Friday Evening, January 29, 2016, at 7:30Isaac Stern Auditorium/Ronald O. Perelman Stage

presents

Beethoven’s “Likes”LEON BOTSTEIN, Conductor

Season 1, Concert 10

LUIGI CHERUBINI Overture from Les deux journées (Der (1760–1842) Wasserträger) (1799–1800)

ANTON REICHA Symphony No. 3 in F major (1808) (1770–1836) U.S. Premiere

Introduction: AllegroAdagioMenuetto: AllegroFinale: Allegro vivace

Intermission

FERDINAND RIES Piano Concerto No. 8, Op. 151 (1826)(1784–1838) NY Premiere

Allegro con motoLarghetto con motoRondo: Allegro molto

PIERS LANE, Piano

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 (1804–08)(1770–1827) Allegro con brio

Andante con motoAllegroAllegro

This evening’s concert will run approximately two and a half hours including one 20-minute intermission.

PLEASE SWITCH OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES.

THE Programby Stephen Rumph, associate professor of music at University of WashingtonSchool of Music

Luigi CherubiniBorn September 14, 1760, in Florence

Died March 15, 1842, in Paris

Overture from Les deux journées (Der Wasserträger)Written in 1799–1800

Premiered on January 16, 1800, at the Théâtre Feydeau in ParisOn stage: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 French horns, 1 trombone,

timpani, 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 3 double bassesPerformance time: Approximately 9 minutes

Luigi Cherubini’s career epitomizes thefluidity of political allegiances duringthe French Revolution and its after-math. After making his mark at Ver-sailles amid Marie Antoinette’s coterie,the adaptable Florentine composerwould supply music for Revolutionaryfêtes, compose a ceremonial ode forNapoleon’s wedding, and direct LouisXVIII’s chapel during the Restoration.Throughout this turbulent era Cherubinithrived as Europe’s foremost operaticcomposer whom even Beethoven namedas the greatest living composer (except-ing himself). Cherubini wrote Les deuxjournées (1800), his most successful anddurable opera, for the Théâtre Feydau, atheater whose Italianate repertory cateredto a predominantly Royalist audience.The plot concerns a selfless Savoyardwater carrier who saves a noble couplefrom persecution during the 17th-centuryFronde—a thinly disguised allegory forthe plight of Royalist sympathizersunder the Reign of Terror. The librettistJacques Bouilly also wrote Léonore, onwhich Beethoven would base his own“rescue opera,” Fidelio.

Like Beethoven’s famous Leonore over-tures, Cherubini’s overture enacts thecoming drama in miniature. The grim

slow introduction suggests the politicalforces ranged against the protagonists.Cherubini has marshaled every possi-ble means to create a mood of sublimehorror—fortissimo blasts by the unisonwinds, violin tremolos, diminished-seventh chords, and descending scalesin the low strings. These devices comefrom the operatic ombra, a scene featur-ing supernatural or ghostly characters(the entrance of the statue in Don Gio-vanni is the most famous example). Theintroduction gradually builds to an opti-mistic allegro, a sonata form that beginswith a rocketing scale in the violins. Theheroic first subject evolves from a fragilewisp of a theme in the opening bars ofthe overture, whose plaintive final ges-ture gradually asserts itself across theintroduction. Blaring unisons in thehorns and trombones persist in the alle-gro, portraying the trials the protagonistsmust overcome. Interestingly, Cherubini’ssuave second subject first appears in themediant before modulating to theexpected key of the dominant, therebyanticipating the three-key expositions ofBeethoven and Schubert. Beethoven’s“heroic” style owes much to Cherubini’surgent rhetoric, with its jolting fortissimooffbeats, relentless tremolo strings, andthrilling stretto coda.

Like Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven,Anton Reicha inherited music as a fam-ily trade. Born to a Bohemian townmusician, Anton learned violin andpiano from his uncle. During the 18thcentury composers were viewed asskilled artisans, not exalted geniuses. In1785 the Reicha family relocated toBonn, where Anton played in theorchestra alongside Beethoven. Reicha’sstatus took a sharp upward turn afterhe settled in Paris in 1808. He becamea professor of composition at the Con-servatoire that had been founded duringthe French Revolution, wrote severalimportant treatises, and became aChevalier of the Légion de l’honneur. Nolonger a mere artisan, Reicha was now alearned professional who played a rolein the cultural life of the modern nation.

