BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021 | NOON
Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage Raleigh
ARAM DEMIRJIAN
AUGUSTIN HADELICH
The North Carolina Symphony, in grateful acknowledgment of its generous grant-in-aid, performs under the auspices of the State of North Carolina, the Honorable Roy Cooper, Governor.
CARLOS SIMON
The North Carolina Symphony gratefully acknowledges financial support from Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and the Town of Cary.
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BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 4
FRI, MAY 28, 2021 | NOON Brett Mitchell, conductor Joan Tower: Chamber Dance Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
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ncsymphony.org | 919.733.2750 | 877.627.6724 2 • NORTH CAROLINA SYMPHONY
ALE ON SOW N
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE FILMED AT
BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO Friday, May 14, 2021 | Noon
Filmed and recorded live from Meymandi Concert Hall Woolner Stage
Raleigh Aram Demirjian, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin Joseph Peters, host
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 (1770-1827) II. Allegretto Carlos Simon (b. 1986)
Fate Now Conquers
Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 I. Allegro, ma non troppo II. Larghetto III. Rondo: Allegro Augustin Hadelich, violin
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ABOUT THE MUSIC
Allegretto from Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 9 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN THE STORY:
• Beethoven conducted the premiere of his Symphony No. 7 in Vienna, at a concert performed to benefit soldiers wounded a few months earlier in the battle of Hanau in the Napoleonic Wars. Already losing his hearing, it was the last public performance he would conduct. • Beethoven remarked at the premiere that it was one of his best works, and the public tended to agree. One early review called the symphony “the crown of modern instrumental music.” (Still, there were at least two dissenters: Carl Maria von Weber heard the symphony as evidence that Beethoven was “ready for the madhouse” and Friedrich Wieck—father of Clara Schumann—believed the music could have only been written by someone who was seriously intoxicated.) • The second movement, Allegretto, was the most popular and had to be encored at the premiere. It became common for this movement to stand on its own. • The Allegretto had a tremendous influence on later works, such as the slow movements of Schubert’s “Great” Symphony and Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony. • The Allegretto is much darker than the rest of the Seventh Symphony, reminiscent of a funeral march. LISTEN FOR:
• The opening melody, a repeated rhythmic figure (a quarter note, two eighth notes, and two tied quarter notes), which is first played in the cellos and violas, passed to the second violins, and continues to play an important role throughout the movement • A gradual building of intensity throughout the movement, followed by a gradual thinning of the orchestration • The unstable chord in the winds—A minor, but with the E rather than A at the bottom of the chord—that both begins and concludes the movement
Fate Now Conquers CARLOS SIMON THE STORY:
• Carlos Simon composed Fate Now Conquers in 2020, on commission from The Philadelphia Orchestra in partnership with composer Gabriela Lena Frank, as a reflection on Beethoven’s legacy.
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• The work was inspired by the Allegretto from Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and by a passage from Homer’s Iliad that Beethoven copied into his notebook in 1815: But Fate now conquers; I am hers, and yet not she shall share in my renown; that life is left to every noble spirit. And that some great deed shall beget that all lives shall inherit. • This idea was clearly aligned with Beethoven’s outlook: Struggling with deafness, he once declared, “I will seize Fate by the throat; it shall certainly not crush me completely.” • About Fate Now Conquers, Carlos Simon writes: Using the beautifully fluid harmonic structure of the second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, I have composed musical gestures that are representative of the unpredictable ways of fate. We know that Beethoven strived to overcome many obstacles in his life and documented his aspirations to prevail, despite his ailments. Whatever the specific reason for including this particularly profound passage from the Iliad, in the end, it seems that Beethoven relinquished to fate. My personal process was to remind myself to just get out of the way and to not think too much. Beethoven is and was a MUSICAL GIANT! I wanted to pay homage to Beethoven, yet remain true to my artistic voice. This meant trying to find similarities between Beethoven’s music and my own. This is part of the intent of the piece— releasing one’s expectations and hoping for the best. LISTEN FOR:
• Beethoven’s melody from the Allegretto in elongated form, sometimes framing the frenetic rhythms • Following the opening, a sequence of descending thirds in the woodwinds and cellos, which is borrowed from Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony • Cinematic energy, with the work unfolding like an action sequence—Simon is both a concert music and film music composer
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61 LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN THE STORY:
• Beethoven composed his only Violin Concerto for the violinist Franz Clement, who premiered it in 1806. Beethoven finished writing the violin part so late that the soloist is said to have had to sight-read part of his performance. • Beethoven had already composed four symphonies when he began the Violin Concerto, and its expansiveness is reflective of symphonic writing—it is longer, by about 15 minutes, than any other violin concerto that had been written up to that point.
