Juilliard Wind Orchestra Behind every Juilliard artist is all of Juilliard —including you. With hundreds of dance, drama, and music performances, Juilliard is a wonderful place. When you join one of our membership programs, you become a part of this singular and celebrated community. by Claudio Papapietro Photo of cellist Khari Joyner Photo by Claudio Papapietro Become a member for as little as $250 Join with a gift starting at $1,250 and and receive exclusive benefits, including enjoy VIP privileges, including • Advance access to tickets through • All Association benefits Member Presales • Concierge ticket service by telephone • 50% discount on ticket purchases and email • Invitations to special • Invitations to behind-the-scenes events members-only gatherings • Access to master classes, performance previews, and rehearsal observations (212) 799-5000, ext. 303 [email protected] juilliard.edu The Juilliard School presents Juilliard Wind Orchestra Jon Manasse, Conductor Sunday, December 10, 2017, 3pm Rosemary and Meredith Willson Theater WOLFGANG AMADEUS Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 361, MOZART “Gran Partita” (1783–84) (1756-91) Largo–Molto allegro Menuetto–Trio I–Trio II Adagio Menuetto: Allegretto–Trio I–Trio II Romance: Adagio–Allegretto–Adadio–Coda Tema con variazioni: Andante–Allegro Tema con variazioni: Andante–Adagio–Allegro Finale: Molto allegro Played without intermission Performance time: approximately 50 minutes Please make certain that all electronic devices are turned off during the performance. The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not permitted in this auditorium. Cover photo by Nan Melville 1 Notes on the Program by David Crean WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Wolfgang Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 361 (“Gran Partita”) Amadeus Mozart The once-ubiquitous tradition of dividing Western music history into Born basically self-contained stylistic periods is pedagogically convenient, January 27, 1756, since it imparts some measure of organization to a massively complex in Salzburg, body of works dating back well over 1,000 years. Stylistic development is, Austria however, as much a continuum as any other facet of human activity, and this artificially segmented approach has often meant that times of transition Died and experimentation were largely crowded out of the traditional narrative. December 5, 1791, This is perhaps nowhere truer than in the so-called Classical period, whose in Vienna, Austria dates traditionally fall from the mid-18th through the early-19th centuries and encompass the careers of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Many of the most characteristic genres of Western music date from this era—the symphony, string quartet, and piano sonata, to name a few—and the prolific achievements of its three dominant figures in these core genres can give a false impression of stylistic reification that obscures many of the transitional currents of the time period. The work on this afternoon’s program, however, testifies to the high degree of variability in forms, genres, and ensembles still encountered during the height of Viennese Classicism. The mid-18th century serenade is a multi-movement work for instrumental ensemble, typically intended as lighter entertainment music, and often performed outside. It is closely related to the divertimento and cassation, and the distinctions between them are difficult to articulate, as composers seem to have applied the titles with little consistency. As cultivated in Austria and southern Germany, it was often six movements (although it could be as many as ten), including at least one sonata-form movement, multiple dance movements, and even concerto movements. Mozart’s father Leopold produced more than 30 such works, although all but one are now lost, and the younger Mozart wrote nearly that many (including cassations and divertimentos) during his employment in Salzburg. They were often written for specific private events, such as university commencements or aristocratic weddings. There was wide variability in terms of orchestration, although the possibility of outdoor performance limited the overall size of the group. Many of Mozart’s Salzburg serenades use a full complement of strings, while others are for the more traditional wind ensemble. Over the course of the late 18th century, the urban bourgeoisie began to replace the landed aristocracy as primary musical consumers, and the old court-composer employment model gave way to the more modern freelance artist. Mozart was on the cutting edge of this development when he made the financially risky decision to abandon his hated position with the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg in favor of an independent career in Vienna. This critical change in music production and consumption spelled the end 2 of the aristocratic serenade, which was almost completely supplanted Over the course by the symphony at the end of the century. Mozart’s production in the of the late genre predictably fell off somewhat after his move to Vienna in 1781, 18th century, which