PROGRAM NOTES
RACHMANINOFF RHAPSODY virtuosic . In the last variation , the virtuosic and cheeky whirlwind reaches a peak : statements of the theme , with sprinkles of the Dies irae , come to an end — not via triumphant bombast , but a subdued wink .
Instrumentation Two flutes , piccolo , two oboes , English horn , two clarinets , two bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , harp , and strings .
Dmitri Shostakovich
Born September 25 , 1906 in Saint Petersburg , Russia Died August 9 , 1975 in Moscow , Russia
SYMPHONY NO . 7 IN C MAJOR , OP . 60 “ LENINGRAD ”
Millions of people , over millennia , have created during horrific circumstance . Shostakovich was one of those millions , as guns and bombs destroyed his birth home — the home he and wife Nina Varzar had made for their children . On June 22 , 1941 , Russia was invaded by Germany ; by the next month , the city of Leningrad was surrounded , under siege until early 1944 . The destruction of the city , murder of over a million people through combat , and horrific living conditions caused by the siege , have led some historians to categorize this event as an act of genocide .
Sometimes the only thing to do amid horror is to create . Shostakovich started his seventh symphony in the early stages of the siege . After he and his family were evacuated in the fall of 1941 , Shostakovich completed his symphony ; it premiered in March 1942 . The Leningrad moniker stems not only from the piece being dedicated to the city , to his home ; for him it was also a stab at tyranny of any kind . “ National Socialism is not the only form of fascism ,” the composer told a friend . “ This music is about all forms of terror , slavery , and bondage of the spirit .”
Soviet forces recognized this symbolic power . An August 1942 performance of the symphony was broadcast city-wide , directed at enemy lines . It also strategically coincided with the Nazis ’ planned celebration of the city ’ s capture . As Edith Katya Matus , one of the oboists , shared decades later , “ They never had their party … Instead , we played our symphony , and Leningrad was saved .”
The Allegretto opens with a theme in the strings , punctuated with timpani roles and brass interjections . What Shostakovich described as the “ invasion theme ” emerges over a brittle rhythmic pattern on snare drum , growing in scope , dynamic , and intensity . It ’ s hard to recognize it as it sounds almost comical — until it isn ’ t . Moderato ( poco allegretto ) is a scherzo : light , prickling phrasing , restrained lyricism in the A sections ; a bombastic , intense swirl of a dance in the B section . Adagio is aching and tragic : a lament . Shostakovich has no use for emotional restraint here , with stratospheric passages in the violins and walls of sound from the woodwinds , brass , and harps juxtaposed with intimate lyricism . Allegro non troppo is a finale that pulls no punches ; the themes are fast , controlled , and intense , building up to the return of the first movement ’ s confident main theme . This conclusion communicates defiance , rejection , determination in the face of death , starvation , and war ; in the face of tyranny in all its forms .
Instrumentation Three flutes including alto flute and piccolo , two oboes , English horn , three clarinets including E-flat clarinet , bass clarinet , two bassoons , contrabassoon , eight horns , six trumpets , six trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , two harps , piano , and strings .
Musical Terms Inversion : The rearrangement of notes in a chord , melody , or group of melodies . A melody that opens with a rising tone can be inverted to open with a falling tone of the same distance — like turning the melody upside down ! Allegretto : Musical tempo ( speed ): moderately fast Dynamic : Pertaining to the range of volume . Moderato : Musical tempo ( speed ): at a moderate pace Allegro non troppo : Musical tempo ( speed ): fast — but not too fast !
Maximilian Franz
MAY-JUN 2022 / OVERTURE 33