent modern Amongst music critics, he tends to be damned with faint revivals of Benvenuto Cellini, the overture often serves praise – “elegant,” “well-balanced,” “a classical sense of as an instrumental prelude to the second act of the proportion,” “based on Classical models.” Late in his opera, an option originally suggested by the composer. life he was considered something of a reactionary, a The Art of Music | 11 PROGRAM NOTES March 23, 2019 reputation that still dogs him almost a century after idea and the yearning of the second theme contrasts his death. with the glittering runs, rapid arpeggios and other Yet Saint-Saëns’ music has remained a firm part of virtuoso pianism heard throughout the movement. the concert repertoire. For all the dismissal of his work The second movement Andante starts in a truly as less than profound, many of Saint-Saëns concertos surprising fashion – a passionate and turbulent and works for solo instrument and orchestra remain introduction, which finally relaxes into the Nubian perennial concert staples, beloved of both performers love song of Saint-Saëns Nile journey. The piano and audiences alike. It is true that he based many of his ruminates over ghostly chords in the strings, later joined works on Classical models and was one of the earliest with a lyrical subject in the flute and taken up by the proponents in France of the music of Johann Sebastian other woodwinds. A brief dancelike section appears Bach, but he also wrote numerous symphonic poems over trills in the piano, but mysteriously fades away employing the cyclical forms and transformational over a unison phrase in the orchestra, followed by a procedures pioneered and developed by Hector Berlioz passage reminiscent of the tinkling of small bells. The and Franz Liszt. While his works display a Classical movement as a whole is rhapsodic and improvisatory, sense of balance and order, that characteristic makes and gave the work its nickname. them no less expressive or Romantic. Saint-Saëns’ own The moto perpetuo finale begins quietly in the piano’s words sum up his approach to musical composition: lower register, but builds in strength before exploding in colorful virtuoso fireworks. The energy is almost The artist who does not feel completely unrelenting, with even the more lyrical passages infused satisfied by elegant lines, by harmonious with Romantic ardor. The movement rushes headlong colors, and by a beautiful succession of to its final chords, riding a wave of knuckle-busting chords does not understand the art fingerwork to its thrilling conclusion.▪ of music. An American in Paris Unsurprisingly for such an enquiring mind, he found GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898 - 1937) travel stimulating to both his health – as he grew older, ore conservative aficionados of classical music he became considerably less tolerable of Parisian winters might be somewhat horrified to discover – and to his imagination. He was a frequent visitor M that not only were George Gershwin and Arnold to both Algeria and Egypt, finding that the warmth Schoenberg good friends and tennis partners, but that and calm of those locations inspired his muse. Gershwin had asked the father of atonal serialism for For the 50th anniversary of his Paris debut, composition lessons. Schoenberg politely refused, with Saint-Saëns composed his fifth piano concerto, the memorable reply “I could only ever make of you a written largely while on vacation in Luxor. The third-rate Schoenberg, and you are already a first-rate composer did not attach the nickname “Egyptian,” Gershwin.” Gershwin made a similar plea to Maurice but he did indicate that several features derived Ravel, prompting Ravel to ask how much money from his sojourn by the Nile, including an attempt Gershwin made in a year. When Gershwin responded to imitate the sound of Egyptian crickets and frogs with a six-figure amount, Ravel memorably quipped, and a quotation from “a Nubian love song that I “Perhaps it is I who should be taking lessons from you!” heard sung by the boatmen on the Nile when I was Gershwin’s desire to learn from Europe’s greatest going downstream in a dahabieh (a shallow-draft composers came from a desire to absorb their Egyptian barge).” techniques into his own musical language. We know The lyrical opening theme of the first movement that Gershwin met Schoenberg’s disciple Alban Berg is heard in the solo piano and then taken up by the in Vienna, and that Gershwin both owned a score to full orchestra. The warm, singing character of this Berg’s Wozzeck and attended the American premiere 12 | theFSO.org PROGRAM NOTES March 23, 2019 of the opera (conducted by Leopold Stokowski) in program associated with the music – and then Philadelphia in 1931. It has even been postulated that proceeded to outline a remarkably specific program Wozzeck strongly influenced Porgy and Bess. While we for the piece: know him best as an inspired craftsman of the immortal tunes of the Great American Songbook that reflect the This new piece, really a rhapsodic ballet, is wit and romance of their lyrics, Gershwin also had a written very freely and is the most modern finger on the pulse of the musical avant-garde, and a music I’ve yet attempted. … The opening careful listener will hear just how well he absorbed the part will be developed in typical French groundbreaking musical trends of his time. style, in the manner of Debussy and the Gershwin’s first foray into concert music (today Six, though the themes are all original. My we would undoubtedly call it a “crossover hit”) was purpose here is to portray the impressions his 1924 premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, written for of an American visitor in Paris as he the Paul Whiteman Band and later scored for full strolls about the city, listens to the various symphony orchestra.

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