CHAN 10298 Booklet cover 9/13/05 12:19 PM Page 1 CHAN 10298 CHANDOS Returning Waves A Sorrowful Tale Episode at a Masquerade BBC Philharmonic Gianandrea Noseda CHAN 10298 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:16 pm Page 2 Mieczysl/aw Karl/owicz (1876–1909) Returning Waves, Op. 9 24:00 Symphonic poem 1 Andante – 4:25 2 [Andante] – 2:02 3 Andante assai – 5:36 4 Andantino – 6:35 5 Andante 5:22 6 A Sorrowful Tale, Op. 13 10:19 (Preludes to Eternity) Lento lugubre – Moderato assai – Tempo I – Moderato giocoso – Tempo I Episode at a Masquerade, Op. 14 25:00 Symphonic poem 7 Allegro maestoso – Molto agitato – A tempo – Andante – 6:52 8 Molto lento – 7:54 9 Andante – 1:47 10 Allegro maestoso – Molto agitato – Molto largamente – 3:47 11 Molto lento 4:39 TT 59:39 BBC Philharmonic Yuri Torchinsky leader Gianandrea Noseda Mieczyslaw⁄ Karlowicz⁄ 3 CHAN 10298 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:16 pm Page 4 by step, while the work’s tonal scheme revolves subtitle – Preludes to Eternity – hint at the Karl/owicz: Returning Waves and other works almost entirely around mediant relationships. consolation of Nirvana already expressed in The main sections are linked by transitional Eternal Songs. Uncharacteristically, Karlowicz⁄ material featuring a fanfare, initially on trumpet, initially wished to introduce a gunshot at the The Polish composer Mieczyslaw⁄ Karlowicz⁄ his torpor as he gazed at ‘lifeless ice crystals which clearly denotes the onset of the climax. In fact, as early as the second (1876–1909) finished the first of his six on the window pane’, coincidentally an image subject’s recollections. Here the music is performance in Vienna, he replaced this crude symphonic poems, Powracaja˛ce fale, Op. 9 which concords with that used by Turgenev, marked by use of the most disruptive tonal naturalistic effect with a fortissimo stroke on (Returning Waves), in 1904. With it, he Karlowicz’s⁄ favourite writer, in An Unhappy procedures, notably successions of parallel the tam-tam, as now indicated in the established the melancholy tone characteristic Girl, a story in which unrequited love leads the augmented triads, extreme chromaticism and published score. His quest for what he of much of his mature work, the nature of his heroine to take her own life. The memories exploitation of the whole-tone scale. described as instrumental ‘pyrotechnics’ was, preoccupations here emerging in a description which flow ‘with extraordinary force’ over A Sorrowful Tale was composed between however, symptomatic of a move towards a of its programmatic content provided at the Karlowicz’s⁄ subject concern a young woman, April and July 1908, possibly in response to more intense style that verges on the time of composition for the musicologist Adolf the happiness she seemed to promise, and her the suicide of the dramatist Jozafat Nowi´nski, expressionistic, evident in extreme contrasts of Chybi´nski: eventual rejection of him. Undoubtedly, the for whom Karlowicz⁄ had provided incidental tone-colour and the often tonally Amongst the thoughts of a man unmercifully composer was inspired, at least in part, by his music for The White Dove. The ‘content’ of indeterminate and markedly dissonant idiom. buffeted by fate and now approaching the end of own unhappy amatory experiences. A Sorrowful Tale was published in an article by More concentrated than the earlier poems, his days, recollections suddenly return of the Returning Waves has been played less the journalist Ignacy Chabielski, who A Sorrowful Tale consists of two large springtime of his life […]. One after another frequently over the years, and Karlowicz⁄ interviewed the composer in connection with sections, the second being a development of pictures pass before him. But everything fades, himself preferred the texturally simpler and the first performance of the work. Here it is the first. The basic material for each section and bitterness and sadness again grasp hold of technically less demanding Eternal Songs to be described as a free-formed poem which depicts consists first of darkly hued chords for the tired soul. performed if rehearsal time was limited. In the psychology of a suicidal man […] in whose divided strings leading to the main theme on Shortly before his death in February 1909, broad terms, the work consists of an mind the thought of suicide has arisen. […] it clarinets, and subsequently a sinister line on Karlowicz⁄ published a fuller programme. introduction and four main sections, the first slowly permeates his mind […] and leads to a bassoons and clarinets accompanied by string Appearing soon after the first performance of and last in A minor framing love music in the struggle between the desire for life, which recalls tremolandi. Textural and tonal modifications of Smutna Opowie´s´c, Op. 13 (A Sorrowful Tale), distant key of G flat major, and a waltz which visions of beautiful moments from the past, and the main theme in the later stages of the work an explicit portrayal of a suicidal state of starts in A major before rapidly moving off into