CAL PERFORMANCES PRESENTS PROGRAM Saturday, January 23, 2010, 8pm Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1701–1775) Symphony for Strings in G major (JC 39) First Congregational Church Allegro Tempo di minuetto Grave Europa Galante Presto Fabio Biondi, director & violin Pietro Nardini (1722–1793) Concerto for Violin in A major, Op. 1, No. 1 Allegro Adagio PROGRAM Allegro assai Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, Op. 6, No. 11 Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) Ouverture à quatre in F major (Schwerin manuscript) Preludio Andante largo Ouverture Allemanda allegro P a s s e t e m p s Andante largo Sarabande Sarabanda largo Rigaudon I–II Giga vivace Rondeau Polonaise Chasse Pietro Locatelli (1695–1764) Concerto Grosso in D major, Op. 1, No. 5 Largo Telemann Concerto for Flute, Violin, Cello and Strings in Allegro A major (TWV53:A2) Largo Allegro Largo Allegro Gratioso Allegro Cal Performances’ 2009–2010 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. INTERMISSION Sightlines Saturday, January 23, 2010, 7pm First Congregational Church Pre-performance talk by Professor Kate van Orden, UC Berkeley Department of Music. This talk is free to all event ticket holders. 20 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 21 PROGRAM NOTES PROGRAM NOTES Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) words written in 1718 may seem strange to us, sections became larger independent movements, Tuscan Grand Ducal chapel in Florence as solo Ouverture à quatre in F major considering the 170 concertos with which he let but still part of a cycle called a sinfonia. Around violinist in 1768, but soon became music director. “currents of fresh air” into German instrumental 1730, some Italian composers, notably Giovanni Nardini concertized until the 1790s, often at royal One of the world wonders of musical fertility was music. At once, we recognize Telemann’s light, gal- Battista Sammartini, began to compose inde- or princely residences. Georg Philipp Telemann. His skill and speed of ant style of phrasing—short-breathed compared pendent works following the sinfonia model. The His playing as well as his compositions exhibit- composition were widely known in his own time. to J. S. Bach. There is also the adventurousness in orchestra remained a small opera-theater-size group ed passion and sensitivity rather than empty display. Like Schubert and other extremely prolific com- tone color. While Vivaldi wrote a great many con- of strings with harpsichord. The hypercritical violinist Leopold Mozart (father posers, Telemann eventually had difficulty recall- certos for different instruments, Telemann experi- The G major Sinfonia’s very energetic first of Wolfgang Amadeus) even grudgingly gave him ing all that he had written. However, in contradis- mented with combining dissimilar instruments movement is based on only a few contrasting ideas. backhanded compliments with the words: tinction to Schubert, Telemann was ranked as a (such as horn and violin) in the same work. Perhaps The first, announced at the beginning, is a rum- The beauty, purity and equality of his master by his contemporaries but judged by pos- Telemann’s rejection of the “learned” style of com- bling, cascading bass line topped by sharp, stab- tone, and the tastefulness of his cantabile terity to be shallow and too facile. Not that these position and his indifference to the concerto form bing chords in the violins. Immediately, another playing, cannot be surpassed; but he does features were unusual in the 18th century. In fact, gave him just the right amount of freedom needed idea follows, actually a string of short melodic ideas not execute great difficulties. His compo- for certain types of music too much depth would to write fresh, entertaining concertos. linked together. Sammartini subsequently devel- sitions are marked by vivacity, grace, and have been a distinct handicap. This triple concerto was originally included ops and restates all of this. sweet sentimentality, but he has neither the The general lightness of Telemann’s music is in the first series (1733) of what Telemann titled The Grave movement that follows is scarcely a depth of feeling, the grand pathos, nor the due in part to his attraction to French rococo style. Tafelmusik (“table music”), pleasant background movement at all. Rather, it resembles an operatic concentrated energy of his master Tartini. This comes out particularly in his Ouverturen, or music for fancy dining or banquets. Its qual- recitative designed as a bridge between two more Nardini composed both orchestral and cham- French overtures. The models for these go back to ity, however, is far above ordinary 18th-century significant movements. ber works. For the violin, he published 25 sonatas the court of Louis XIV and its brilliant compos- Muzak. The first movement, for example, gives us It was usual with the early sinfonia that the fina- and about 10 concertos. The earliest concertos were er, Jean-Baptiste Lully. In line with French