SIBELIUS SYMPHONY NO.2 - 22 April Sydney Town Hall
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SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2021 CONCERT SEASON SYMPHONY HOUR Thursday 22 April, 7pm Sydney Town Hall PATRON Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley ac qc Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has evolved into one of the world’s finest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world’s great cities. Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales, and international tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the Orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence. The Orchestra’s first chief conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, SIBELIUS SYMPHONY NO.2 Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenêk Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. Vladimir Ashkenazy was Principal Conductor from 2009 to 2013, followed by David Robertson as Chief Conductor from 2014 to 2019. Australia-born Simone Young has been the Orchestra’s Chief Conductor Designate since 2020. She commences her role as Chief Conductor in 2022 as the Orchestra returns to the renewed Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra's concerts encompass masterpieces from the classical repertoire, music by some of the finest living composers, and collaborations BENJAMIN NORTHEY conductor ESTIMATED DURATIONS with guest artists from all genres, reflecting the Orchestra's versatility and diverse 4 minutes, 7 minutes, appeal. Its award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the 47 minutes. future of live symphonic music, and the Orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. MARIA GRENFELL (BORN 1969) COVER IMAGE Gaudete Fanfare Photo by Aaron Burden Simone Young SECOND VIOLINS CELLOS CLARINETS TROMBONES MAX RICHTER (BORN 1966) Chief Conductor Designate Marina Marsden Catherine Hewgill Francesco Celata Scott Kinmont On the Nature of Daylight Principal Principal Acting Principal Associate Principal Donald Runnicles Marianne Edwards Leah Lynn Christopher Tingay Nick Byrne Principal Guest Conductor Associate Principal Acting Associate James Burke Christopher Harris JEAN SIBELIUS (1865–1957) Emma Jezek Principal Principal Principal Bass Trombone Vladimir Ashkenazy Assistant Principal Kristy Conrau Symphony No.2 in D major, Op.43 Alexander Morris Ronald Prussing Conductor Laureate Alice Bartsch Fenella Gill Principal Bass Clarinet Principal Allegretto Timothy Nankervis Andrew Haveron Victoria Bihun Elizabeth Neville BASSOONS TUBA Tempo andante Concertmaster Rebecca Gill Chair supported by Emma Hayes Christopher Pidcock Todd Gibson-Cornish Steve Rossé Vivacissimo – David Wickham Vicki Olsson Shuti Huang Adrian Wallis Principal Principal Allegro moderato Monique Irik Fiona McNamara Benjamin Li TIMPANI FIRST VIOLINS DOUBLE BASSES Matthew Wilkie Nicole Masters Mark Robinson Andrew Haveron Kees Boersma Principal Emeritus Maja Verunica Acting Principal Concertmaster Principal Noriko Shimada Kirsty Hilton Sun Yi Alex Henery Principal PERCUSSION Principal Associate Principal Contrabassoon Wendy Kong Rebecca Lagos Maria Grenfell’s Gaudete Fanfare was made possible through Concertmaster Steven Larson HORNS Principal Lerida Delbridge VIOLAS Richard Lynn Timothy Constable the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s 50 Fanfares Project and was Assistant Ben Jacks commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, supported Tobias Breider Jaan Pallandi Concertmaster Principal * = Guest Musician Principal Benjamin Ward by the Neilson Foundation. Fiona Ziegler David Campbell Geoffrey O’Reilly ° = Contract Musician Amanda Verner Principal 3rd Horn Assistant Acting Principal † = Sydney Symphony Concertmaster FLUTES Euan Harvey Sandro Costantino Fellow Kirsten Williams Joshua Batty Marnie Sebire Rosemary Curtin Grey = Permanent Associate Principal Rachel Silver Graham Hennings Member of the Sydney Concertmaster Carolyn Harris Stuart Johnson TRUMPETS Symphony Orchestra Emeritus Justine Marsden Emma Sholl not appearing in Jenny Booth David Elton this concert Felicity Tsai Associate Principal Sophie Cole Principal Leonid Volovelsky Claire Herrick Dana Lee† OBOES Anthony Heinrichs Georges Lentz Daniel Henderson* Justin Williams Diana Doherty Nicola Lewis Acting Associate Principal Emily Long Principal Shefali Pryor Alexandra Mitchell Léone Ziegler Anne-Louise Associate Principal Tim Yu† Comerford Alexandre Oguey Associate Principal Principal Cor Anglais Harry Bennetts Jane Hazelwood PRESENTING PARTNER PRINCIPAL PARTNER Associate Concertmaster Brielle Clapson Alexander Norton Anna Skálová
