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Four Seasons of Allegro
July 9 2005, 7:30 at the Barshinger Center (2005 Schedule)
The fourth season of Allegro , The Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster …..” The Four Seasons of Allegro” , WOW! You've got to love these thematic gems of conductor, Dr. Brian Norcross. Actually the whole concept of the changing seasons makes one ponder on life's timeline: birth, growth, maturing, death. Our July repertoire list will explore the amazingly prolific “Red Priest” (Vivaldi), the youthful and declining “Boy Genius” (Mozart), and our favorite “Tortured Liberator of Humanity” (Beethoven). It is the hope of the Allegro Chamber Orchestra that you, the listener, will find rebirth and growth through tonight's concert.
Egmont Overture, Opus 84 by Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827 )
“His talent amazed me. However, unfortunately, he is an utterly untamed personality”
-Goethe's first impressions of Beethoven“Goethe delights far too much in the court atmosphere, far more than is becoming in a poet.”
–Beethoven's first impressions of Goethe
Maybe face to face first impressions are over-rated; let's look at the scenario behind the creation of this overture. German poet and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe writes a drama, Egmont , based on a real historical figure of the 16 th century. The theme involves Flemish revolt against the invading Spanish rule of the Netherlands. Our martyred hero and devout Catholic, Egmont, protests the cruel persecution of the Protestants of his country by their Spanish rulers. Egmont's public beheading leads to Flemish outrage, open rebellion and their eventual freedom from the Spanish yoke. This plot is right up Beethoven's alley as seen in the composer's quote, “I am an upholder of unlimited liberty and national independence.” Goethe requested Mr. Beethoven to write incidental music for his play and it is recorded that the composer was so impressed with the play that he refused to take payment for his music. Why would this 16 th century plot so engage a 19 th century composer? We must remember that Vienna was under French occupation in 1809 so Beethoven could readily relate to a plot of liberated humanity and national independence.
Beethoven's Egmont Overture directly introduces the main characters of the play and prepares the audience for the themes ahead; Egmont's strength of character, Klärchen's love for him, the proclamation of victory of the Netherlanders. The violins will open with a stirring theme, suggesting the strength and nobility of Egmont, our liberator of the Netherlands from Spanish domination. Beethoven next represents the Spanish oppressors through the usage of a slow dance-like rhythmic dance (in f minor) originating in 16 th century Spain. The answering theme in the winds is associated with the spirit of the Flemish people, as well as with Egmont's true love. These two themes battle throughout the piece, until Egmont's life comes to its abrupt end when he is beheaded by the violins…. not literally . The end of Egmont's life is not the end of the story though, and the overture concludes with a stirring hymn to the eventual triumph of liberty.
The Four Seasons, Opus 8, Concertos Nos. 1-4 by Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
The story goes that Vivaldi, “The Red Priest” was saying Mass one day and a theme for a fugue suddenly came to his mind. He immediately left the altar to the surprise of the congregation, hastened into the sacristy to write it down, and, having done so, returned to finish his job as celebrant of the Mass. For this misdemeanor he was brought before the Inquisition; but the fault having been considered as an aberration of genius, he received no further punishment than a prohibition from saying Mass for the future. When you write over 500 concerti and hundreds of vocal works (including 49 operas), ideas must be flowing at all times of the day and night. Vivaldi spent most of his career as music master at a girl's orphanage in Venice, thoroughly mastering the genre of concerto writing to the extent that he once claimed he could write one faster than a copyist could write out the parts.
Published as the first four works in a set of twelve concerti entitled “The trial of harmony and invention”, in which the composer pushes the limits of standard harmonic practice, the Four Seasons stand as one of the earliest examples of program music. At their original publication, each concerto was accompanied by a sonnet, most likely written by Vivaldi himself, describing the scenes prevalent in each of the four seasons. Let me give you some examples of the text used by Vivaldi to aid in your understanding and enjoyment of the piece.
Spring
I. “Spring has come and with it gaiety, the birds salute it with joyous song.”
II. “Then does the meadow, in full flower, ripple with its leafy plants.”
III. “Rejoicing in the pastoral bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds dance, in love.”
Summer
I. “Under the heavy season of a burning sun, man languishes, his herd wilts, the pine is parched.”
II. “His weary limbs have no repose, goaded by his fear of lightning and wild thunder; while gnats and flies in furious swarms surround him.”
III. “Alas, his fears prove all too grounded, thunder and lightning split the heavens, and hail-stones slice the top of the corn and other grain.”
Autumn
I. “The country-folk celebrate, with dance and song, the joy of the gathering a bountiful harvest. With Bacchus's liquor, quaffed liberally, their joy finishes in slumber.”
II. “Each one renounces dance and song. The mild air is pleasant and the season invites ever increasingly to savor a sweet slumber.”
III. “The hunters at dawn go to the hunt, with horns and guns and dogs they sally forth, the beasts flee, their trail is followed.”
Winter
I. ”Frozen and trembling among the chilly snow, our teeth chatter with the frightful cold.”
II. “We move to the fire and contented peace, while the rain outside pours in sheets.”
III. ”Now we walk on the ice, with slow steps, attentive how we walk, for fear of falling. This is winter, but such that it brings joy.”
