Monday 20 May 2013, 7.30pm The Mozartists Tales from Ovid Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739–1799) Symphony in F major, ‘The Rescue of Andromeda by Perseus’ Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787) Scene from Act Three of Orfeo ed Euridice Interval Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Scene from Philemon und Baucis Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) Part Three of Apollo et Hyacinthus Anna Devin (soprano) Christopher Ainslie (countertenor) Benjamin Hulett (tenor) The Mozartists (leader, Matthew Truscott) Ian Page (conductor) Tales from Ovid (May 2013) 1 Notes © Ian Page, 2013 Dittersdorf Symphony in F major, ‘The Rescue of Andromeda by Perseus’ 1. Adagio non molto 2. Presto 3. Larghetto 4. Vivace – Tempo di Minuetto The Roman poet known as Ovid (his full name was Publius Ovidius Naso) was born in 43 BC, the year after the death of Julius Caesar, and he died in AD 17. Alongside his contemporaries Horace and Virgil he ranks among the greatest Latin poets, and his works include Heroides, Amores, Ars Amatoria and – most famous and influential of all – Metamorphoses. In AD 8 he was exiled to the shores of the Black Sea at the express command of the Emperor Augustus, perhaps because his Ars Amatoria advocated and celebrated adultery at a time when the Emperor was seeking to promote monogamous marriage. In exile he wrote Tristia and Epistulae ex Ponto. Metamorphoses is an immense, fifteen-book narrative poem which chronicles the history of the world from its creation right up until Ovid’s own day. It incorporates some 250 stories from Classical Greek and Roman mythology, all of which culminate in some form of magical transformation, and is considered one of the most important works in Western literature. It inspired such authors as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante and Boccaccio, and many of the earliest operas were based on stories from it, despite the inherent difficulties in representing transformation scenes on stage. Each of the four works featured in this evening’s concert evoke stories featured in Metamorphoses, and further tales and characters which were to form the basis of operas include Acis and Galatea, Ariadne, Daphne, Echo and Narcissus, Venus and Adonis, Semele and Medea. In the 1780s the colourful and splendidly named Viennese Although the reflective slow movement with which composer Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (he was actually Dittersdorf ’s symphony begins has no prescribed narrative, it ennobled by Empress Maria Theresia in 1773; before seems to portray Perseus flying high above the world, content in then he was plain Carl Ditters) wrote a series of twelve the satisfaction of his triumph over the Gorgon, as an ethereal programmatic symphonies inspired by specific tales from oboe solo hovers serenely over gentle sonorities provided Ovid’s Metamorphoses, of which six have survived. These by muted strings and horns. The lively second movement is include depictions of the Lycian Peasants being transformed headed by a quotation from Ovid – “motis talaribus aera findit” into frogs and Actaeon into a stag, and the fourth of these (“he cuts a path through the air on his fluttering anklets”); symphonies is titled ‘The Rescue of Andromeda by Perseus’. as Perseus looks down and sees Andromeda, his excitement at her beauty is matched by his anxiety at the danger she Perseus was a Greek demi-god, the son of Zeus and Danaë, is in. There follows a soulful larghetto in F minor, which famed for having slain the Gorgon Medusa. Medusa, who is again has no superscription but is redolent of Andromeda’s described as having a hideous female face with live venomous grief and despair at her plight, while the finale is headed by snakes instead of hair, turned all who looked at her to stone; another quotation from Ovid, “gaudent generumque salutant” but aided by gifts of winged sandals (with which to fly) from (“they rejoice and welcome the son-in-law”). This begins in a Hermes and a polished shield from Athena, Perseus cut her vivacious D minor before rather surprisingly subsiding into head off with his sword by viewing her reflection in his shield a more introspective minuet, perhaps reflecting the privacy while she slept. and intimacy of the wedding party after the clamour of public celebration following the slaying of the sea-monster. The ensuing story of Perseus’ rescue of Andromeda comes from Book IV of Metamorphoses. Andromeda is the daughter Dittersdorf, whose father was a costumier in Vienna’s imperial of King Cepheus of Ethiopia, and her mother, Queen court and theatre, was a remarkably prolific composer, and Cassiopeia, has provoked the anger of the gods by claiming enjoyed considerable success in his day. His compositions herself to be more beautiful than the cherished sea-nymphs, include some 120 symphonies, 40 solo concertos – including the