SONOS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ERIK E. OCHSNER, MUSIC DIRECTOR Sunday Oct 14, 2007, 3pm Good Shepherd Church 608 Isham St., New York Monday, Oct 15, 2007, 8 pm New World Stages 340 W. 50th St., New York A NOTE FROM THE PODIUM CONCERT PROGRAM Our seventh season brings SONOS to Pärt, and here we will perform the New a new level for many reasons. Last year York premiere of his Mein Weg, which SONOS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA we performed the United States Premiere is German for “My Way.” This sort of ERIK E. OCHSNER, MUSIC DIRECTOR of the Karl Jenkins Requiem – as a summarizes my approach to classical Sunday, October 14, 2007, 3:00 pm Good Shepherd Church special “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” music programming, “I’ll do it my way!” Monday, October 15, 2007, 8:00 pm New World Stages concert which benefi ted the organ at the Who else but SONOS Chamber Orchestra Good Shepherd Church. This year we programs 7 pieces on the same program?! Erik E. Ochsner, Conductor present our concert twice: fi rst in my (8 if you count the encore.) home neighborhood of Upper Manhattan/ The second half of the program opens Jean Sibelius Suite champêtre, op. 98b (1922) Washington Heights/ Inwood, and our with the Hungarian composer Ernst von (1865-1957) i. Piéce caractéristique ii. Mélodie élégiaque second performance takes us for the fi rst Dohnanyi’s Serenade, which was originally iii. Danse time to the New World Stages, an off- written as a virtuoso showpiece for string Broadway theater in midtown Manhattan. trio. Here we present it as a virtuoso piece In addition, we have a new Chairman arranged for string orchestra. Hold on to Arvo Pärt Mein Weg for strings and percussion (1989) of the Board of Directors, and have the your seats –the third movement will take (1935-) - New York Premiere honor of having several world-class, you for a ride! internationally famous musicians on our The fi nal piece on the program, Einar Jean Sibelius Rakastava (“The Lover”), op. 14 (1911) Advisory Board. Englund’s Symphony No. 4, (1865-1957) i. Rakastava (The Lover) This year we honor the fi fty year legacy was actually the building ii. Rakastetun tie (The Path of the Beloved) of famed Finnish composer Jean Sibelius block for this program. The iii. Hyvää iltaa- jää hyvästi (Good Night- Farewell) (1865-1957) by performing three Finnish Music Information of his suites for string orchestra. Center actively promotes Philip Glass Company for string orchestra (1983) Rakastava is the most often Finnish music, and I actively (1937-) i. performed of the three, but when read their literature! As soon ii. put it in the context of a as I heard a recording iii. triple-bill, I fi nd it very of the piece, I fell in iv. hard to pick “a favorite!” love with it. I thought Each of these nine to myself, “This is Jean Sibelius Suite caractéristique, op. 100 (1923) movements captures a something SONOS must (1865-1957) i. Vivo unique emotion, suggests do.” These concerts ii. Lento a landscape, a mindset of mark only the second time iii. Commodo the Finnish people. I am incredibly it has been performed in the United moved by the music of Sibelius, and it States. We continue to make history - Intermission - fi lls my heart to be able to perform these with our method of programming value pieces. A special and unique energy pieces of music which are often not-heard Ernst von Dohnanyi Serenade, op. 10 (1902) seems to emerge while performing them. or merely neglected. (1877-1960) i. Marcia. Allegro When I thought of programming three I really am proud to bring you yet ii. Romanza. Adagio Non Troppo Quasi Andante highly romantic string pieces on the fi rst another SONOS program. Audiences iii. Scherzo. Vivace iv. Tema Con Variazoni. Andante Con Moto half of the program, I immediately knew I and players alike have continually asked v. Rondo (Finale). Allegro Vivace needed to insert “a sorbet course.” Philip me, where do you fi nd this music? And I Glass, who has long been one of my can only respond, that’s part of my job! I admired composers, celebrates his 70th encourage you to sit back, relax, (hopefully Einar Englund Symphony no. 4 “Nostalgic” for strings and birthday this year, and so we will perform enjoy!) and open yourself to some music (1916-1999) percussion (1976) - New York Premiere his Company for string orchestra. The that you may have never heard before. It i. Prelude Finno-Ugric language family includes can entertain us, it can move us, and it can ii. Tempus fugit Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian. So make a difference! iii. Nostalgia iv. Intermezzo + Epilogue immediately I also thought of Arvo –Erik Eino Ochsner, Music Director 1 2 ABOUT THE PROGRAM ABOUT THE PROGRAM A few words on the program… is one of stasis; some say it resembles the carillon of a grand cathedral. Part, a By Brian Wise composer of deep