WATCH rte.ie/culture LISTEN RTÉ lyric fm GRIEG Holberg Suite TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra David Brophy conductor Presented by Paul Herriott, RTÉ lyric fm FRIDAY 6 NOVEMBER 2020, 7pm NATIONAL CONCERT HALL 1 Edvard Grieg 1843-1907 Holberg Suite for Strings, Op. 40 i. Praeludium ii. Sarabande iii. Gavotte iv. Air v. Rigaudon For over 400 years, Norway was dominated politically and culturally by Denmark: its official language was Danish and its capital city, today’s Oslo, was Kristiania. With the rise of nationalism throughout Europe in the late eighteenth century, independence movements began in many European countries which were subject to imperial control. Norway was no exception, and its chief cultural activists were the playwright Henrik Ibsen and the violinist Ole Bull, who happened to be Grieg’s uncle. Ibsen wrote in the Norwegian language, which was virtually unrecognised in cultural circles, and yet succeeded in putting his plays at the forefront of European drama. It is no accident that Grieg composed the incidental music for Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, and thus contributed to this cultural renaissance. Grieg’s music was predominantly nationalistic in character, with his piano concerto (written in 1868 when he was only twenty-five) evoking the spirit of Norway as surely as Sibelius’s music would perform the same function for Finland a generation later. However, Norway’s experience with Denmark was the principal source of this suite. It was commissioned in 1884, along with a cantata, to commemorate the bicentenary of Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754), who, although being a native of Grieg’s own birthplace, the town of Bergen, became a leading Danish-language playwright, earning the epithet “the Molière of the North”. 2 Since Holberg lived in the era of Bach and Handel, Grieg decided to make his suite for string orchestra a tribute to the eighteenth century; it is thus an early form of what came to be known as “neo-classicism” – a retrospective appreciation of eighteenth-century musical forms. Thirty-five years later, neo-classicism would reach its height in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella ballet. The work enabled Grieg to demonstrate his skill in producing strong sonorities from the strings, and a variety of moods in the various dances in the second, third and fifth movements. The strong sound in the opening “Praeludium” (a traditional opening movement for a Baroque suite) is matched by more gentle and delicate passages, before moving to the first dance, the “Sarabande” – originally a stately Spanish dance which Bach used often, for example in his cello suites, so it is no surprise to find Grieg writing here for solo celli. By contrast, the “Gavotte” was a French court dance into which Grieg incorporates a “musette”, another French dance which was accompanied by the bagpipes, which Grieg depicts in the “drone” of the lower strings. It is followed by an “Air” marked andante religioso, again calling for a solo cello in dialogue with the rest of the strings; written in the key of G minor, it suggests Bach’s famous Air on the G string. The final movement, the “Rigaudon”, is a French folk dance and Grieg evokes the liveliness of a peasant festival, while also reminding his listeners of the “Hardanger” traditional Norwegian fiddle. Listen for the solo violin and viola at the beginning. While Grieg’s cantata – designed to be sung outdoors at the new monument to Holberg – was, as he wryly predicted, rained off and is today forgotten (he said “What a way to die for one’s country!”) the “Holberg” Suite has become one of the world’s classic works for string orchestra and a testament to the hybrid cultural history of Norway. Note by Richard Pine © RTÉ 3 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840-1893 Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 i. Pezzo in forma di sonatina ii. Valse iii. Elégie iv. Finale (tema russo) There’s an ironic twist to this pairing of the work by Grieg and this Serenade by Tchaikovsky, written in 1880 (four years before the Grieg). Like Grieg, who was commissioned to write two works commemorating Holberg, Tchaikovsky was, in 1880, writing two works, one of which commemorated the great Russian poet Pushkin, which he disliked and did not expect to survive – it became the “1812 Overture”! The other work came to Tchaikovsky as a complete contrast to the overture, and like the Grieg it has a “neoclassical” character, since, as he told his patron, Nadezhda von Meck, it was inspired by the music of Mozart, whose Magic Flute opera he had recently encountered. This work, which he at first thought might evolve into a symphony or possibly a string quartet, came to him “from inner conviction”. Like the Holberg Suite, with its homage to Bach, Tchaikovsky’s work features prominent passages for the cello section. He wrote it in a period of six weeks at the end of 1880 and it was performed publicly in St Petersburg a year later. The opening section, written “in the form of a little sonata”, is a chorale-like tune which will re-appear with terrific effect in the finale. The second movement, the waltz, has become one of Tchaikovsky’s best known works in its own right, adopted for many television programmes and films. Where Mozart would have written a minuet, Tchaikovsky’s waltz provides the same level of agility and yet elegance. 