SIBELIUS SYMPHONY NO.2 - 22 April Sydney Town Hall
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22 April
Sydney Town Hall
SIBELIUS
SYMPHONY
NO.2
Principal Partner
Presenting Partner
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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