LISTEN FOR:
• The unaccompanied timpani strokes that begin the concerto—this “theme” reoccurs in the violins and then the horns later in the first movement • In the second movement, the soloist’s two variations on the pastoral main theme, which is first introduced in the strings • The soloist’s imitation of hunting horns with the opening tune on the violin’s lowest string, the G string, at the beginning of the third movement
• The concerto was not particularly well received, in part because of its unconventional elements—for example, it is a full three minutes before we hear from the soloist, who enters in an improvisatory style. • Beethoven’s Violin Concerto fell into obscurity for several decades until the 12-year-old prodigy Joseph Joachim performed it in London with Felix Mendelssohn conducting.
Thank you to the North Carolina Symphony Society Board of Trustees, the North Carolina Symphony Foundation Board, the North Carolina Symphony Chapter Boards, and the many individuals, businesses, foundations, and community partners who support the North Carolina Symphony through contributions each season. Our performances this season, along with our extensive music education program and community service across the state, are made possible by your support. View North Carolina Symphony board members here and a list of our supporters here.
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Thank you to the members of the Lamar Stringfield Society who support the future of your North Carolina Symphony with estate gifts and endowed funds. Their generosity will help the orchestra share the power of music for generations to come.
Want to make music part of your legacy? To learn more about including the Symphony in your estate plans, contact Rebecca Watkins, Director of Major Gifts & Planning Giving, rwatkins@ncsymphony.org or 919.789.5497
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS Aram Demirjian, conductor Conductor Aram Demirjian is the 2020 recipient of The Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award from The Solti Foundation U.S. He is Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, which was selected in 2020 to be featured at SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras, presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Washington Performing Arts.
As a guest conductor, Aram has worked with many orchestras, including the Detroit and Indianapolis symphony orchestras; the Houston and Omaha symphonies; frequent appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra; and international engagements in Canada, Mexico, and Europe. He makes debuts this season with the North Carolina, San Diego, and Santa Rosa symphonies. In addition to being honored with the 2020 Solti Award, Aram also received the 2017 and 2019 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards; a 2018 Solti Foundation U.S. Buccheri Opera Residency with Lyric Opera of Chicago; and the 2011 Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize from the Aspen Music Festival, where he was a three-time Conducting Fellow in the Aspen Conducting Academy. From 2012 to 2016, he served as Associate Conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. American born and of Armenian descent, Aram holds degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory.
Augustin’s most recent recording, the six sonatas and partitas of J. S. Bach, was released in April 2021. Among his other recordings are the violin concertos of Dvořák, Sibelius, Brahms, Ligeti, and Tchaikovsky. His most recent concerts with the North Carolina Symphony featured the Sibelius Violin Concerto, in Raleigh and Chapel Hill. Born in Italy, the son of German parents, Augustin holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School and is now an American citizen. His honors include the Gold Medal of the 2006 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis and, in 2015, the inaugural Warner Music Prize. He plays the violin “Leduc, ex-Szeryng” by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù of 1744, generously loaned by a patron through the Tarisio Trust. Joseph Peters, host Joseph Peters has been North Carolina Symphony Associate Principal Oboe and English Horn since 2018, and previously held Principal Oboe chairs with the Minnesota Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. To his role as host for this season’s streaming concerts, Joseph brings a great love for teaching and communication. He has also conducted the Symphony twice, most recently for Music From the Movies in March. Please find bios for orchestra personnel performing on today’s concert linked on the following page.
Augustin Hadelich, violin Augustin Hadelich was named 2018 “Instrumentalist of the Year” by Musical America magazine and won a 2016 Grammy Award for “Best Classical Instrumental Solo.” He has performed with major orchestras throughout North America and across the world, among them the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. His worldwide presence includes engagements in the Americas, Asia, and Europe, including the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, where he was named Associate Artist starting with the 2019/20 season.