Reicha completed his Third Symphonyin 1808, just months before the pre-miere of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Sym-phony, with which it shares the rustickey of F major and some characteristicelements, including folksy dances andfaux peasant music. Both symphoniesshow the heritage of the 18th century,in which composers sought to infuse

their music with character and affectiveexpression. Consequently, they filledtheir works with allusions to evocativestyles and genres from everyday music,what scholars now call “topics.” LikeCherubini, Reicha mimicked the oper-atic ombra in his slow introduction,with sinister diminished fourths, starkunison lines, and menacing harmonies.The Allegro then begins with a learnedcontrapuntal theme in the “church trio”texture (two violins and bass). The tran-sition to the second key imitates the rag-ing tempesta scenes of Italian opera,while the second theme adopts thecantabile manner of a love aria. TheAdagio owes most to the pastoral tradi-tion. Like the finale of Beethoven’sSixth, it begins with a ranz des vaches,the Swiss Alpine melody for callingcows, from which rustic artifact Reichadrew the most elegant consequences.After a spirited Menuetto, the sym-phony ends with a tribute to Mozart’slast symphony. The alla breve Finalebegins like the “Jupiter” finale with achant-like motive in whole notes, whichundergoes rigorous contrapuntal devel-opment across the movement, capping aremarkably allusive and erudite work.

Anton ReichaBorn February 26, 1770, in Prague

Died May 28, 1836, in Paris

Symphony No. 3 in F majorU.S. PremiereWritten in 1808

On stage: 1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, timpani, 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 3 double bassesPerformance time: Approximately 36 minutes

Ferdinand Ries has ridden to fame onBeethoven’s coat tails, but a hearing ofhis eighth piano concerto leaves nodoubt that his music can stand on itsown. Ries was born into a musical fam-ily in Bonn, where his father taughtBeethoven. Ries relocated to Viennawhere he studied piano with Beethovenand played the premiere of his ThirdPiano Concerto, improvising his owncadenzas at Beethoven’s insistence. Hissubsequent career as a piano virtuosoled him to London, where he sojournedin 1813–24 before returning to theRhineland. The manuscript of the eighthpiano concerto, written two years afterhis return, bears the inscription “Greet-ing to the Rhine.” Ries would collabo-rate on a biography of Beethoven, oneof the most important primary sourcesfor the composer.

The opening Allegro con moto evokesthe Rhine with a broad rising theme inpastoral triple meter that outlines thetonic triad—precisely the same meansRichard Wagner would use to portraythe mythical river in Das Rheingold.

The movement follows the schemaestablished by Mozart and Beethoven,an alternation between orchestral andsolo passages governed by the tonaldialectic of sonata form. Unlike Mozartand Beethoven, however, Ries down-played the motivic development thatlends an intellectual counterbalance tothe Viennese solo concerto, highlightinginstead virtuosic display. The piano lux-uriates throughout the movement in thesort of bravura writing that Beethovenand Mozart had reserved for select pas-sages leading to major cadences. Riesalso relaxed the tonal plan of the Vien-nese concerto, modulating to the third-related key of C major in the manner ofSchubert. The Larghetto con moto revealsthe same Romantic freedom, decoratingthe hymn-like theme with a rhapsodiccoloratura that anticipates Chopin. Thefinal Allegro molto, a lively contredanserondo, provides further opportunitiesfor pianistic bravado. Ironically, Rieshas carefully notated all of these impro-visatory passages, instead of allowingthe performer a truly improvised cadenzaas Beethoven had done for him.

Ferdinand RiesBaptized November 28, 1784, in BonnDied January 13, 1838, in Frankfurt

Piano Concerto No. 8, Op. 151NY Premiere

Written in 1826On stage: 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 French horns, 2 trumpets, timpani,

12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 3 double basses, and solo pianoPerformance time: Approximately 29 minutes

Ludwig van BeethovenBaptized December 17, 1770, in Bonn

Died March 26, 1827, in Vienna

Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67Written in 1804–08

Premiered on December 22, 1808, at Theater an der Wien in Vienna conductedby Beethoven

On stage: 2 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon,2 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos,

and 3 double bassesPerformance time: Approximately 33 minutes

The Fifth Symphony debuted on a mon-umental concert of December 22, 1808,with the Sixth Symphony, Fourth PianoConcerto, and sundry vocal works. Theconcert marked the highpoint ofBeethoven’s “heroic” period, in whichhe had perfected a musical style whoseethical gravitas and monumentality drewinspiration from Cherubini, Méhul, andthe other composers of RevolutionaryFrance. In 1809, as the havoc wrought byNapoleon’s campaigns touched Beethovenmore intimately, he gradually lost histaste for militant public rhetoric. TheFifth Symphony captures the optimismof a moment in which the energiesunleashed by the French Revolutionstill promised a utopian outcome.