4 The “Elégie”, as its title suggests, is an emotional and lyrical movement typical of Tchaikovsky at his most heartfelt. It’s noticeable for the way the string sound fades out towards the end, creating an almost ghostly effect. The finale requires the players to “mute” their strings – that is, to attach to the bridge of the strings a small clip which dampens the sound of the instrument. They play a Russian folk-song (the “tema russo”) which suddenly gives way to a vigorous dance tune. But then Tchaikovsky plays his ace card, and re- introduces the chorale from the opening of the Serenade, using it as a counterpoint to the dance tune, pushing the work faster and faster towards its vigorous conclusion. Note by Richard Pine © RTÉ 5 David Brophy conductor David Brophy was born in Dublin and is a graduate of the Technological University Dublin and Trinity College Dublin. Following further studies in Ireland, England and Holland, he was appointed Apprentice Conductor with Chamber Choir Ireland and subsequently became the first appointee to take the position of Assistant Conductor with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. A former Principal Conductor of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, David now enjoys a close relationship with both RTÉ orchestras in addition to regular appearances as guest conductor with the Ulster Orchestra. His career has seen him conduct throughout Europe, Africa, the United States, Canada and China. David has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed soloists, among them Tasmin Little, Julian Bliss, Barry Douglas, Sir Willard White, Martin Fröst, Lesley Garret, Sir James Galway, Lang Lang, Danielle de Niese, Nicola Benedetti, Kim Criswell, Daniel Hope, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Chloë Hanslip and Carolin Widmann. He has conducted across Europe with recent engagements taking him to Spain (Orquesta Nacional Clásica de Andorra and Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia) and Finland (Oulu Symphony Orchestra), while other appearances overseas have included performances at New York’s Lincoln Center with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and at London’s Barbican Centre as part of their Silent Film & Live Music series, alongside his début with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia in the Fabulous Beast Stravinsky double-bill (The Rite of Spring and Petrushka) at Sadler’s Wells. Most recent overseas engagements have seen him début with some of America’s finest orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington D.C. 6 His work with specialist new music ensembles, among them Vox 21 and Crash Ensemble, has led to numerous first performances including the Irish premiere of Steve Reich’s Music for Eighteen Musicians, alongside recent world premieres of arrangements by Nico Muhly for traditional Irish singer, Iarla Ó Lionáird. David’s operatic work has led to wide acclaim, partnering Lyric Opera Productions, Opera Theatre Company, Opera Ireland, Glasthule Opera and Northern Ireland Opera, notably in their acclaimed partnership with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, directing Handel’s Radamisto. His recent debut at Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires) – conducting the South American premiere of Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire – has also garnered widespread critical acclaim. Beyond the realm of strictly musical performances, David has regularly collaborated in concert with numerous actors, including Brendan Gleeson, Fiona Shaw, Stephen Rae, Patrick Bergin and Adrian Dunbar and has worked on films directed by Neil Jordan and Stephen Frears. David has worked closely with numerous singer/songwriters, among them Eleanor McEvoy, Paul Brady, Brian Kennedy and Declan O’Rourke, composers including Shaun Davey, Neil Martin, Bill Whelan, Arvo Pärt, David Fennessy, Nico Muhly, Donnacha Dennehy and Gavin Bryars and traditional musicians, including Altan, Liam O’Flynn, Sharon Corr, Máirtín O’Connor, Lúnasa, The Chieftains, Clannad, Rita Connolly, Carlos Núñez, Sharon Shannon and Martin Hayes. His all-embracing musical tastes have also witnessed collaborations with U2, Sinéad O’Connor, Jon Lord (Deep Purple), Duke Special, Celtic Thunder, Nathan Carter, Daniel O’Donnell, Imelda May, Jack L, Phil Coulter, The Coronas, Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy), Father John Misty, Eddi Reader (Fairground Attraction), Marti Pellow (Wet Wet Wet) and Midge Ure (Ultravox, Band Aid). He has appeared at all major festivals in Ireland, most notably with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra at the Electric Picnic, and has conducted at the Proms in the Park with the Ulster Orchestra as part of the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms.