CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 8:00 PM

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
Janine Jansen, Violin

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2 in E Minor

Encores:
PROKOFIEV Commodo (quasi Allegretto) from Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56 (with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Concertmaster Vesko Eschkenazy)
SIBELIUS Valse triste, Op. 44, No. 1

Program is approximately 2 hours, including one intermission

Sponsored by Toshiba Corporation

Program Notes:

JEAN SIBELIUS (1865–1957)
Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47

About the Composer

Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born in the middle of one century—December 8, 1865, 10 days before the 13th Amendment was passed, banning slavery—and died well into the next—September 20, 1957, five days before nine African American students started school at Little Rock Central High. As a young man, he dreamed of becoming a violin virtuoso, taking up the instrument at age 15, but never made it as a concert artist. Sibelius auditioned for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which judged his playing “not at all bad,” but declined to seat him. His focus then shifted to composing.

Though now proclaimed a national hero in Finland, Sibelius grew up speaking Swedish, the language of the cultural and political elite. He studied music at the Helsinki Music Institute, where he developed a greater interest in the Finnish language, history, and literature. After a sojourn in Vienna, he committed himself to forging a Finnish national music with such works as the First Symphony (1899) and Finlandia (1900). The latter is an unabashed call-to-arms against Russian rule that found fame as an unofficial national anthem.


About the Work

Sibelius composed the Violin Concerto between 1903 and 1904, completing the full score around New Year’s in 1904. Immediately after its premiere that February, the composer withdrew the work for revision; in 1905, Richard Strauss directed the second performance, a sort of re-premiere, in Berlin. In 1990, the Sibelius estate approved a performance and recording of the original version, which includes a second cadenza in the manner of a Bach chaconne that was previously omitted.


A Closer Listen

One of the most striking features of the first movement is the placement of the cadenza, the brilliant solo passage. Typically, a cadenza comes close to the end; here, however, it takes the place of the development in a three-part, sonata-allegro form (exposition, development, and recapitulation).

The exposition presents two musical subjects. The first, introduced by the solo violin, is a moody sigh of a melody with modal harmonies that are not so clearly in D minor, but rather more vague, more elusive, and melancholic. A long, technically challenging passage for violin separates the two themes. The second, announced by the violin section as the soloist enjoys a rare break, is unabashedly romantic. A flashy cadenza stands in place of the development, and the recapitulation brings back the first and second themes.

The lyrical Adagio recalls a song without words, in the manner of Mendelssohn, whose influence is felt elsewhere in the concerto. In contrast, the bombastic finale (in rondo form) assumes a martial tone with driving rhythms. Sibelius asks great things of his soloist, especially in the final movement. Among the catalogue of virtuosic violin techniques are double- and triple-stops (two or three notes played at a time as a chord), sweeping scales, arpeggios (broken chords), string-crossings, and harmonics (the ghostly traces of pitches). Though many concertos feature a dialogue between soloist and orchestra to create a more symphonic texture, here the soloist reigns supreme—hardly ever pausing, always in control, driving the ensemble to a stunning and abrupt conclusion.




SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873–1943)
Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27

About the Composer

Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff studied piano at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. After his sister’s untimely death from diphtheria and his parents’ separation, he failed his general subjects and transferred to the Moscow Conservatory. In 1890, he began to spend summers at Ivanovka, an estate (owned by relatives) some 600 kilometers southeast of Moscow. The vast majority of his music would be composed there.

Rachmaninoff’s graduation piece, the one-act opera Aleko, earned him the Great Gold Medal in 1892. A few years later, he began writing his first major orchestral work, the Symphony No. 1 in D Minor. Its premiere was a complete disaster, and Rachmaninoff was devastated. He all but stopped composing and took up a career as a conductor, finding success leading opera at the Bolshoi Theatre. He redeemed his reputation as a composer with the wildly popular Second Piano Concerto (1901); the piece is dedicated to Nikolai Dahl, the hypnotist and therapist whom Rachmaninoff credited with curing his depression.

