VIRTUAL FESTIVAL CONCERT #4 - Released July 20, 2020 JOHANNES BRAHMS Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, Op. 120 No. 1 Allegro appassionato Andante, un poco Adagio Allegretto grazioso Vivace Jean Johnson clarinet / Steven Osborne piano OSMO VÄNSKÄ Duo for the Clarinet and Violin Dialogue Sorrow Leikari Dance Erin Keefe violin / Osmo Vänskä clarinet MICHAEL BROWN “Relationship” for Violin and Clarinet WORLD PREMIERE The Meeting Connection The Argument(s) Ballad Finale: Hora Erin Keefe violin / Osmo Vänskä clarinet WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART / ARR. OSMO VÄNSKÄ “Là ci darem la mano” from Don Giovanni Erin Keefe violin / Osmo Vänskä clarinet ANTONÍN DVořÁK Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky” Lento maestoso—Allegro vivace Poco adagio—Vivace non troppo Andante—Vivace non troppo Andante moderato—Allegretto scherzando Lento maestoso—Vivace James Ehnes violin / Edward Arron cello / Andrew Armstrong piano Concert was originally scheduled for July 10, 2020 JOHANNES BRAHMS dynamic variety, however, the movement is unified (1833–1897) by an implicit tension that relaxes only in the slower- Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in F minor, paced coda that ends in reflective calm. Op. 120 No. 1 (1894) Most recent SCMS performance: Summer 2013 Gentle, songlike, and sparingly scored, the slow movement’s opening section contrasts with the In 1890, Brahms notified his publisher that “the anima of the Allegro appassionato and with its own time has come for you to say good-bye to any subsidiary theme, flowing and more richly textured further compositions of mine.” Confirmation for than its primary material. Though Brahms wrote this decision came from yet another source, the several powerful and insistent scherzos in several composer’s close friend, physician Theodor Billroth, of his chamber works (that of the F-minor Piano who said of Brahms that “he rejects the idea he is Quintet comes to mind), here in the third movement, composing or will ever compose again.” Fortunately all is gentleness and equanimity. Marked Allegretto for clarinets and chamber music lovers ever since, grazioso, the first section employs the lilting 3/4 Brahms changed his mind after hearing clarinetist meter of the rustic Ländler (precursor to the citified Richard Muhlfeld in 1891. Muhlfeld had started Viennese waltz), while the B section explores the low, as a violinist in the highly esteemed Meiningen chalumeau register of the clarinet to exotic effect. Orchestra before teaching himself to play clarinet and switching positions to the new instrument in The concluding rondo is a vivacious assertion of 1876. Brahms admired especially what he termed major-key optimism. Its main theme is good cheer Muhlfeld’s fluency and “feminine sensitivity,” dubbing incarnate and shows Brahms to have a good feel for him “my prima donna.” Thus inspired, Brahms late 19th-century “popular” taste. Adding impetus composed four masterly works for the clarinetist, to and youthful joie de vivre, the rondo is regularly wit: his hauntingly beautiful Clarinet Quintet (with its punctuated by three strong notes that make their typically Brahmsian inclusion of a wild Hungarian/ appearance at the beginning moments of this joyful Gypsy interlude), the knottier Clarinet Trio, and finale. the two Op. 120 Clarinet Sonatas, which he also arranged for viola or violin and piano (though the violin version is rarely encountered). OSMO VÄNSKÄ (b. 1953) The four-movement format of the F-minor Sonata is Duo for the Clarinet and Violin (2018) orthodox in layout, though this doesn’t tell us much Most recent SCMS performance: Summer 2018 about the vigor and sense of renewal one hears in this music. It is customary to describe late Brahms The following note is provided by the composer: as “autumnal,” an adjective that is accurate but not the whole truth. The opening Allegro appassionato As a full-time conductor and part-time clarinetist, can serve as a case in point. Dramatic outbursts composing is something I have always dreamed of remind us of the fiery passion of young Brahms, doing but rarely had the time to pursue. When I was just here skillfully balanced against an overall mood out of school, I had the op-portunity to conduct a local of melancholy. The pianist makes the first move in gospel choir and that is when I first started arranging a short introductory paragraph, which effectively music and do-ing a bit of composing on a regular sets up the energetic first theme catapulted by the basis. We were constantly expanding our repertoire, so clarinetist. Alternating between vibrant muscularity often I would take pieces which others had composed and quiet serenity, the music takes a number of side and arrange them to fit the needs of our ensemble. trips ranging from a quiet and