Nereids. The gods have responded by sending a terrifying ones for flute, oboe, viola, cello and double bass – and sea-monster which can only be placated by the sacrifice of numerous oratorios and operas. He was also an accomplished Andromeda. When Perseus flies past he sees Andromeda tied violinist, and at a house-concert in Vienna in 1784 he played to a rock and vows to save her on condition that if he succeeds in what can well claim to have been the most distinguished he can marry her. The King and Queen gladly consent, Perseus string quartet ever assembled – Haydn was the other violinist, slays the monster, and he and Andromeda are joyfully united. Mozart played the viola and Vanhal the cello. Tales from Ovid (May 2013) 2 Notes © Ian Page, 2013 Gluck Scene from Act Three of Orfeo ed Euridice Anna Devin (Euridice), Christopher Ainslie (Orfeo) The story of Orpheus, and his descent into Hades to rescue The story of how Orpheus is allowed to rescue his beloved his beloved Eurydice, has inspired composers throughout the Eurydice from the underworld on condition that he does not history of opera, from Jacopo Peri (1600), Giuseppe Caccini look at her reaches its climax in the third act of Gluck’s opera. (1602) and Claudio Monteverdi (1607) to Hans Werner Disorientated by her return towards the mortal world and Henze (1978), Harrison Birtwistle (1986) and Philip Glass bemused by Orpheus’ failure to help or even make eye contact (1993). Rameau and Debussy both worked extensively on with her, Eurydice is in a state of such agitation that Orpheus Orpheus projects which they failed to complete, and the briefly forgets the decree and turns to face his wife, thereby dozens of eighteenth century settings of the story included consigning her to a second death. Haydn’s final opera, L’anima del filosofo, written in London in 1791 but not performed until 1951. Gluck and Calzabigi’s reforms were in fact not entirely new, and in many respects involved adopting existing French Orfeo ed Euridice was the first of the three so-called ‘reform’ models rather than Italian ones. These included giving priority operas that Gluck wrote in collaboration with the poet to the concept of the scene, rather than individual numbers, Raniero Calzabigi, and it is generally considered to be one the rejection of the ‘da capo’ arias beloved by Italian ‘opera of the most important works in the history of opera. It was seria’, the use of the orchestra throughout (rather than having premièred at the Burgtheater in Vienna on 5 October 1762, recitatives accompanied solely by the continuo section), and and the following day the six-year-old Mozart arrived in the rejection of empty virtuosity in the vocal writing. The one the Austrian capital for the very first time. This coincidence important Italian tradition which still won the day, however, seems curiously symbolic, and it was certainly bold of Gluck was the need for a happy ending – in this version of the myth, to choose for his new opera the subject of mythology’s greatest Cupid is eventually victorious, and Orpheus and Eurydice are musician, requiring him as it did to create music that could reunited for a second time. convincingly depict Paradise and placate the Furies. RECITATIVO ACCOMPAGNATO ACCOMPANIED RECITATIVE ORFEO: Vieni, segui i miei passi, ORPHEUS: Come, follow my steps, Unico, amato oggetto sole, beloved object Del fedele amor mio! of my faithful love. EURIDICE: Sei tu? M’inganno? EURYDICE: Is it you? Am I deceived? Sogno? Veglio? O deliro? Am I dreaming? Am I awake? Or am I raving? ORFEO: Amata sposa, ORPHEUS: Beloved wife, Orfeo son io, e vivo ancor! I am Orpheus, and am still alive! Ti venni fin negli Elisi a ricercar. I have come even as far as Elysium to find you. Fra poco il nostro cielo, In a short while our own sky, Il nostro sole, il mondo our sun and our world Di bel nuovo vedrai! you will see beautifully anew! EURIDICE: Tu vivi? Io vivo? EURYDICE: Are you alive? Am I alive? Come? Ma con qual arte? Ma per qual via? How come? Through what means? In what way? ORFEO: Saprai tutto da me. ORPHEUS: You will learn all about it from me. Per ora non chieder più! For the time being ask no more! Meco t’affretta, Hasten with me, E il vano importuno timor dall’alma sgombra! and banish the foolish, untimely fear in your soul! Ombra tu più non sei, You are no longer a phantom; Io non son ombra. I am not a phantom. Tales from Ovid (May 2013) 3 Notes © Ian Page, 2013 EURIDICE: Che ascolto? E sarà ver? EURYDICE: What do I hear! And can it be true? Pietosi Numi, Merciful Heavens, Qual contento è mai questo! what happiness indeed is this! Io dunque in braccio all’idol mio Will I then in the arms of my beloved, Fra’ più soave lacci within the sweetest chains D’Amore e d’Imeneo of Love and Marriage, Nuova vita vivrò! live a new life? ORFEO: Sì, mia speranza! ORPHEUS: Yes, my hope! Ma tronchiam le dimore, But let us stop delaying; Ma seguiamo il cammin.