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ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL Grant Llewellyn, Music Director Laureate The Maxine and Benjamin Swalin Chair
Janet Gayer Hall
Wesley Schulz, Associate Conductor The Lucy Moore Ruffin Chair
Anton Shelepov
VIOLIN I Brian Reagin, Concertmaster The Annabelle Lundy Fetterman Chair Dovid Friedlander, Associate Concertmaster** The Assad Meymandi and Family Chair Karen Strittmatter Galvin, Associate Concertmaster* To Be Filled, Assistant Concertmaster The Anne Heartt Gregory Chair
Oskar Ozolinch
Jeanine Wynton VIOLA Samuel Gold, Principal The Florence Spinks and Charles Jacob Cate and Alma Yondorf and Sylvan Hirschberg Chair Kurt Tseng, Associate Principal The Betty Ellen Madry Chair To Be Filled, Assistant Principal Petra Berényi
DOUBLE BASS Leonid Finkelshteyn, Principal The Martha and Peyton Woodson Chair Robert K. Anderson, Associate Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Preston H. Gada Chair Craig Brown The Mark W. McClure Foundation Chair Erik Dyke The Harllee H. and Pauline G. Jobe Chair Bruce Ridge The John C. and Margaret P. Parker Chair FLUTE Anne Whaley Laney, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. George M. Stephens Chair
Robert Anemone**
Paul Malcolm
Emily Rist Glover The Jessie Wyatt Ethridge Chair
Christine Martin
Mary E. Boone, Assistant Principal The Dr. and Mrs. Shaler Stidham, Jr. Chair
Amy Mason The J. Sidney Kirk Chair
Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jack and Sing Boddie Chair
Paul Goldsberry The Richard and Joy Cook Chair So Yun Kim The Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. Chair Marilyn Kouba The Phyllis (“Pat”) Conrad Wells Chair Eric McCracken The James C. Byrd and Family Chair Maria Meyer The Tom and Mary Mac Bradshaw Chair Eileen Wynne The Harvey At-Large Chair Erin Zehngut The J. Felix Arnold Chair VIOLIN II Jacqueline Saed Wolborsky, Principal The Nancy Finch Wallace Chair
Sandra Schwarcz The Samuel H. and Anne Latham Johnson Viola Chair CELLO Bonnie Thron, Principal The June and Tom Roberg Chair Elizabeth Beilman, Associate Principal The Sarah Carlyle Herbert Dorroh Chair Peng Li, Assistant Principal Anonymously Endowed Yewon Ahn Anonymously Endowed Sunrise Kim The William Charles Rankin Chair David Meyer The Nell Hirschberg Chair
PICCOLO Elizabeth Anderton Lunsford The Jean Dunn Williams Chair OBOE Melanie Wilsden, Principal The Hardison and Stoltze Chair Joseph Peters, Associate Principal The Lizette T. Dunham Chair Sandra Posch The Clarence and Alice Aycock Poe Chair ENGLISH HORN Joseph Peters The Bruce and Margaret King Chair
To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Blanche Martin Shaw Chair
Lisa Howard Shaughnessy The Sara Wilson Hodgkins Chair
CLARINET Samuel Almaguer, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Walker, II Chair
David Kilbride, Assistant Principal
Nathaniel Yaffe The Secretary of Cultural Resources Betty Ray McCain Chair
To Be Filled, Assistant Principal The Kathryn Powell and Green Flavie Cooper Chair
Qi Cao
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BASSOON Aaron Apaza, Principal The Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald S. Hudson Chair Wenmin Zhang, Assistant Principal The Beethoven Chair FRENCH HORN Rebekah Daley, Principal The Mary T. McCurdy Chair Kimberly Van Pelt, Associate Principal The James Marion Poyner Chair Christopher Caudill The Roger Colson and Bobbi Lyon Hackett Chair Rachel Niketopoulos The Paul R. Villard and Gabriel Wolf Chair To Be Filled The Mary Susan Kirk Fulghum Chair TRUMPET Paul Randall, Principal The George Smedes Poyner Chair To Be Filled, Associate Principal The Henry and Martha Zaytoun and Family Chair Don Eagle Anonymously Endowed
TROMBONE John Ilika, Principal The Thomas Warwick Steed, Jr. Family Chair Jonathan Randazzo, Assistant Principal The Frances Armour Bryant Chair BASS TROMBONE Matthew Neff Anonymously Endowed TUBA Seth Horner, Principal The Governor and Mrs. James G. Martin, Jr. Chair HARP Anita Burroughs-Price Vonda Darr TIMPANI Colin Hartnett, Principal The Patricia R., Steven T. and George F. Hackney III Chair PERCUSSION Richard Motylinski, Principal The Margery and Earl Johnson, Jr. Chair Rajesh Prasad, Assistant Principal The Abram and Frances Pascher Kanof Chair
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ORGAN To Be Filled The Albert and Susan Jenkins and Family Organ Chair LIBRARY Stephanie Wilson, Principal The Mary Colvert and Banks C. Talley Chair *Acting position **Leave of absence Named musician chairs are made possible through very meaningful gifts to the Symphony’s endowment. As such, these donor families are also members of the Lamar Stringfield Society. Learn more. All string players rotate stands on a periodic basis in each section with the exception of titled players: Principals, Associate Principals, and Assistant Principals. The North Carolina Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians. The North Carolina Master Chorale is the Resident Chorus of the North Carolina Symphony. The North Carolina Symphony Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generous gift of the Lupot violin from Arnold and Zena Lerman.
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CORPORATE SUPPORT 2020/21 SEASON The North Carolina Symphony is grateful for the generous support of the many corporations across the state that have partnered with us to sustain and advance the mission of the orchestra. With their help, the music WILL play on.
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