mysterious new theme Sometimes that could be as simple as taking something about one minute in, to an unexpected key change which was already written for choir and just changing about half a minute later. Within its thematic and the style of it (to fit our gospel genre), but oftentimes I SUMMER festival // would be given just a mel-ody and the lyrics and I would even for the fellow artists of the festival after a glass have to arrange it for a four-voice choir in harmony or two of wine. It was after one of these fun reading with accom-panying instruments. After becoming more sessions filled with laughter that I sat down to write a comfortable with this process - which in a way is a form movement dedicated to the Aldas. Arlene in particular of composing- I decided to start working on my own is rarely without a smile on her face; therefore, I was original compositions for the choir. My time conducting inclined to write a movement which is fun and uplifting and arranging for that group lasted about five years, and a relief from the sorrow of what comes before it. and after that I became too busy, first with my job as a clarinetist in the Turku Philharmonic followed by The title “Leikari Dance” refers to Finnish (as well Helsinki Phil-harmonic, and after that with family life as Nordic) leikaris who were minstrels back in the and my conducting career, to do much composing on a sixteenth century. They sang songs and played musical regular basis. instruments, and oddly enough, once they had finished their performance, people were allowed to hit them. It’s I was inspired to write a piece for me and my wife Erin a strange way to show their appreciation, but that is Keefe after my friend Kalevi Aho wrote EROS for us as a Finland! wedding gift in 2015. There are very few original pieces written for the combination of vio-lin and clarinet and I decided to tie these two separate movements together I saw how successful Kalevi was in composing for two into a complete duo by writing the first movement complimentary, but quite different instruments. entitled “Dialogue.” Rather than being inspired by others, it is more a reflection on our relationship I sat down to write what ended up being the second together as a couple. As with any relationship there are movement of the Duo for Violin and Clari-net in the moments of tension, but the general feeling reflects summer of 2017 following the news that a friend of comfort and harmony. ours was terminally ill. We were staying with his family at the time in Napa while performing at the Music in the Vineyards festi-val, and I found composing to be a very MICHAEL BROWN emotional and cathartic outlet to process my feelings. (1920–2014) Our friend passed away shortly thereafter, before I had a “Relationship” for Violin and Clarinet (2018) chance to finish writing the movement, so unfortunately, World premiere he never had the chance to hear it. The following note ia provided by the composer: While I didn’t necessarily set out to write more than one movement, I was inspired yet again by friends and Michael Brown is a renowned pianist and composer. people we were staying with that summer. Following As a ipanist, he is an artist of the Chamber Music Napa, Erin was playing at the Bridgehampton Chamber Society of Lincoln Center, and has appeared at Music Festival on Long Island. Her hosts for the past numerous festivals including Tanglewood, Marlboro, fourteen years have been Arlene and Alan Alda Music@Menlo, Ravinia, and Bridgehampton. whom she befriended many years ago through fellow musicians while she was living in New York. Alan is of As a composer, Brown has received commissions course most well-known as an actor, but he and Ar- from the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, Concert Art-ists lene are two of the most incredible human beings (as Guild, Shriver Hall; the New Haven and Maryland well as classical music lovers!) I have ever encountered. Symphony Orchestras; Osmo Vänskä and Erin Keefe; They are constantly involved in various projects of all pianists Orion Weiss, Adam Golka, and Roman sorts, and their positive and energetic outlook on life Rabinovich. are a source of inspiration for all who have the pleasure of knowing them. Arlene was once a professional Relationship for Violin and Clarinet is dedicated to clarinetist, so we have shared many afternoons filled the wonderful couple Erin Keefe and Osmo Vänskä. with reading clarinet duos in the living room and once JULY 20, 2020 // ProGraM notes Set in five brief and self-explanatory movements, with the harmonies, rhythms, and ranges of our the work portrays a relationship from its inception two in-struments throughout the accompanying to a finale celebratory wedding dance, with plenty figures. While this has been an incredibly trying time of tenderness and conten-tion in between.