PROGRAM NOTES
DVOŘÁK ’ S SYMPHONY NO . 7
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
BY PAULA MAUST
Carlos Simon
Born January 1986 in Washington , D . C .
FATE NOW CONQUERS [ 2020 ]
When composing Fate Now Conquers , Carlos Simon endeavored to connect with Ludwig van Beethoven ’ s music on a more personal level by reading his journals . Simon was particularly inspired by this quotation from the Iliad in Beethoven ’ s 1815 notebook : “ But Fate now conquers ; I am hers ; and yet not she shall share ; In my renown ; that life is left to every noble spirit , And that some great deed shall beget that all lives shall inherit .” Simon draws on musical elements from Beethoven ’ s Symphony No . 7 , including a rhythmic motif from the opening of the second movement . The sound of fate knocking is presented in the timpani and lower strings , while jolting stabs in the upper strings and winds morph into free-flowing passages indicative of life ’ s unpredictability . Simon is currently the Composer-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center and was a recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence . A native of Atlanta , he has been commissioned by numerous major orchestras and opera companies across the United States , and The Washington Post describes him as “ an artist whose windows are thrown wide open to the world , and whose musical scope of late lands like a grand panorama of American life .”
Instrumentation Two flutes including piccolo , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , timpani , and strings .
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Born January 27 , 1756 in Salzburg , Austria Died December 5 , 1791 in Vienna , Austria
PIANO CONCERTO NO . 24 [ 1786 ]
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ’ s Piano Concerto No . 24 was premiered in April 1786 at the Viennese Burgtheater , with the composer himself playing the solo part and conducting the orchestra from the keyboard . With a first movement that defies numerous harmonic and structural conventions and an imaginative orchestration that prominently features the winds , one can see why Johannes Brahms asserted that this concerto was a “ masterpiece of art and full of inspired ideas .” Mozart ’ s experimentation with instrumental timbres , especially his use of both oboes and clarinets , is one of the defining sonic features of the piece .
The extensive first movement of this concerto repeatedly thwarts expectations . All 12 chromatic pitches are present in the opening theme , which does not confirm the home key until measure 13 . In most Mozart concertos , the orchestral exposition serves to introduce the soloist ’ s thematic material . When the soloist enters in this movement , however , an 18-measure passage of new thematic material is stated before the main theme from the orchestral exposition . Convention is again abandoned at the onset of the development , which starts with the pianist repeating the opening solo exposition theme in E-flat major . Throughout the development , the orchestra and pianist engage in a particularly turbulent , passionate , and operatic dialogue . The recapitulation is the most conventional section of the movement , presenting themes from the exposition in the home key . Yet boundaries are broken once more in the coda , with the pianist unexpectedly interrupting the orchestra for a final virtuosic passage .
The elegant phrases , simplistic themes , and predictable ABACA rondo structure of the second movement provide an exceptional contrast to the tumultuous first movement . The concerto concludes with a theme and variations , which opens with a straightforward orchestral statement of the theme . Of particular interest in this movement are the rests in the theme , which convey a sense of anticipatory excitement . Each of the eight variations inventively incorporates rhythmic , harmonic , textural , and / or melodic contrast , with the final variation and coda bringing the whole concerto to a triumphant close . Operatic drama permeates
Piano Concerto No . 24 , which was written shortly before Mozart ’ s Le nozze di Figaro premiered . Indeed , Mozart would shortly thereafter become known more as an opera composer than an instrumental composer and performer .
Instrumentation Flute , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , timpani , and strings .
Antonín Dvořák
Born September 8 , 1841 in Nelahozeves , Czechia Died May 1 , 1904 in Prague , Czechia
SYMPHONY NO . 7 [ 1885 ]
In 1884 , Czech composer Antonín Dvořák traveled to London to conduct several of his works , including Symphony No . 6 , the Hussite Overture , and the Stabat Mater . He was enthusiastically received by English audiences , recalling : “ As soon as I appeared , I received a tempestuous welcome from the audience of 12,000 . These ovations increasing , I had to bow my thanks again and again , the orchestra and choir applauding with no less fervor . I am convinced that England offers me a new and certainly happier future , and one which I hope may benefit our entire Czech art .” In the ensuing weeks , the Royal Philharmonic Society elected Dvořák to its membership and commissioned him to compose a new symphony , which he began in December of the same year . In April 1885 , he returned to London to conduct the premiere of his Symphony No . 7 , which was immediately well-received . Many consider Symphony No . 7 to be Dvořák ’ s greatest formal tribute to the Western European classical style . Indeed , he was much influenced by Johannes Brahms ’ s recent Symphony No . 3 , particularly the final movement . Yet Symphony No . 7 evinces Dvořák ’ s unique compositional voice and was also partially motivated by his own deep patriotism .
While walking past the Prague train station in July 1884 , Dvořák saw a train of Hungarian Czechs arriving from Budapest to attend a musical event at the National Theatre . The passengers were in Prague to show their support for the cultural-political efforts of the Czech nation , a cause that resonated deeply with Dvořák . He later recalled that the primary theme for the first movement of Symphony No . 7 flashed before his eyes when he saw the
18 OVERTURE / BSOmusic . org