religious convictions who grew up under the Soviet regime, uses the “tintinnabular” method in Mein, a work that is both ancient sounding Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) and contemporary. With its pulsating rhythms and simple melodies in endless permutations it also is indebted to the minimalist scores of Philip Glass and Suite champêtre, op. 98b (1922) Steve Reich. Jean Sibelius, who died fi fty years ago this year, stands for Finland better than Verdi stands for Italy or Dvorak represents the Czech people. The composer (1865-1957) still Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) dominates Finland’s musical infrastructure, its legends and Rakastava (“The Lover”), op. 14 (1911) atmosphere, and his music remains its biggest artistic export. He is best known for his sprawling, enigmatic symphonies, In case the title didn’t give it away, Sibelius’s Rakastava a masterful Violin Concerto, as well as nationalistic tone (“The Lover”) suggests the fl eetness of an intense poems like Finlandia and Valse Triste. But Sibelius was relationship. The piece is a string orchestra arrangement of also a master of brevity, as evidenced by his suites, dances an early a cappella choral work based on a collection of 19th- and character pieces for various ensembles. Indeed, after century folk verse. There’s an uncommon tenderness and fi nishing his Seventh Symphony in 1924 and the tone poem Tapiola in 1926, he intimacy throughout its three movements as well as many composed no large-scale works for the remaining thirty years of his life. But charming touches. Like his Suite champêtre, Rakastava even earlier, he was writing short pieces including a trio of suites for string is largely in the minor mode. The opening section, “The orchestra. Beloved,” recalls a genre sometimes called “Scandinavian elegiac” (Grieg was a prime advocate) and yet transcends Among them is the 1921 Suite champêtre, comprised of three short sections, the genre by avoiding harmonic clichés. The brisk, brief middle movement each with a charming, innocent appeal that shows off Sibelius’ lyrical gifts. “The Way (or Path) of the Lover,” features pulsating triplets and ends almost as The fi rst movement, “Pièce caractéristique,” contains echoes of Sibelius’ soon as it has begun. The fi nale, “Good Night, My Beloved -- Farewell” harkens boyhood idol, Tchaikovsky, and is cast in D minor. The second movement, back to the opening section though tinged with the sweet sorrow of parting. “Mélodie élégiaque,” is fl owing and warmly melancholic while “Danse” recalls Sibelius himself had high regard for Rakastava, describing it as “a work with a something of the fairytale atmosphere of some of the composer’s incidental vein of black earth running through it. Earth and a piece of Finland.” music Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) Philip Glass (b. 1937) Mein Weg for strings and percussion (1989) Company for string orchestra (1983) As Philip Glass turns 70 this year, he can hold claim to Walk through the streets of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city, arguably the most widely recognizable musical style of any and you’ll likely encounter the sound of bells emerging modern-day composer. While many audiences are familiar from the city’s numerous church spires. This has become with such major scores as Koyaanisqatsi or Einstein on the inspiration for tintinnabuli, a word that Arvo Part, the Beach, less recognizable are the works he wrote for Estonia’s most celebrated composer, uses to describe the Mabou Mines, an avant-garde theater company that he co- style of his plangent music. Tintinnabuli, from the Latin founded in 1970. Company for string orchestra was written word for “bells,” refers specifi cally to music in which the to accompany the Mabou Mines production of Samuel sound materials are in constant fl ux while the overall image Beckett’s work of the same name at the Public Theater in 3 4 ABOUT THE PROGRAM ABOUT THE PROGRAM 1982. Like Sibelius’s previously heard miniatures, this piece, consisting of Einar Englund (1916-1999) four short sections, features elegant passages of brooding arpeggios and quiet, Symphony no. 4 “Nostalgic” for strings and percussion (1976) repetitive motifs that burble away incessantly. Finnish music, of course, did not begin and end with Jean Sibelius. Composer, pianist, teacher and music critic Einar Englund (1916-1999) rose to prominence in Helsinki Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) during the decade prior to World War II. Thanks to a Suite caractéristique, op. 100 for harp and strings (1923) recommendation from Sibelius himself, Englund went to study with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood until the war. In the early 1920’s, with fi ve symphonies in his catalogue, Englund fought and was wounded in World War II, an Sibelius went through a symphony drought for a few years.