taste, charming and engaging solos from all three solo le is either a quick, dancelike movement or a minu- composed around 1760, and six were published in Lully’s operas were full of instrumental dances, instruments and the flute-violin combination. The et. The unusual thing about the G majorSinfonia is 1764 as Op. 1. Biographer Maria Teresa Dellaborra and, outside of operatic performances, this music rugged, energetic second movement shows off the that both of these types are used (an early anticipa- tells us that Nardini’s listeners tended to disagree took life in the form of suites of dance movements. soloists’ virtuosic side with idiomatic solos alter- tion of the four-movement symphony). The third with Leopold Mozart: Usually, the opening movement is a French ouver- nating with full-orchestra statements of the main movement is a quick gigue-style essay with a va- According to Schubart, he managed to ture, formed in two large, repeated sections: the theme. A pastoral flavor pervades the third move- riety of ideas in the upper strings— some of them move even the most insensitive listeners first majestic with marked rhythms; the second ment, marked Gratioso. We hear more from the sounding like an animated, exciting dialogue with by the deep emotions expressed so effort- lively and fugal, but often ending with a return to cello here than previously, although the flute still the lower strings. The final Minuetto (which might lessly and naturally. His compositions, ac- the majestic spirit of the opening section. After the predominates, as before. The final Allegro com- alternately be performed before the Grave) is polite cordingly, combine two traits typical of the ouverture, a loosely organized suite of dances in the bines the charm of the opening movement with the and courtly. It is to be repeated, adding plenty of Italian style in the 18th century: cantabile same key would follow. An entire suite of this type strong rhythms of the second, yet the music is all flourishes and ornaments in its melodies, to bring and passionate writing in slow movements took the generic title of Ouverture. new. Here, a rivalry between flute and solo violin is this sinfonia to a decorative close. and fluency in fast ones. Telemann composed more than 130 ouver- engaged, creating some courtly fireworks at times. tures, popularizing the form in Germany. Several The concluding thematic statement gives us a final of these exist in multiple versions, because local reminder of the vast imagination pervading all of Pietro Nardini (1722–1793) Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) aggregations of musicians often required chang- Telemann’s music. Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 1, No. 1 Concerto Grosso in B-flat major, ing the instrumentation. The present version of the Op. 6, No. 11 Ouverture in F major was found in the archives of At a time when virtuoso players were beginning to the court at Schwerin, Germany. Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1701–1775) wow their listeners with thrilling acrobatics and The harmony is so pure, so rich, and so grate- Sinfonia in G major (JC 39) tricks, Pietro Nardini was a voice of moderation ful; the parts are so whole, from a large band, and genuineness. Born in Livorno, Nardini showed so majestic, solemn, and sublime, that they Telemann The form we call the symphony had its origins such prodigious talent that he was accepted as a preclude all criticism, and make us forget Concerto in A major for Flute, Violin, in Italian opera. Around 1700, these operas typi- student of the Giuseppe (“Devil’s Trill”) Tartini at that there is any other Music of the same kind Cello and Strings (TWV 53:A2) cally opened with an orchestral movement called age 12. He quickly became Tartini’s prize pupil. existing.—Charles Burney, 1776 a sinfonia. It consisted of three short contrasting Nardini travelled extensively, sometimes taking a “I must admit that since the concerto form was sections: fast–slow–fast. A sinfonia could eas- position with a princely orchestra, but also giving These words, written about Arcangelo Corelli’s never close to my heart, it was immaterial to me ily be detached from its opera and performed or private and public concerts. Finally, he returned to concerti grossi some 64 years after their publication, whether I wrote a great many or not.” Telemann’s published independently. Gradually, the three his own country, where he was appointed to the attest to the high regard that musicians around 22 CAL PERFORMANCES CAL PERFORMANCES 23 PROGRAM NOTES ORCHESTRA ROSTER Corelli’s time held the composer and this group of Pietro Locatelli (1695–1764) EUROPA GALANTE works. The 12 concertos must have been special to Concerto Grosso in D major, Op. 1, No. 5 the composer as well. There is evidence that they were performed in the 1690s, yet Corelli continued As a composer, Pietro Locatelli has been called polishing them, not allowing them to be published the “Paganini of the 18th century.” That reputa- during his lifetime.