the idée fixe of suicide. […] the latter is hint at those Dante-like recurring visions of mind, it seemed to add credence to the various keys. This section of the poem, victorious: the shot is fired […] in elation the man past happiness in times of misery which form unfounded story that Karlowicz⁄ contrived his depicting hedonistic abandon, contains clear slowly falls into a state of ever-deepening a stark contrast with the chilling nihilism of own death in a skiing accident. In this version echoes of Richard Strauss, the one unconsciousness, into nothingness. the work’s final bars. of the programme, the composer referred to contemporary composer for whom Karlowicz⁄ Though A Sorrowful Tale continues and Composition of A Sorrowful Tale the subject’s lack of will preventing him from had unqualified admiration. The work is unified ‘completes’ the narrative of Returning Waves, interrupted work on Epizod na maskaradzie, ‘cutting the ribbon of his life’. It also spoke of by its frequent use of a three-note cell, rising the final words of the programme and the Op. 14 (Episode at a Masquerade), Karlowicz’s⁄ 4 5 CHAN 10298 BOOK.qxd 14/9/06 2:16 pm Page 6 final poem, started in February 1908 but left broke off four bars into the recapitulation, and BBC Philharmonic’s first ever orchestras), Principal Guest Conductor of the unfinished at his death. It was completed only in the later stages Fitelberg introduced some Composer/Conductor and was succeeded in Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in 1913 by the conductor and composer, strikingly original features, most notably the 2000 by James MacMillan. (1999–2003), Principal Guest Conductor of Grzegorz Fitelberg (1879 –1953). There are closing passage of the work with its the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI conflicting accounts as to the nature of its fragmentary references to the theme of the Gianandrea Noseda has earned an and Artistic Director of the international content. According to Chybi´nski, the work central episode in the unrelated key of G. international reputation as an outstanding festival Settimane Musicali di Stresa. concerned an encounter between former lovers conductor. He was born in Milan where he Gianandrea Noseda has worked with opera in the midst of a ‘riotous, boisterous, dionysian © 2005 Alistair Wightman began his musical studies in piano, companies such as Los Angeles Opera and but banal’ masquerade. Painful recollections of composition and conducting, later attending The Metropolitan Opera, New York, and has their past love revive, and their feelings for one Universally recognised as one of Britain’s conducting courses elsewhere in Italy and in appeared with international orchestras such as another are rekindled. Alas, they are ‘torn apart finest orchestras, the BBC Philharmonic is Vienna. After winning international the New York Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony by the whirlwind of hideous ballroom activity’, based in Manchester where it performs competitions in 1994 he was invited to make Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony and never meet again. Fitelberg, however, regularly in the magnificent Bridgewater Hall, his debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, remarked on the existence of a fragment of while also touring all over the world and Milano Giuseppe Verdi. He has subsequently Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Oslo text on Karlowicz’s⁄ sketch which throws a recording programmes for BBC Radio 3. It has held appointments as Principal Guest Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Chamber different light on the subject: built an international reputation for Conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre, home of Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and the SHE (aloud): I do not know you… outstanding quality and committed the Kirov Opera and Ballet in St Petersburg, Orchestre national de France. Since September (undertone) Go!… What is passed will not performances over an immensely wide-ranging Principal Conductor of the Orquestra de 2002 he has been Principal Conductor of the return… Do you hear? Go – Forget…! repertoire. Gianandrea Noseda became Cadaqués (a Spanish ensemble consisting of BBC Philharmonic, and since 2003 is an Other commentators have plausibly claimed Principal Conductor in September 2002 when musicians from European symphony exclusive artist of Chandos. that the work is based on Turgenev’s short Yan Pascal Tortelier, who had been Principal story Three Meetings, in which the narrator Conductor from 1991, became Conductor encounters a woman distraught at the sight of Laureate. Vassily Sinaisky is the orchestra’s a former lover in the midst of a ball. Whatever Principal Guest Conductor, and Sir Edward the origins of the poem, Fitelberg’s completion Downes (Principal Conductor 1980–91) is provides a convincing solution, albeit one that Conductor Emeritus. The BBC Philharmonic has goes beyond Karlowicz’s⁄ usual creative worked with many distinguished conductors parameters.