Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season BSO_Overture_NOV_DEC | Page 26

HANDEL MESSIAH
TZIGANE
Maurice Ravel
Born in Ciboure, France, March 7, 1875;
died in Paris, December 28, 1937
The prowess of Romani instrumentalists
gradually assumed legendary status even
in the most aristocratic European musical
circles. By the 18 th century, the Hungarian
string tradition had become almost
synonymous with Romani fiddling, and
it became the rage in Vienna, followed by
the rest of the continent. Even a traditional
Germanic work such as Brahms’ Violin
Concerto paid tribute to Romani style in
its blazing “Gypsy rondo” finale.
But tonight we turn to a Frenchman,
Maurice Ravel, for a most extraordinary
evocation of Hungarian-Romani violin
playing in his Tzigane (the French word
for “Hungarian Gypsy”). In July 1922,
Ravel and attended a private musicale
where the brilliant Hungarian-born
violinist Jelly d’Arányi played his Sonata
for Violin and Cello. Later in the evening,
d’Arányi began playing some Romani
melodies. Ravel was entranced and asked
for more, and the music continued until
5 am. Two years later in 1924, memories
of what he’d heard that night produced
Tzigane. It was dedicated to Arányi,
who gave its first performances in both
its original violin-piano version and the
orchestral arrangement.
Tzigane opens as a piece for
unaccompanied violin, as the soloist
rhapsodizes alone on melodies that use
the Hungarian “Gypsy scale”. Eventually,
the harp and the rest of the orchestra join
the violinist in a passionate dance melody.
Along the way, we hear an astounding array
of virtuoso techniques. Notice especially
the bell-like passages in which the violinist
plays glistening high harmonics against the
orchestra’s woodwinds and also the intricate
pizzicato sections.
Instrumentation: Two flutes including piccolo,
two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons,
two horns, trumpet, percussion, harp,
celesta and strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, © 201 8
24
OV E R T U R E / BSOmusic.org
JOSEPH MEYERHOFF SYMPHONY HALL
Saturday, December 8, 2018, 8 pm
Sunday, December 9, 2018, 3 pm
Edward Polochick, conductor and harpsichord
Jennifer O’Loughlin, soprano
Diana Moore, mezzo-soprano
Benjamin Butterfield, tenor
Sidney Outlaw, bass
Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale
George Frideric Handel Messiah
ed.
Part I
Watkins-Shaw
INTERMISSION

Part II
Part III

Maestro Ed Polochick will sign copies of his and the BSO's new Messiah CD
in the lobby following both performances.

The concert will end at approximately 10:30 pm on Saturday and 5:30 pm
on Sunday.
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Edward
Polochick
The current season
marks Maestro
Polochick’s 32 nd year
as Artistic Director of
Concert Artists of Baltimore. 2018–19 also
marks his 21 st season as Music Director
of Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra in
Nebraska. From 1979 – 99 he was on
the staff of the Baltimore Symphony as
Director of the Symphony Chorus, and
since 1979 he has been at the Peabody
Conservatory as Associate Conductor
of the Orchestra, Director of Choral
Ensembles and Opera Conductor. An
accomplished pianist and harpsichordist,
he has appeared as piano soloist with
the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Los
Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Since winning the Leopold Stokowski
Conducting Award and conducting
the Philadelphia Orchestra, Polochick
has attracted attention as an orchestral,
operatic and choral conductor. He has
appeared with ensembles including
the Baltimore Symphony, Houston
Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, the
Opera Company of Philadelphia, the
Aalborg Symphony of Denmark, Omaha
Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony,
Daejeon Philharmonic in Korea, St.
Petersburg Symphony in Russia and the
State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra in
Toluca, Mexico.
Polochick resides in Baltimore, where he
is often asked to share his knowledge and
love of music at lecture series, adjudications
and radio broadcasts. He received the
Peggy and Yale Gordon Achievement
Award, and in 2000 he was made an
honorary member of the Baltimore
Music Club. In 2002 he was awarded the
Johns Hopkins University Distinguished
Alumnus Award, one of only three Peabody
alumni to be so honored. In 2003 – 04 he
was named Baldwin Scholar at the College
of Notre Dame of Maryland, where he