Thursday Evening, November 16, 2017, at 7:30 The Juilliard School presents Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra Adam Glaser , Conductor Enrique Rodrigues , Violin DAVID LUDWIG (b. 1974) Fanfare for Sam SAMUEL BARBER (1910 –81) Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 14 Allegro Andante Presto in moto perpetuo ENRIQUE RODRIGUES , Violin Intermission WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756 –91) Overture to Don Giovanni , K. 527 LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918 –90) Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Prologue (Allegro moderato) Somewhere (Adagio) Scherzo (Vivace leggiero) Mambo (Presto) Cha-cha (Andantino con grazia) Meeting Scene (Meno mosso) Cool Fugue (Allegretto) Rumble (Molto allegro) Finale (Adagio) Performance time: approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, including one intermission. The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not permitted in this auditorium. Information regarding gifts to the school may be obtained from the Juilliard School Development Office, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-6588; (212) 799-5000, ext. 278 (juilliard.edu/giving). Alice Tully Hall Please make certain that all electronic devices are turned off during the performance. Notes on the Program was sent back without any word—he thought the conductor’s silence meant he (Program notes for this evening’s concert didn’t want to give the premiere. But his dis - were written by students selected from the appointment soon turned to elation when Juilliard Pre-College honors seminar taught he found out that Toscanini not only planned by Ira Taxin and Daniel Ott.) on premiering the Adagio , but that he would be conducting it from memory. That Fanfare for Sam was why the score had been returned—it by Kyrie McIntosh was not needed for the performance! David Ludwig’s Fanfare for Sam is a cele - The main structure of Fanfare is built upon bration of the shared legacy of the iconic a reoccurring B-flat trumpet call, the first American composer Samuel Barber and note of Barber’s Adagio for Strings . After the Curtis Institute of Music. Both Ludwig the first call one can hear the opening har - and Barber have long histories with the monies of the Adagio embedded in a rough school: Barber entered Curtis at age 14 modern texture. Ludwig adopts melodic where he studied composition, piano, and aspects too: a pastoral section in the mid - voice for eight years, and eventually served dle of the piece uses the essence of as a faculty member; Ludwig currently Barber’s opening melody, but in inversion. teaches composition at the institution and As Ludwig puts it, “the Adagio serves as a his grandfather was the pianist Rudolf musical jumping point, providing material Serkin, who once served as music director. for the surface landscape; in other ways As Ludwig writes in his own program notes the Fanfare lives in great contrast to that for Fanfare : “Barber is a musical hero to me poignantly beautiful work.” Ludwig’s brass- and to so many others that followed in his heavy Fanfare opposes Barber’s luscious footsteps (literally) at the school. To think string sonorities from the beginning. As if that as both student and faculty he walked that weren’t enough, Ludwig inserts a the same halls and took classes and lessons boisterous percussive coda that appears to in the same rooms is humbling, indeed!” be almost a rejection of the Adagio’s tragic and sensitive nature. As a whole, the piece Don’t let the opening of Fanfare for Sam presents a way to transport Barber’s his - fool you. The piece begins with a tradi - toric work and legacy into the contempo - tional A “tune-up,” but takes an unex - rary era and to bridge the history of the pected left-turn when instead of fading Curtis Institute. Toward the end of Fanfare away, it grows in volume and morphs into Ludwig brings back fragments of Barber’s a fiery fanfare. The score draws much of harmonies progressing to a symbolic finish: its musical material arguably from Barber’s “The piece ends on a big C-major chord to most famous and beautiful work, his honor Curtis, where Mr. Barber and I—and Adagio for Strings . The Adagio was once many other appreciative composers— have the second movement of his String Quartet, had the privilege to call our musical home.” Op. 11, No. 1, but after the movement received a standing ovation mid-performance, Kyrie McIntosh is in his fourth year at Barber decided to orchestrate it. He sent Juilliard Pre-College studying composi - his Adagio to Arturo Toscanini (an Italian tion with Eric Ewazen. He also studies conductor, who rarely programed American piano with Genya Paley at the Kaufman music). Barber was irritated when the score Music Center. The Concerto That Almost Wasn’t was instead worried that the work would by William McGregor not sound as flashy and technically diffi - cult to the