WELCOME ABOUT THE ARTISTS PRESENTING PARTNER BENJAMIN NORTHEY conductor Australian conductor Benjamin Northey is the Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Conductor in Residence of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Previously Resident Guest Conductor of the Australia Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra (2002-2006) and Principal Conductor of the Melbourne Credit Suisse, Premier Partner of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Chamber Orchestra (2007-2010), Limelight Magazine welcomes you to Sibelius Symphony No.2. named him Australian Artist of the Year in 2018. The cinematic style of Max Richter and Sibelius’ Second Symphony feature in Northey also appears regularly as a guest conductor this evening’s program, as well as Maria Grenfell’s Gaudete Fanfare; a virtuosic with all major Australian symphony orchestras, Opera work for the brass section. The piece was commissioned by Sydney Symphony Australia (Turandot, L’elisir d’amore, Don Giovanni, Orchestra for their 50 Fanfares project, designed to fill a gap in the Australian Così fan tutte, Carmen), New Zealand Opera Benjamin Northey music landscape and affirm our country’s creative position in the world. (Sweeney Todd) and State Opera South Australia (La Photo: Julian Kingma When nurtured from a young age, creativity can grow and continue for sonnambula, L’elisir d’amore, Les contes d’Hoffmann). generations. That is why Credit Suisse has worked in partnership with the His international appearances include concerts with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra to provide access to music to young children in London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic Sydney and Melbourne since 2018. This year, over 1,000 students and teachers Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, the Hong will attend orchestra performances as part of the Credit Suisse Sydney Kong Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra Symphony Orchestra Music Education Program. The six primary schools in of Colombia, the Malaysian Philharmonic and the our program have also received teacher training in music education and new New Zealand Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia and instruments to inspire the next generation of talent. Christchurch Symphony Orchestras. Thank you for joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra tonight, and we hope With a progressive and diverse approach to repertoire, you enjoy this performance. he has collaborated with a broad range of artists including Maxim Vengerov, Julian Rachlin, Karen Gomyo, Piers Lane, Alban Gerhardt, Johannes Moser, Piers Lane, Amy Dickson, Slava Grigoryan & Marc-André Hamelin as well as popular artists Tim Minchin, KD Lang, Kate Miller-Heidke, Barry Humphries, Kurt Elling, James Morrison and Tori Amos. In 2021, he conducts the Christchurch Symphony, the Australian Youth Orchestra and all six Australian state symphony orchestras. Richard Gibb Chief Executive Officer Credit Suisse Australia
ABOUT THE MUSIC ABOUT THE MUSIC Born in Malaysia and educated in New Zealand and The ‘hit single’ from the album was On The Nature Of the USA, Maria Grenfell is an Associate Professor at the Daylight, which was rapidly taken up by film directors University of Tasmania Conservatorium of Music and co- such as Martin Scorsese in Shutter Island, and several ordinates the composition stream. Her works have been others, most recently Denis Villeneuve in Arrival as performed extensively in Australia and New Zealand, as a crucial element of the soundtrack. By definition it well as by the Vienna Piano Trio and members of eighth deals with the passing of time, reflecting in the music’s blackbird. She describes her new fanfare, saying: structure. Like Baroque forms such as the passacaglia, in which a repeated idea underlies a texture that grows Gaudete Fanfare for brass celebrates the excitement by accretion, this work begins with simple four-chord of musical performance. Gaudete Fanfare borrows patterns, adding layers of stepwise minor-mode melody from and re-harmonises the 16th-century carol, that move at different speeds in the different string Gaudete Christus est natus: ‘Rejoice, rejoice, Christ voices to create a sense of massive resonance, as in is born.’ While not a religious piece, my fanfare seeks some works of Arvo Pärt. to create a virtuosic work for orchestral brass with Maria Grenfell Sibelius, like Brahms, came relatively late to writing Franz Kafka antiphonal techniques used by Renaissance Italian symphonies, producing his First at the age of thirty- composer Giovanni Gabrieli, where different groups three and premiering it in 1899. Like Brahms, though, of instruments engage in lively conversation with one Sibelius had accrued considerable experience in another across the ensemble and the space. writing for orchestra. The 1890s saw the composition of works like Kullervo, En saga, movements which later Maria Grenfell’s Gaudete Fanfare was made possible through the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s 50 Fanfares Project and was commissioned by the became the Karelia Suite and the original version of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, supported by the Neilson Foundation. Lemminkäinen Suite which depicts heroic tales from the Finnish mythological cycle, the Kalevala. Grenfell provides a stage plan for her 11 brass instruments What all these works have in common, of course, is to achieve the antiphonal effects which the flanking their preoccupation with the myths and legends of galleries of San Marco in Venice provided for Gabrieli. Finland, which remained until 1917 a satellite of Imperial The texture is dominated at first by emphatic staccato Russia. As a member of the Swedish-speaking minority rhythms, offset by unexpected ‘short’ bars, into which in Finland, Sibelius hadn’t given much thought to the fragments of the chant float before gradually coalescing traditional mythology of the Finns until his engagement into radiant harmony. in 1890 to Aino Järnefelt, whose family were very pro- German-born British composer Max Richter has a Finnish. At the time he was studying in Vienna, where The Basilica of San Marco, the music of Anton Bruckner made a deep impact on Jean Sibelius distinguished career in electro-acoustic work, including Venice, where Gabrieli wrote scores for the stage and screen, and the post-minimalist him. While Sibelius’ enthusiasm for Bruckner cooled for antiphonal brass choirs over the years, the influence of the Austrian composer – aspect of his style makes for a fruitful point of contact between his music and that of the Baroque in works such particularly his ability to structure large-scale symphonic as his ‘recomposition’ of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. movements – remained crucial. Richter is a politically engaged composer; his second Sibelius’ nationalist music was related to a growing album The Blue Notebooks (released in 2003 and re- political consciousness: by 1899 the Russians were released with various enhancements in 2018) has been actively discriminating against Finns and suppressing described as a subtle and peaceful protest against their language. The work we know as Finlandia was political, social and personal brutality. It included narrated banned by the Russians and had to be performed under texts from Franz Kafka’s ‘Blue Octavo Notebooks’, the the politically inoffensive title of ‘Prelude’, though no Finn composer explaining that they in the audience was unaware of the work’s significance. Sibelius’ enterprise in the 1890s, then, was to create a reflected on my sense of the politics of the time. Finnish musical language out of the drama of its legends, Facts were beginning to be replaced by subjective the typical modal patterns of its folk-song (though assertions in the build-up to the Iraq war, which he never quoted actual folk-tunes) and the