Tonight's performance of The Four Seasons features Allegro's concertmaster, Bryan Rose on violin. I recently caught up with Bryan to ask him a few questions about this particular solo opportunity.
D.A. : Have you ever played the solo part to “The Four Seasons” before tonight ?
B.R. : I've only ever performed the 1 st & 3 rd movements of Spring and Autumn.
D.A. : How long was your preparation for this piece?
B.R.: I've been working on the whole thing for about one month.
D.A. : What are some of the more challenging parts of this work?
B.R. : Probably everyone would guess the fast movements of Summer and Winter , and yes, those are technically hard. But don't be fooled by thinking that the slow sustained movements are simple….they require concentration and control.
D.A. : Is there anything unique about playing Vivaldi?
B.R.: Because Vivaldi was a virtuosic violinist himself, his writing really fits into the hands well. Vivaldi takes a bad rap when people say that all of his music sounds the same. I find The Four Seasons to be unique with contrasting moods and emotions.
D.A. : As we watch you perform tonight on the stage, what do you want us to know about Bryan Rose?
B.R. : My emphasis this evening is on doing justice to the music itself…..and I'm really looking forward to performing for the Allegro audience.
Symphony No. 32 in G Major, K . 318 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Mozart had left for Paris with his mother in 1778, with the intention of establishing himself in one of Europe's great cultural centers. Apart from one ballet, he found few commissions and to his sorrow, his mother died during the trip. Returning to Salzburg in January of 1779, Wolfgang was appointed court musician with responsibilities including organist, supervisor of the choirboys and composing both sacred and secular music. One of the compositions for court usage was tonight's Symphony 32 , subtitled “overture in Italian style” (fast-slow-fast). Most likely this work was used in both concert and theatre settings. Symphony 32 begins conventionally enough, with a pair of brilliant opening themes stated and then developed. The style is that of a blustering opera overture: a signal in Mozart's day for unruly patrons to sit down and be quiet! ( In an effort to make tonight's performance more “authentic”, audience members are asked to behave quite unruly for Lancaster County standards -just kidding, but I would someday like to witness the “taming of the Allegro patrons” by a good old Mozart overture). At the moment when we would expect a full recapitulation (review) of the opening material, there is a brief pause, and then a lovely triple-meter Andante. After this interlude, Mozart rather abruptly gives a full re-statement of the opening themes, with the original theme reserved until the very end.
Overture to La Clemenza di Tito, K.621 by Mozart
Our friend Mozart was certainly in the “winter” of his life when he penned this particular overture. After all, the composer conducted the first performance of his opera La Clemenza di Tito on September 6, 1791 and he died later that year on December 5 th . A commissioned work for Mozart, this particular opera was originally performed during royal festivities commemorating the coronation of Leopold II in Prague, crowned the King of Bohemia. At the time, the opera itself was poorly received and was long regarded as inferior to Mozart's other mature operas. That verdict has been reversed in recent years. The score, though written hastily during the composer's last summer, contains stirring numbers. Not the least of these is the overture on tonight's program. Mozart dispenses with the customary slow introduction, plunging directly into the ceremonious fanfare that becomes the principal theme. A contrasting second subject, featuring pairs of woodwinds, provides a perfect foil, and the development and reprise of these ideas make for a stirring prelude.
Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K.385-“Haffner” by Mozart
“Well I must spend the night over it for that is the only way, and to you, dearest father, I sacrifice it. You may rely on having something from me by every post. I shall work as fast as possible and, as far as haste permits, I shall write something good.”
- W.A. Mozart (1782)
What else can you say to your dad when he requests a favor beyond belief? Leopold's friend, Siegmund Haffner was to be elevated into nobility in a grand ceremony ten days hence and the father was asking the young composer-genius for a Serenade for the ceremonial reception/party. No matter that Mozart was up to his neck in other obligations, or that his personal life was in its all-too-typical shambles. He came through with six movements of delightful music, which he christened as a Serenade. Not surprisingly, Haffner was pleased with the music. But Mozart was not, exactly. Upon the return of the music to Wolfgang, he eliminated two movements-a minuet, and a march-and re-christened the work a Symphony. In several respects, notably the lovely character of the slow movement and the pastoral Menuetto, the Symphony shows its roots as a Serenade. But “ The Haffner Symphony ” nevertheless boasts a perfect balance in its revamped structure, with the first movement, an Allegro con spirito based on a single musical theme, balanced by a brilliant and very fast Rondo as the last movement.
So there you have it, The Four Seasons of Allegro! Please join us again in August as we take a short sabbatical from Mozart but revisit Mr. Beethoven and his Piano Concerto No. 4, featuring Matthew Graybil on piano. And of course it's been way too long since Allegro last tackled J.S. Bach and one of his Brandenburgs…..we'll have No. 4 for you. The August Allegro Concert (8/13/05) will climax with a Haydn Symphony that stirs one's imagination by suggesting both the drone of bagpipes and possibly the growl of a “Bear”…..Oh My!
Doug Albert