makes the work on today’s program all the more unusual. Based the urban on paper type and watermarks, it can be dated more or less securely bourgeoisie to Mozart’s early years in Vienna, but it has relatively little documented began to replace history. It received a partial performance in a concert by virtuoso clarinetist the landed Anton Stadler in 1784, although how recently it was written before the aristocracy as event is a matter of conjecture. Even its title is uncertain: Mozart left the primary musical manuscript untitled, and a later hand added (and misspelled) the “Gran consumers. Partita” appellation. The designation as a serenade dates from 19th century. The “Gran” description is at least not misplaced: in addition to the standard octet of oboes, clarinets, horns, and bassoons, Mozart includes two more horns, two basset horns, and a double bass—an unusually large wind ensemble for the time period. As was typical of the serenade, the movements of K361 are a potpourri of forms and styles. The opening movement begins with a slow introduction that features soloistic writing for the clarinet and oboe. The ensuing sonata form is tightly constructed, with the second theme being a slight variant of the first. The second movement is the first of two minuets. In another subtle departure from formal convention, Mozart includes two contrasting trios, each of which features a subset of the ensemble. The first is played only by the clarinets and basset horns (a close relative of the clarinet and a relatively new invention at the time), while the second relies heavily on the first oboe, basset horns, and bassoons. The third movement is the setting for one of the more memorable moments of the film Amadeus, in which an astonished Antonio Salieri first hears Mozart’s music and describes the solo clarinet line as “filled with unfulfillable longing.” One of Mozart’s most poignant works, it calls to mind a more romantic image of the serenade as a tender evening love song. The first oboe, first clarinet, and first basset horn carry the bulk of the melodic material, while the rest of the ensemble provides a simple syncopated accompaniment. As in the first, the second minuet contains two contrasting trio sections, although the soloistic textures of the earlier movement are abandoned. Operatic influence is discernable in the fifth movement, an ABA form reminiscent of the “da capo” aria, the dominant form in 18th-century opera seria (“serious opera”). Outer sections of tranquil E-flat major frame a stormier section in C minor, where the basset horns engage in a dialog with the full ensemble over a constant bassoon accompaniment. The two-part theme of the following movement (theme and variations) is introduced in the first clarinet. The first variation finds it in the first oboe part, decorated with constant triplet rhythms. In the second variation, the theme is skillfully woven into an undulating melody in the basest horn. Mozart’s variation technique is not limited to his rhythmic/melodic treatment of the theme, 3 Notes on the Program (Continued) however. The orchestration is also subtly varied, with the clarinets (and two horns) falling silent in variation one, and the oboes and second clarinet sitting out variation two. The clarinets again take center stage in variation three, where motives from the theme are expanded and recombined. The fourth is the obligatory minor mode variation, while the fifth and sixth vary the tempo. The first oboe dominates in variation five, while variation six moves to triple meter and returns to the full ensemble. The closing rondo, whose main theme somewhat resembles that of the previous movement, is festive in tone and simpler in texture, with numerous unison lines and homorhythmic passages. David Crean teaches organ at Wright State University and is music director for Discover Classical WDPR in Dayton, Ohio. He is a graduate of the C.V. Starr Doctoral Program at Juilliard and was the recipient of the 2014 Richard F. French Doctoral Prize. 4 Meet the Artist Jon Manasse Clarinetist Jon Manasse has appeared as a soloist with many of today’s leading orchestras and performed to critical acclaim in cultural centers including Paris, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Tokyo, Osaka, and London. Together with pianist Jon Nakamatsu, he tours as a member of the Manasse/ Nakamatsu Duo, whose Harmonia Mundi recording of Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas was designated by The New York Times as a best recording of 2008. Mr. Manasse has premiered many important works, including those of John Novacek and Paquito D’Rivera and, in 2009, Lowell Liebermann’s Clarinet Concerto. He has collaborated with numerous ensembles, including the Emerson, Escher, Tokyo, American, and Shanghai quartets. Formerly principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Mr. Manasse currently serves as principal clarinetist of the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Acclaimed recordings include Weber’s complete works for clarinet; concertos by Mozart, Nielsen, Copland, and James Cohn; and music of Mozart, Spohr, and Gershwin.