The utopian element is felt, above all, inthe Fifth Symphony’s single-mindedstruggle from C-minor pathos to C-major victory. The famous four-notemotive, stated in the first bars, propelsthe opening Allegro con brio relent-lessly with its “short-short-short-long”upbeat rhythm. The lyrical secondtheme offers a momentary respite, butthe motive persists in the lower strings,driving onward to the cadence. Thedevelopment will grind down themotive to a single note tossed between

strings and winds, before hammering ittogether in a harrowing recapitulation.The Andante con moto unfolds varia-tions on a beautiful A-flat major themeintroduced by the violas and cellos, buta triumphant martial theme in C majorrepeatedly interrupts the lyrical flow, asif pointing ahead to a radiant goal. Inthe scherzo, Beethoven abandonedusual binary dance form and alternatedinstead between two ideas, an eeriemelody in the low strings and an inex-orable horn call derived from the four-note rhythmic motive. The fugal trioprovides another hopeful glimpse of Cmajor, and when the scherzo resumesonly a ghostly shadow of the horn callreturns. Eventually, only a single noteremains in the timpani, which beats outthe four-note motive. This uncannypassage gathers steam and builds to theelectrifying arrival of the C-major Alle-gro, a joyous martial celebration. Forthe writer E. T. A. Hoffmann, the FifthSymphony awakened “that infiniteyearning which is the essence of roman-ticism,” but it also awakens moreworldly echoes of Revolutionary vic-tory marches. The symphony ends in ablaze of C major, assuring the listenerthat, in 1808 at least, the arc of humanhistory seemed to bend toward victory.

THE Artists

Leon Botstein brings a renownedcareer as both a conductor and educa-tor to his role as music director of TheOrchestra Now. He has been musicdirector of the American Symphony

Orchestra since 1992, artistic co-director of Bard SummerScape and theBard Music Festival since their cre-ation, and president of Bard Collegesince 1975. He was the music directorof the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestrafrom 2003 to 2011, and is now con-ductor laureate. Mr. Botstein is also afrequent guest conductor with orches-tras around the globe, has madenumerous recordings, and is a prolificauthor and music historian. He hasreceived many honors for his contri-butions to music. More info online atleonbotsteinmusicroom.com.

Mr. Botstein is represented worldwideby Susanna Stefani Caetani and in theUnited States by Columbia ArtistsManagement Inc.

LEON BOTSTEIN, Conductor

MATT DIN

E

Appearances: Wigmore Hall; five-timesoloist at the Proms; London Philhar-monic Orchestra; Seoul Spring Festival

of Chamber Music; performances inAustralia, the United Kingdom, France,and Belgium

Performances: Busoni’s Piano Concertoat Carnegie Hall; premieres of CarlVine’s second Piano Concerto writtenfor him, with the Sydney Symphonyand London Philharmonic

Upcoming: Wimbledon Festival; Ams-terdam Concertgebouw; recital tourof Australia

Discography: Chandos release of Schu-bert chamber music with Tasmin Little;Hyperion release of solo recordingPiers Lane Goes to Town, and six

PIERS LANE, Piano

KEITH SAUNDERS

works for piano and orchestra byMalcolm Williamson; ABC Classicsrelease of two Mozart concertos

Leadership: Artistic director of both theAustralian Festival of Chamber Music

and the 2016 Sydney InternationalPiano Competition of Australia

Honors: Queen’s Diamond JubileeHonors: Officer in the Order of Aus-tralia for services to music

Founded in 2015, The Orchestra Nowis an innovative training orchestra andmaster’s degree program at Bard Col-lege that is preparing a new generationof musicians to break down barriersbetween modern audiences and greatorchestral music of the past and pre-sent. Under the leadership of conduc-tor, educator, and music historian LeonBotstein, TON mines the wealth ofunderperformed repertoire, reimaginestraditional concert formats, and strivesto make the experience of the perform-ers a part of the listeners’ experience.At a TON concert, musicians and audi-ence inspire one another, each follow-ing their curiosity with a shared senseof adventure.