rhythmic seemed to be viewed as inevitable and justified in spite imprint of its verse, and to blend these elements with the of all the evidence to the contrary. Kafka’s use of the contemporary idioms of Bruckner, Liszt and Tchaikovsky. absurd to investigate power structures struck me as Max Richter Sibelius always denied that the Second Symphony, which highly relevant. He is, of course, the patron saint of appeared in 1902, had any extra-musical significance. doubt, and doubt – about politics, and the way society The journey it enacts from darkness to light relates it was heading – was what I was looking to express. The to works of ‘absolute’ music such as certain Beethoven texts were specifically picked because they refer to symphonies, but commentators – particularly in Finland childhood, or the passing of time, when everything – have often argued for its having an implicit program around is failing. of national liberation. The audiences at its premiere
ABOUT THE MUSIC THANK YOU performances certainly thought so: the concerts were Every gift makes a difference. We gratefully acknowledge the generosity sold-out, the audiences ecstatic and the composer of our community, including those who wish to remain anonymous. acclaimed as a national hero. Its first movement seems to evoke the pastoral VISIONARIES Darin Cooper Foundation landscapes of Finland, shot through with a sense of Brian Abel Simon Johnson incipient grief. During its course the symphony passes Geoff Ainsworth am & Johanna Featherstone Dr John Lam-Po-Tang through often fragmentary stages of deep melancholy Antoinette Albert The late Dr Barry Landa and conflict before emerging in the final movement with Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Warren & Marianne Lesnie one of Sibelius’ most stirring and memorable tunes. The Berg Family Foundation Sylvia & the late Sol Levi Robert & Janet Constable Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer In fact, Sibelius began writing music which ended up Crown Resorts Foundation Susan Maple-Brown am in the symphony while holidaying in Italy, leading some Gillian Eldershaw The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Fran Meagher writers to comment on the more than usually warm Dr Gary Holmes & Dr Anne Reeckmann John & Jane Morschel textures that he draws from a modestly constituted Dr Rachael Kohn ao & Tom Breen Janet & Michael Neustein orchestra. From his correspondence we know he was Sir Frank Lowy ac & the late Lady Shirley Lowy oam Kenneth R Reed am contemplating at least two projects: a set of tone-poems Bob Magid oam & Ruth Magid Geoffrey Robertson ao called Festivals and a single movement work – inspired Anthony & Suzanne Maple-Brown Graeme Robertson perhaps by Richard Strauss, whom Sibelius had recently Neilson Foundation Tim Robertson sc met – on the story of Don Juan. Out of the sketches Roslyn Packer ac (President, Maestro’s Circle) In memory of Joyce Sproat for these works, Sibelius fashioned some of his most Packer Family Foundation James Stening memorable gestures: the sinister opening of the second Drs Keith & Eileen Ong June & Alan Woods Family Bequest movement, with its soft pizzicato opening, horn calls and bassoon solo was originally to have evoked the figure of Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd $10,000+ Death arriving at Don Juan’s castle. Doris Weiss & the late Peter Weiss ao Rob Baulderstone & Mary Whelan (President Emeritus, Maestro’s Circle) Roxane Clayton The work may be a document of national liberation, but Judy & Sam Weiss it is also about the process of unifying and reconciling Richard Cobden sc diverse, often fragmentary, musical gestures, so that MAESTRO’S CIRCLE Janet Cooke the expansive melody of the finale seems the inevitable Robert Albert ao & Elizabeth Albert The Greatorex Fund outcome of all that went before. Five years later, Sibelius Christine Bishop Carolyn Githens would have his much reported meeting with Mahler Dr Rebecca Chin Dr Bruno & Rhonda Giuffre where he advocated a ‘severity of style and the profound John C Conde ao Dr Margot Harris logic that creates an inner connection between all the Edward & Diane Federman The Hilmer Family Endowment motifs’. Mahler’s