PROGRAM NOTES
PROGRAM NOTES
THE PATHÉTIQUE SYMPHONY
Maximilian Franz
FROM THE PODIUM by Jonathon Heyward
The theme for this program is scope . We have Grace-Evangeline Mason with an incredibly large , landscape approach , paired with the intrinsic language of Xavier Foley . We zoom back out a bit with the Tchaikovsky , which complements because it has an immense ability to be inner and an immense ability to be outer . I very rarely do a program with two living composers on the first half , which is really exciting ; whether a work is traditional or new , you can approach both with curiosity .
Xavier and I premiered this double bass concerto last season with the Atlanta Symphony . While revisiting the piece , Xavier has taken on some of my suggestions for additions and has made his own edits to the work . It is an extraordinary privilege to be a part of this amazing concerto ’ s development . Xavier is pushing the boundaries of what a bass can do . He ’ s also exploring the concept of soul , and how that fusion of soul and classical combines . I ’ m so pleased to be able to bring this work to Baltimore .
As I step into the role of music director in Fall 2023 , it will be a continuation of what I ’ ve already been doing with the orchestra : a lot of listening , getting to know them and our lovely spaces , and developing great classical music . I hope audiences take away from this performance that we are so interested in voices of the future and that investment is so important and crucial to my vision of what we present at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra . I look forward to our journey with excitement and anticipation .
Jonathon Heyward
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
BY KORI HILL
Grace-Evangeline Mason
Born : October 1994
THE IMAGINED FOREST [ 2021 ]
A piece to mark the 150 th anniversary of London ’ s globally renowned Royal Albert Hall . What should it sound like ? And who would compose it ? Together , BBC Radio 3 and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra approached British Grace-Evangeline Mason . The result ? The Imagined Forest , a sonic collage that manifests the ethereal and corporeal of an intimate dreamscape . The work was premiered at the BBC Proms by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic in Fall 2021 .
Mason has been described as the “ face to watch ,” her works programmed by fixtures of Britain ’ s classical music scene , herself the recipient of numerous awards , like the 2013 BBC Young Composer of the Year and the 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize . Through a short vlog on her YouTube channel , Mason takes listeners behind the scenes of the Royal Liverpool ’ s preparation . Segments of The Imagined Forest serve as soundtrack , reflecting a work that is atmospheric , rich , and ideal for individual interpretation . As Mason writes on her website , “ The piece is inspired by the work of Clare Celeste Börsch , a Berlin-based artist who uses collage techniques to build imagined worlds filled with foliage and fauna … Both music and art are fascinating in that countless people can all be experiencing the same work at once and yet , through the lens of their own influence , encounter a completely different artwork . This piece is therefore not a prescriptive experience but is instead a fictional journey ; whether it is blooming with flora , captivated by colour , or an airy garden darkened by storm , it is the forest of your own imagination .”
Instrumentation Three flutes , three oboes , three clarinets , three bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , tom toms , suspended cymbal , bass drum , vibraphone , whip , glockenspiel , chimes , marimba , harp , and strings .
Xavier Foley
August 9 , 1995 in Marietta , Ga
“ SOUL BASS ” CONCERTO [ 2022 ]
“ If one note is out , it ’ s unbalanced .” That ’ s what American composer Xavier Foley shared in a Behind the Curtain segment with conductor Jonathon Heyward and Atlanta Symphony ’ s Hilan Warshaw . The topic was Foley ’ s “ Soul Bass ” Concerto , an ASO commission premiered by the composer , Heyward , and the Atlanta Symphony in 2022 .
Foley has been a new generation fixture for more than a decade . He won first prize in the junior ( 2009 ) and senior ( 2011 ) divisions of the International Society Bassist Competition and first prize in the 2014 Sphinx Competition . He has taken his artistry to Carnegie Hall , the Philadelphia and Nashville Orchestras ; performed with the Sphinx Virtuosi ; and is an alum of the Curtis Institute of Music .
If Foley ’ s practice had a motto , it would be “ to create is to perform ”. The man is particular ; he comes with an expectation for accuracy , tied to an expectation of fidelity in presentation , technique , and expression ( note : he also makes double bass bows ).
The snippets of “ Soul Bass ” currently available suggest a piece that is brash and fun . Bass techniques from jazz , classical , and blues weave together with a consonant harmonic texture . It is incredibly virtuosic , Foley flying up and down the fingerboard with confidence and exuberance . Listeners are lucky ; you get to hear a piece in its early stages , where a performance practice is being developed , guided by the composer himself . History in the making .
Instrumentation Two flutes , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , trombone , timpani , bass drum , cowbell , suspended cymbal , maracas , snare drum , triangle , cymbals , glockenspiel , and strings . Soloist : Double Bass .
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Born : May 7 , 1840 , Votkinsk , Russia Died : November 6 , 1893 , Saint Petersburg , Russia
SYMPHONY NO . 6 , “ PATHÉTIQUE ” [ 1893 ]
Best be clear : Tchaikovsky did not write the “ Pathétique ” as a prelude to suicide . The composer ’ s choice to drink cold , un-boiled water in
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