Overture Magazine 2013-2014 May-June 2014 | Page 32

{ Program Notes
unwary applications of his magic potions;
Mendelssohn makes masterly use of bright
woodwind colors here, especially a solo
flute at the end. High woodwinds also
dominate the impish “Fairies’ March.”
A charming choral song, “Ye spotted snakes,” is the fairies’ lullaby to
their queen Titania and reminds us that
Mendelssohn had tremendous influence
on later English composers, including Sir
Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan
fame. In the agitated Intermezzo, phrases are hurled back and forth between
violins and high woodwinds; this music
expresses Hermia’s anguish after she
awakens to discover her lover, Lysander,
has deserted her. After Puck has put the
four lovers, now hopelessly confused by
his spells, to sleep, comes the beautiful
dreaming Nocturne, led by a melancholy
solo horn, the traditional instrument of
the forest.
The lovers awaken and, restored to
their rightful loves, are united with
King Theseus and Queen Hippolyta in
a triple wedding to the brilliant “Wedding March”; this music, unfortunately,
soon degenerated into cliché after Queen
Victoria and Prince Albert of England,
great Mendelssohn fans, chose it for the
1858 wedding of their eldest daughter to
the Crown Prince of Prussia. Whimsically
humorous music describes the artisans’
inept enactment of the myth of Pyramus
and Thisbe (“Dance of the Clowns”)
at the wedding festivities. Suggesting
music from Shakespeare’s own era, a trio
of clarinet-bassoon-drum plays a droll
“Funeral March” for Thisbe’s death.
In the Finale, “Through this house give
glimm’ring light,” we return to where we
began. Over the Overture’s scherzo music,
the fairies creep through the palace to
bless the newlyweds; the story closes with
the violins’ lovely song and the enchanted
woodwind chords.

Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright ©2014

30 O v ertur e |

www. bsomusic .org

B a l t i m o r e S y m p h o n y O r c h es t r a
Marin Alsop
Music Director • Harvey M. And Lyn P. Meyerhoff Chair

Beethoven’s Ninth

Thursday, June 5, 2014 — 8 p.m.
Friday, June 6, 2014 — 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 8, 2014 — 3 p.m.
Presenting Sponsor:

Marin Alsop, Conductor
Angela Meade, Soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, Mezzo-Soprano
Dimitri Pittas, Tenor
James Morris, Bass-Baritone
Baltimore Choral Arts Society —Tom Hall, Director
Peabody Children's Chorus — Doreen Falby, Director

John Adams
On the Transmigration of Souls

BALTIMORE CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY
PEABODY CHILDREN'S CHORUS

INTERMISSION
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, opus 125, "Choral"
Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
Molto vivace
Adagio molto e cantabile
Presto — Allegro assai — Allegro assai vivace
Angela Meade

JENNIFER JOHNSON CANO
DIMITRI PITTAS
Support for the appearance
ofMORRIS
Baiba Skride is generously

JAMES

BALTIMORE
CHORAL
ARTSTrust
SOCIETY
provided by the Peggy
& Yale
Gordon
The concert will end at approximately 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday,
and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Marin Alsop
For Marin Alsop’s bio., please see pg. 7.

Angela Meade
Dar i o Acosta

Instrumentation: Two flutes, two oboes, two
clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, three
trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani,
percussion, strings, two women's solo voices
and a women's chorus.

Jo s e ph Meye rho ff Sym pho ny Hall

Soprano Angela
Meade is the