response, ‘No, the symphony must be Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Roland Lee like the world and embrace everything’ missed the point. Nora Goodridge oam Dr Lee MacCormick Edwards Charitable Ingrid Kaiser Foundation In their different ways, they were saying the same thing. I Kallinikos Russell & Mary McMurray Gordon Kerry © 2021 Sue Milliken ao Sharon & Anthony Lee Foundation Ian & Ann Levi Dr Dominic Pak & Cecilia Tsai Catriona Morgan-Hunn Nigel & Carol Price Karen Moses Sylvia Rosenblum Nelson Meers Foundation Dougall Squair Vicki Olsson Rod Sims & Alison Pert The Ross Trust Penelope Seidler am Paul Salteri am & Sandra Salteri Geoff Stearn In memory of Mrs W Stening Tony Strachan Kathy White Howard Tanner am & Mary Tanner In memory of Dr Bill Webb & Helen Webb Judge Robyn Tupman Caroline Wilkinson oam Russell Tagg & Pat Woolley Ray Wilson oam, in memory of James Agapitos oam Yim Family Foundation PATRONS PROGRAM $15,000+ Ainsworth Foundation Doug & Alison Battersby For a full listing of our Sydney Symphony family Dugald Black of donors, please visit sydneysymphony.com/our- Audrey Blunden supporters. Sandra & Neil Burns To discuss your giving or learn which areas most need Robert & L Alison Carr your support, please contact our Philanthropy team on Bob & Julie Clampett 02 8215 4674 or philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS THANK YOU Terrey Arcus am Chairman The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher Geoff Ainsworth am Sam Meers ao Andrew Baxter Karen Moses Deputy Chair Kees Boersma Dr John Vallance Emma Dunch CEO Geoff Wilson Catherine Hewgill ORCHESTRA CHAIR PATRONS PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS Emma Dunch Claire Herrick Chief Executive Officer Violin I Kallinikos Chair Russell & Mary McMurray Chair Andrew Haveron Catherine Hewgill Concertmaster Principal Cello The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by The Sydney Symphony Orchestra Vicki Olsson Chair The Hon. Justice AJ & the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW. Joshua Batty Mrs Fran Meagher Chair Principal Flute Kirsty Hilton Karen Moses Chair Principal Second Violin Harry Bennetts Drs Keith & Eileen Ong Chair Associate Concertmaster Scott Kinmont Judy & Sam Weiss Chair Associate Principal Trombone Victoria Bihun Audrey Blunden Chair Violin Emily Long PREMIER PARTNER Sylvia & the late Sol Levi Chair Violin Kees Boersma Dr Margot Harris Chair Principal Double Bass Leah Lynn Council Chair Assistant Principal Cello Tobias Breider Sydney Symphony Orchestra Principal Viola Vanguard Chair (lead MAJOR PARTNER FOUNDATIONS Roslyn Packer ac & support from Seamus R Quick) Gretel Packer am Chair Nicole Masters James Burke Violin Principal Clarinet Nora Goodridge oam Chair Oranges & Sardines Foundation Chair Fiona McNamara Nick Byrne Bassoon BRAND AGENCY PARTNER GOLD PARTNERS Trombone Nelson Meers Foundation Chair Robertson Family Chair Timothy Nankervis Anne-Louise Comerford Cello Associate Principal Viola Dr Rebecca Chin & Family Chair White Family Chair Elizabeth Neville Timothy Constable Cello Percussion Bob Magid oam & Ruth Magid Chair SILVER PARTNERS Christine Bishop Chair Alexandre Oguey Rosemary Curtin Principal Cor Anglais Viola Mackenzie’s Friend Chair E V E N T H I R E John & Jane Morschel Chair Mark Robinson Lerida Delbridge Acting Principal Timpani Assistant Concertmaster Sylvia Rosenblum Chair Simon Johnson Chair in memory of Rodney Rosenblum Diana Doherty Rachel Silver Principal Oboe Horn John C Conde ao Chair Sue Milliken ao Chair Todd Gibson-Cornish Emma Sholl COMMUNITY AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS Principal Bassoon Associate Principal Flute Nelson Meers Foundation Chair Robert & Janet Constable Chair Rebecca Gill Matthew Wilkie Violin Principal Emeritus Bassoon In memory of Reg & Jeannette Nelson Meers Foundation Chair Lam-Po-Tang Chair Justin Williams Carolyn Harris Assistant Principal Viola Flute Robert & L Alison Carr Chair VANGUARD PARTNER HOTEL PARTNER REGIONAL TOUR PARTNER The late Dr Barry Landa Chair Jane Hazelwood Viola Bob & Julie Clampett Chair in memory of Carolyn Clampett
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