The musicians of TON hail from acrossthe United States and six other coun-tries: Hungary, Korea, China, Japan,Canada, and Venezuela. In addition to

a concert series at their home base—thestunning Frank Gehry-designed RichardB. Fisher Center for the PerformingArts at Bard College—they performmultiple concerts each season at CarnegieHall and offer free concerts at venuesacross the boroughs of New York Cityin the Around Town series. At the Met-ropolitan Museum of Art they joinLeon Botstein in the series Sight &Sound as he explores the places wheremusical and visual expression meet,pairing orchestral works with master-pieces from the museum’s collection.

In addition to Mr. Botstein and TON’sAssociate Conductor and AcademicDirector James Bagwell, guest conduc-tors in the inaugural season includeJoAnn Falletta, Marcelo Lehninger, andGerard Schwarz.

More info online at theorchestranow.org.

THE ORCHESTRA NOW

JITO LEE

Hometown: Burlington, Vermont

Alma mater: Eastman School of Music

Awards/Competitions: Winner, Dou-blestop Foundation Competition, 2015

Appearances: Opera Company of Mid-dlebury, Binghamton Philharmonic,New York String Orchestra, Moritz -burg Festival

Musical origins: I began playing doublebass in public school at the age of 14after having played trumpet, eupho-nium, and electric bass.

MICHAEL FRANZ, Bass

JITO LEE

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Alma mater: The Juilliard School

Favorite non-classical musician or band:Radiohead

Favorite composer fact: Mozart wrotedirty love letters to his cousin.

Most fun pieces to play: Mahler sym-phonies

Favorite movie: Boogie Nights

Musical origins: I began playing hornat the age of ten because it was the onlyinstrument I could get a sound out of.

If you could have a guest appearanceon any television show, which one: TheEric Andre Show

Dreamiest conductor: Valery Gergiev

Best song to play on repeat: Anythingby Radiohead

iPhone or Android: Banana phone

Favorite cartoon: Spongebob Squarepants

Advice for a group of people: Love

Musical guilty pleasure: Trashy hip-hop

PHILIP BRINDISE, Horn

MEET THE MusiciansJITO LEE

Hometown: Washington, Pennsylvania

Alma mater: Eastman School of Music;studied with Alan Harris, Anne Mar-tindale Williams, and Laura Evans

Awards/Competitions: Howard Han-son and Edna McLaughlin Merit Schol-arships, Eastman School of Music;master class performances for distin-guished artists, including the Dover andPacifica Quartets, Joseph Silverstein,and Amir Eldan

Appearances: Meadowmount School ofMusic; National Orchestral Institute;Credo Chamber Music Program; Castle-man Quartet Program; Brevard SummerMusic Festival; solo appearances withthe Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, Pitts-burgh Civic, and Washington Sym-phony orchestras

Favorite non-classical musician or band:Ella Fitzgerald, my muse

Favorite composer fact: In addition tobeing a composer (and a self-taught cel-list), Alexander Borodin was also achemist and is credited for being a sig-nificant source of encouragement to hisfriend, Dmitri Mendeleyev, in his effortsto create the Periodic Table of Elements.

Musical origins: I began playing celloat the age of seven because my momdidn’t want to buy a harp and trickedme into playing a different stringinstrument. Thank goodness! Cello isdifficult enough to tote around! I nowplay both baroque cello and viola dagamba, have studied jazz cello, andwas at one point in a cello pop bandcalled Cello Show.

Time-travel destination: Easy. I’d wantto see some dinosaurs!

Favorite soundtrack: I like the sound-track for Out of Africa.

Instagram: @cellonor

ELEANOR LEE, CelloJIT

O LEE

FluteThomas J. Wible,

Principal (first half)Victor Wang, Principal

(second half)

OboeZachary Boeding,

Principal (first half)Aleh Remezau,

Principal (secondhalf)

ClarinetElias Rodriguez,

Principal (first half)Sangwon Lee,

Principal (secondhalf)

BassoonWade Coufal,

Principal (first half)Cathryn Gaylord,

Principal (Ries)Dávid A. Nagy,

Principal(Beethoven)

HornPhilip Brindise,

Principal (first half)Shannon Hagan,

Principal (secondhalf)

Jordan Miller

TrumpetSzabolcs Koczur,

Principal (Ries)Zachary Silberschlag,

Principal(Beethoven)

TimpaniJonathan Wisner

Violin IAndrés Rivas,

ConcertmasterBrenna Hardy-

Kavanagh Michael RauMia Laity Shushi HoriLili Sarayrah

Violin IIAdina Mu-Ying Tsai,

PrincipalHolly JenkinsGrace ChoiYouyang Qu Haemi Lee Dawon Eileen Suh

(on leave)