audience. He was intrigued to The lovely, intricate melodies and har - hear though that the third movement was monies of Barber’s Violin Concerto have to be much more technically advanced. resonated in the hearts and minds of music lovers for decades, yet few know of Finally, in late November the work was com - the unique circumstances surrounding the plete. After looking it over, Briselli claimed composition and premiere. In 1939 a phil - that the third movement did not fit with the anthropist from Philadelphia, Samuel S. beauty of the first two, and said that the work Fels, wanted a composition written for his would not be able to compete with other ward, Iso Briselli, a famous and accom - major concertos of the period. He insisted plished musician. Barber was chosen to that Barber rewrite the third movement, to compose a work for violin and orchestra. give more structure to the overall piece. Briselli and Barber attended the Curtis Barber was dismissive of these ideas and did Institute of Music together, so they had not agree to a rewrite. He was already busy time to get to know one another. Barber with many other commissions and it was asked for a payment of $1,000 for writing no longer a priority for him. Because of the the composition and wanted half of the fee dilemma, Barber wrote a letter to Fels on up front, the other half upon completion. December 14, saying that Briselli was not Briselli gave a deadline to Barber, telling quite interested in the work and that it would him to have the concerto done by January not be performed. Barber then explained that 1940 so it could be performed with the he had already spent the advance and that he Philadelphia Orchestra. Giving himself a could not pay it back, but he also said that he cushion, Barber told Briselli that he would did not have to be paid the remaining $500. have the first two movements submitted by the first of October. The official premiere of the concerto was in February 1941 with violinist Albert Barber began working on the first two Spalding performing with the Philadelphia movements in Switzerland during the Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. It received summer of 1939. However, the impending tremendous praise and was soon per - war in Europe caused him to flee and formed as often as other top 20th-century return to the U.S. He traveled to the concertos. It is remarkable to consider that Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania to this masterpiece was nearly forgotten. work and he was able to finish the first two movements by mid-October. Although William McGregor is in his ninth year at it was a few weeks after the deadline, Juilliard Pre-College and studies double bass Briselli accepted the movements with with Albert Laszlo. A senior in high school, great happiness, he was pleased with the he lives in Pennsylvania, and coincidentally, beauty he found in them. In mid-November, his school is located in Samuel Barber’s while Barber was working on the finale, hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Briselli showed the first two movements to his teacher and coach, Albert Meiff, Barber’s Violin Concerto who claimed that “the technical embell - by Neerav Kumar ishments are very far from the require - ments of a modern violinist.” Almost dis - Barber ’s Violin Concerto is in three move - missing the beauty of the piece, Meiff ments. Marked by expressive melodies that are masterfully connected, the first dance. The movement vaguely resembles and second movements contrast the more rondo form, but the rondo theme rarely dissonant, virtuosic, third. returns verbatim. Various meter changes that add to the playful, unstable nature of The first movement is in s onata form, with an the music are dispersed throughout. Like exposition, development, and recapitulation. the second movement, each section The exposition opens with a stately first moves seamlessly into the next with the theme using major and minor harmonic excitement of the piece persisting from shifts to add a tinge of sadness. After soar - beginning to end. Compared to the other ing upward with an octave leap to reach two movements, the third seems like it is the climax of the phrase, the solo violin speaking with a different voice, incorporat - releases into a denouement of sevenths. ing more dissonance within each flurry of The clarinet establishes the folk-like sec - notes. The coda is a wild spinning dance, ond theme, highlighting the dotted rhythm with the impending storm finally exploding motif. An energetic transition quiets into at the end. the development section that has two parts: a true development where Barber Neerav Kumar is pursuing his fourth year at modulates and develops rhythmic and Juilliard Pre-College with a major in clarinet melodic motifs, and a section that leads to and a minor in composition under Larry the return of the first theme in the recapit - Guy and Andrew Thomas.