Overture Magazine 2013-2014 March-April 2014

{ Program Notes Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright ©2014 24 O v ertur e | www. bsomusic .org Jo s e ph Meye rho ff Sym pho ny Hall B a l t i mo r e S y m p h o n y O r c h e s t r a Marin Alsop Music Director • Harvey M. And Lyn P. Meyerhoff Chair Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto Friday, March 21, 2014 — 8 p.m. Sunday, March 23, 2014 — 3 p.m. John Storgårds, Conductor Baiba Skride, Violin Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, opus 64 Allegro molto appassionato Andante Allegretto non troppo — Allegro molto vivace BAIBA SKRIDE INTERMISSION Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 1 in E Minor, opus 39 Andante, ma non troppo — Allegro energico Andante, ma non troppo lento Scherzo: Allegro Finale (quasi una fantasia): Andante — Allegro molto The concert will end at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Friday and 4:50 p.m. on Sunday. Support for the appearance of Baiba Skride is generously provided by the Peggy & Yale Gordon Trust Marco Bo rggr e ve harpsichord. Following Vivaldi’s formula, the two fast outer movements open with the small orchestra playing a refrain or ritornello, which then recurs in whole or in part throughout the movement to bind the music together. In between come episodes for the solo group using mostly different thematic material. The slow-tempo middle movement focuses on more intimate music for the soloists. What sets the Brandenburgs apart from other concerti grossi of the period is the wide variety of instrumental combinations Bach used to make up his solo groups. Each concerto has its own distinct sound world with music designed to celebrate the different kinds of virtuosity its particular instruments are capable of. In the First Concerto, Bach showcased the warm tones of French horns and the poignant lyricism of three oboes, alongside a violin. In the Second, a high Baroque trumpet sets a brilliant, festive tone along with solo flute, oboe, and violin. The Third Concerto features just string instruments — three violins, three violas, and three cellos — who constantly interchange their roles as soloists and ensemble players. For the Fourth Concerto, Bach chose a violin, to whom he gave a particularly virtuosic part, and two charming flutes or recorders. In the Fifth Concerto, for the first time in musical history he made the harpsichord—usually relegated to the subordinate role of continuo accompanist— his chief soloist and devised for it a spectacular long cadenza surely intended to show off his own virtuoso powers (as well as that new harpsichord from Berlin). Finally, he turned again to the strings for his Sixth Concerto, but used only the violas, cellos, and double basses while surprisingly omitting the violins. This combination was probably designed to show off Prince Leopold on the bass viol and Bach himself on the showy first viola part. And thus, when all six concertos are played together, as they will be at this concert, we have in effect a giant Baroque concerto for orchestra, with every instrument and every section having its moment in the spotlight. John Storgårds Chief conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and artistic director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, John Storgårds is one of Finland’s exceptional artists who have taken the classical music world by storm. He has a dual career as a conductor and violin virtuoso and is widely recognized for his creative flair for programming and his commitment to contemporary music. Mr. Storgårds made his North American debut with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra during the 2005–2006 season. Since then, he has appeared with the Boston Symphony at Tanglewood and the National, Toronto, St. Louis, Detroit, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Houston symphonies as well as with the National Arts Centre

Overture Magazine 2013-2014 March-April 2014 | Page 26