ViolaOmar Shelly, PrincipalDavid Mason Bonnie Heung Scot Moore

CelloEleanor Lee, PrincipalTaylor Skiff Andrew Borkowski Hui Zhang

BassMichael Franz,

PrincipalJulian LampertMilad Daniari

Guest musicians forthis concert

PiccoloKelly Herrmann

TromboneDaniel LindenHitomi GarciaBenjamin Oatmen

Violin IISarah Zun

THE ORCHESTRA NOWLeon Botstein, Conductor, Music Director

David E. Schwab II ’52, Chair EmeritusCharles P. Stevenson Jr., ChairEmily H. Fisher, Vice ChairGeorge F. Hamel Jr., Vice ChairElizabeth Ely ’65, Secretary; Life TrusteeStanley A. Reichel ’65, Treasurer, Life TrusteeFiona AngeliniRoland J. AugustineLeon Botstein+, President of the CollegeStuart Breslow+Mark E. BrossmanThomas M. Burger+James C. Chambers ’81Marcelle Clements ’69, Life TrusteeCraig Cogut The Rt. Rev. Andrew M. L. Dietsche,

Honorary TrusteeAsher B. Edelman ’61, Life TrusteePaul S. Efron Robert S. Epstein ’63Barbara S. Grossman ’73, Alumni/ae Trustee

Andrew S. GundlachSally HambrechtMarieluise HesselMaja HoffmannMatina S. Horner+Charles S. Johnson III ’70 Mark N. Kaplan, Life TrusteeGeorge A. KellnerPaul S. LevyFredric S. Maxik ’86James H. Ottaway Jr., Life TrusteeMartin Peretz, Life TrusteeStewart Resnick, Life TrusteeRoger N. Scotland ’93, Alumni/ae TrusteeJonathan Slone ’84James A. von KlempererBrandon Weber ’97, Alumni/ae TrusteeSusan WeberPatricia Ross Weis ’52

+ ex officio

BARD COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Artistic StaffLeon Botstein, Music DirectorJames Bagwell, Associate Conductor and

Academic DirectorZachary Schwartzman, Resident ConductorErica Kiesewetter, Director of Chamber and

Audition Preparation

Administrative StaffLynne Meloccaro, Executive DirectorOliver Inteeworn, Managing DirectorBrian J. Heck, Director of MarketingSebastian Danila, Librarian and ResearcherNicole M. de Jesús, Development ManagerMarielle Metivier, Orchestra ManagerCarley Gooley, Marketing AssistantBenjamin Oatmen, LibrarianKristin Roca, Administrative Assistant

THE ORCHESTRA NOW ADMINISTRATION

THE TON FUND

Make an important investment in a new generation of musicians who are redefining what itmeans to be an orchestra.

Through a gift to The TON Fund, you will help to inspire and support TON graduate stu-dents and their education.

TON students are select musicians who hail from the finest conservatories across the UnitedStates and abroad. They are completing a rigorous, three-year academic program leading toa master’s of curatorial, critical and performance studies. In addition to tackling interdisci-plinary coursework, they prepare and perform in professional concerts, and create musiceducation programs.

Your tax-deductible contributions to The TON Fund will support student living stipends,fellowships, and health benefits; concerts at Bard College, Carnegie Hall, the MetropolitanMuseum of Art, and other venues around New York City; TON’s teaching artist program,which provides opportunities for TON musicians to design and implement community out-reach projects with mid-Hudson schools, regional concert series, and community music edu-cation programs; purchase and care for instruments such as timpani and pianos, scores, andlibrary acquisitions; and more.

To donate online, or for more information, visit THEORCHESTRANOW.ORG/SUPPORT.

To explore how your gift can support TON or to become more involved, please contactNicole M. de Jesús, Development Manager, at (845) 758-7624 or ndejesus@bard.edu.

JITO LEE

STRAUSS, WATTEAU & NOSTALGIAMusic by Richard Strauss & Artwork by Antoine WatteauPart of the Sight & Sound series Sunday, February 7, at 2 p.m.

MAHLER & BRUCHat the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard CollegeSaturday, February 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, February 14, at 3 p.m.

FREE CONCERT IN MIDTOWNHaydn, Stravinsky, & David Diamond conducted by Gerard SchwarzSunday, February 28, at 3 p.m.

FREE CONCERT IN BROOKLYNBeethoven, Copland, & Ives conducted by James BagwellFriday, March 18, at 8 p.m.

More information available at theorchestranow.org.

THE ORCHESTRA NOW WINTER 2016 SCHEDULE