PROGRAM NOTES
ANNE-SOPHIE MUTTER PERFORMS BEETHOVEN
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Sir Andrew Davis
Sir Andrew Davis has served as the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2000 . Davis ’ career spans over 45 years , during which he has been the musical and artistic leader at several of the world ’ s most distinguished opera and symphonic institutions , including the BBC Symphony Orchestra , Glyndebourne Festival Opera , Melbourne Symphony Orchestra , and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra . He also holds the honorary title of Conductor Emeritus from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra . One of today ’ s most acclaimed conductors , Davis has conducted virtually all of the world ’ s major orchestras , opera companies , and festivals .
Born in Hertfordshire , England , Davis studied at King ’ s College , Cambridge , where he was an organ scholar before taking up conducting . His wide-ranging repertoire encompasses the Baroque to contemporary , and spans the symphonic , operatic , and choral worlds . A vast and award-winning discography documents Davis ’ artistry , with Grammy nominations including Best Choral Performance in 2018 and Best Orchestral Performance in 2012 . He currently records exclusively for Chandos Records .
In 1992 , Maestro Davis was made a Commander of the British Empire , and in 1999 , he was designated a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours List .
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Four-time Grammy ® Award winner Anne- Sophie Mutter is equally committed to the performance of traditional composers as to the future of music . Mutter has given world premieres of 30 works and has had numerous pieces composed specifically for her . She dedicates herself to numerous benefit projects and to supporting tomorrow ’ s musical elite : she founded the Association of Friends of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation e . V . and the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation , two charitable institutions that provide tailored financial support for scholarship recipients . Mutter has also regularly shared the spotlight on stage with her ensemble of fellows , “ Mutter ’ s Virtuosi .”
Sir Andrew Davis
Anne-Sophie Mutter
Mutter ’ s concert calendar for 2022 once again reflects the musical versatility of the violinist and her outstanding position in the classical music world : at the Lucerne Festival , she will give the world premiere of the Air for Violin and Orchestra by Thomas Adès , which she co-commissioned . She performs the violin concerto Anne-Sophie , which André Previn dedicated to her , in several German cities . Her appearance at the former turbine hall of the Peenemünde Power Station with the New York Philharmonic and Jaap van Zweden sets an impressive signal for international understanding . Mutter also performs the Brahms Double Concerto with cellist Pablo Ferrández , both with the Czech Philharmonic and Manfred Honeck and the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Ed Gardner . In Vienna and the U . S ., Mutter performs John Williams ’ Violin Concerto No . 2 , of which she is the dedicatee , and a selection of the virtuoso adaptations of film scores Williams created for her . These performances are conducted by the composer .
Stefan Hoderath-Deutsche Dario Acosta Photography
NOTES ON THE PROGRAM
BY AARON GRAD
Frederick Delius
Born January 29 , 1862 in Bradford , U . K . Died June 10 , 1934 in Grez-sur-Loing , France
“ THE WALK TO THE PARADISE GARDEN ” [ 1906 ]
The music of Frederick Delius deserves more attention than it gets today , but this distinctly multinational composer is hard to shoehorn into any one of the national “ schools ” that dominated his prime years . His German-born parents had taken British citizenship by the time their son Fritz was born ( he later Anglicized his name to Frederick ), so by matter of birth Delius belongs among that class of late Romantic composers who revived British music , including Elgar , Vaughan Williams , and Holst . As per his father ’ s wishes , Delius apprenticed at various wool outlets around Europe , but he did not take to the family business ; instead , he embarked on a plan to grow oranges near Jacksonville , Florida , where African-American musical traditions made a lasting impact on the aspiring composer .
Delius finally won his father ’ s blessing to study music in Leipzig , Germany , where he befriended the budding Norwegian star Edvard Grieg , leading to pivotal performances of Delius ’ early music in Norway . Delius settled next in Paris , where he associated with Fauré and Ravel , and then after marrying a German artist he moved to the French village where he spent most of his remaining decades .
Delius completed his fourth opera , A Village Romeo and Juliet , in 1901 , but it did not reach the stage until 1907 . While preparing for the premiere in Berlin , Delius realized that he needed to allow more time for a change of scenery , so he added the orchestral interlude known as The Walk to the Paradise Garden . In this opera based on a novella by the Swiss writer Gottfried Keller , the
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MAY-JUN 2022 / OVERTURE 27