Just before Christmas 1917, in the face of political turmoil, Rachmaninoff and his family fled Russia for good. He turned to performing to make a living in the West, landing in the US in November 1918 for a successful (and lucrative) tour that comprised some 40 concerts in four months. He purchased a New York City townhouse at 33 Riverside Drive, near 72nd Street, though his last years were spent in Los Angeles, where he died in 1943. Rachmaninoff is buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, alongside his wife and one of their daughters.


About the Work

Seeking respite from his duties at the Bolshoi and with an eye toward composing again, Rachmaninoff went to Dresden in November 1906 and there finished his Second Symphony. In a letter from January 1908, the composer detailed its genesis: The first movement took the longest by far—three months; the other movements each took less than one. Rachmaninoff himself conducted its premiere in St. Petersburg. Unlike his First Symphony, the Second was well received. “How fresh, how beautiful it is!” extolled one listener. The length didn’t seem to matter to audiences at the time, but the hourlong symphony was subject to many cuts in later decades, reducing its length to a mere 35 minutes. Rachmaninoff himself only excised some 10 minutes, and most contemporary performances restore all that had once been lost.


A Closer Listen

The slow introduction begins with a brooding, oscillating motto in the basses that unifies the four movements of the symphony. The first movement proper gets underway after the English horn solo, and the first theme in the strings is based on the opening motto. The second theme—more lighthearted and in a major key—falls first to the winds, then to the strings and horns. The development is announced by the solo violin and focuses on the motto and first theme, reaching multiple searing climaxes and concluding with a dramatic series of horn fanfares. After a noticeable drop in volume, the motto theme returns to usher in the recapitulation. A new theme in a major key appears in the strings; this final section is otherwise preoccupied with the second theme.

The second-movement scherzo divides into a tripartite A-B-A form: A is a colorful gallop replete with horn calls and tinkling bells; a short clarinet solo introduces the B section and its lush, broad melody in the violins, so typical of Rachmaninoff’s music. The trio begins with a bang—literally—and features a stunning fugue with staggered entrances and overlapping lines. The scherzo returns, and the movement closes with a coda for brass that recalls the familiar chant, Dies irae, from the Requiem.

The beginning of the Adagio showcases another memorable melody (derived from the motto) by way of introducing the first theme in the clarinet. Hints of the motto appear in the violins, moving now at a faster pace. The finale in E major recalls not only the opening motto but also the gorgeous, romantic melody from the third movement, as well as the brass theme from the second in a concluding farewell.

—Elizabeth Bergman

© 2010 The Carnegie Hall Corporation

More Information:

Sumptuous music of the Romantic repertoire from two of its greatest exponents. Sibelius is the grander of the two, and Rachmaninoff the more yearning. But both are unapologetic writers of melody and speak with pure emotion, directly to the heart.

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor
Mariss Jansons, Chief Conductor

"The most important thing is absolute commitment to the orchestra." With these words, Mariss Jansons described his role as Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, a position he has held for the last five years. He is the sixth conductor to have held this post since the orchestra was founded in 1888. Originally from Latvia, Mr. Jansons studied violin and conducting in Leningrad, and continued his studies with Hans Swarowsky in Vienna and Herbert von Karajan in Salzburg. In 1973, he was appointed Yevgeny Mravinsky's assistant with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, which his father, Arv?ds, had also conducted.

From 1979 to 2000, Mr. Jansons served as music director of the Oslo-Filharmonien and brought it to great international acclaim. He has made numerous appearances throughout the world as a guest conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the Vienna and London philharmonic orchestras, as well as the leading orchestras in the US. He was appointed music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1997, and Music Director of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2003. He relinquished his post in Pittsburgh in 2004 to assume the position of Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, having previously made guest appearances with the RCO nearly every year since his first performance with the orchestra in 1988.

Mr. Jansons has received various distinctions for his achievements, including the Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, conferred on him by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. He is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna. Latvia's highest honor, the Three-Star Order, was conferred on him in 2006.



Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Established in 1888, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is one of the world's most prestigious symphony orchestras. Composer and conductor Richard Strauss described it as "magnificent, full of youthful vigor and enthusiasm" in 1897. The orchestra was conferred Royal status by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1988.

The RCO's character has been shaped by several generations of musicians, a longstanding collaboration with each of the six chief conductors since its founding, and the unique acoustic properties of the Concertgebouw's main hall. The orchestra has gained widespread acclaim for its velvety strings, golden brass, and an exceptional and personal timbre of its woodwinds.

During the leadership of chief conductor Willem Mengelberg (1895–1945), composers such as R. Strauss, Mahler, Debussy, and Stravinsky conducted the ROC. Other luminaries—such as Bartók, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev—performed their own works as soloists. This crucial bond with contemporary composers continued with Bruno Maderna, Witold Lutoslawski, Peter Schat, Otto Ketting, and Luciano Berio, and continues with Hans Werner Henze, Pierre Boulez, and John Adams, among others.

The RCO's interpretations of the late Romantic repertoire have earned it great international acclaim. It began a tradition of performing Mahler through performances led by the composer himself, and continued it under Bernard Haitink through recordings of the complete symphonies and the Christmas Matinée concert series of Mahler works. Under the leadership of Eduard van Beinum (1945–1959), the symphonies of Anton Bruckner also became a vital part of the orchestra's repertoire.

The arrival of Chief Conductor Mariss Jansons in 2004 marked a new phase for the RCO, which has expanded its repertoire to include such major 20th-century composers as Shostakovich and Messiaen. Mr. Jansons has also conducted a broad repertoire that ranges from Haydn and Mozart, to contemporary Dutch compositions and a commissioned work by Henze.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has made over 1,100 audio and video recordings. Its remarkable list of guest conductors includes Arthur Nikisch, Karl Muck, Bruno Walter, Otto Klemperer, Rafael Kubelik, Pierre Monteux, Eugen Jochum, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, George Szell, Carlos Kleiber, and Leonard Bernstein, among many others. It makes its home at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, a concert hall designed by architect A. L. van Gendt.

Janine Jansen, Violin
Janine Jansen, Violin

Dutch-born Janine Jansen made her Concertgebouw debut in 1997 and has since been internationally recognized as one of the great violinists. Following her London debut in 2002 with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, she was invited to perform with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras, and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, among others. She has also worked with such eminent conductors as Lorin Maazel, Valery Gergiev, Riccardo Chailly, Neeme Järvi, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Ms. Jansen has an exclusive recording contract with Decca (Universal Music). Each one of her five albums was awarded a Platinum Disc for sales in the Netherlands. Her latest release is a recording of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and Souvenir d'un lieu cher with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Daniel Harding.

Highlights of the 2009–2010 season include performances with the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. She tours Spain and the US with the RCO under Mariss Jansons, which follows another US tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra earlier in the season. Tours with the HR-Sinfonieorchester, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields are also planned.

This season, Ms. Jansen has been invited to curate a Carte Blanche series at the Concertgebouw that includes an innovative choreography project with regular chamber partners Martin Fröst and Itamar Golan, and choreographers Emio Greco and Pieter Scholten; an education project with Aleksey Igudesman; and concerts with Münchner Philharmoniker.

A devoted performer of chamber music, Ms. Jansen established and curates the annual International Chamber Music Festival in Utrecht. Since 1998, she has also been a member of Spectrum Concerts Berlin, an important chamber music series at the Philharmonie (Berlin). Her chamber partners include Leif Ove Andsnes, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mischa Maisky, and Julian Rachlin.

Ms. Jansen studied with Coosje Wijzenbeek, Philipp Hirshhorn, and Boris Belkin. A former BBC New Generation Artist, she received the Dutch Music Prize from the Ministry of Culture—the highest distinction an artist can receive in the Netherlands—in 2003. Her other awards include the Edison Classic Public Award, an Echo Award, an NDR Musikpreis, and an RPS Music Award. She performs on a violin made by Antonio Stradivari, the "Barrere" (Cremona, 1727), on extended loan from the Elise Mathilde Fund.