MEET THE MUSIC
Wed 31 Jul 6.30pmThu 1 Aug 6.30pm
WAGNER MADNESS
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WELCOME
On behalf of the Australian Institute of Music (AIM), Silver Partner of the Sydney Symphony, I would like to extend our warmest welcome to Wagner Madness, the third program in the Meet the Music series.
In true Meet the Music spirit, you’ll hear an Australian conductor and an Australian soloist, as well as the Wagner-inspired music of Perth composer, James Ledger. The strength of musical talent in this country is inspiring and bodes well for the future of Australian music.
It’s a future in which AIM plays a part: fostering creativity, innovation, participation and personal growth, and recognising the importance of music within our community. For this reason, we are very pleased to be the Presenting Partner of Meet the Music and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
We hope you enjoy tonight’s concert – and the enlightening commentary that always accompanies the Meet the Music performances.
Prof. Ian BofingerExecutive DeanAustralian Institute of Music
THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY
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THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY
PRESENTING PARTNER
2013 season meet the musicpresented by australian institute of musicWednesday 31 July | 6.30pmThursday 1 August | 6.30pmSydney Opera House Concert Hall
Wagner MadnessNicholas Carter CONDUCTOR Janet Webb FLUTE
Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)Symphony No. 96 in D (Miracle)Adagio – AllegroAndanteMenuetto (Allegretto)Finale. Vivace (assai)
Lowell Liebermann (born 1961)Flute Concerto, Op.39ModeratoMolto adagioPresto
INTERVAL
James Ledger (born 1966)The Madness and Death of King Ludwig
Richard Wagner (1813–1883)Highlights from Die Meistersingerarr. HutschenruyterPrelude to Act IIIDance of the ApprenticesProcession of the Meistersinger
The Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre
This concert will be introduced by Andrew Ford, award-winning composer, writer and broadcaster, and presenter of The Music Show on ABC Radio National.
Thursday’s performance will be recorded for later broadcast by ABC Classic FM.
Pre-concert talk by Kim Waldock in conversation with James Ledger at 5.45pm in the Northern Foyer.
Estimated durations: 20 minutes, 25 minutes, 20-minute interval, 9 minutes, 13 minutes, 5 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 8.25pm.
COVER IMAGE:
The Ride of the Valkryies by William T Maud (1865–1903)PRIVATE COLLECTION / © GAVIN GRAHAM GALLERY,
LONDON / THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY
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A Celebrity in London
JOSEPH HAYDN Austrian composer (1732–1809)
Symphony No.96 in D (Miracle)
Haydn arrived in London early in 1791 – he was 58 years old. Almost immediately, he was hard at work composing music for his fi rst season with the impresario Johann Peter Salomon. On his to do list: a pair of symphonies (Nos 96 and 95) and an opera, as well as many smaller works. He’d also brought with him two existing symphonies (Nos 90 and 92) as a standby; they would be new to London audiences. He accidentally left No.91 behind in Vienna and had to send for it.
Meanwhile, Haydn was swept up in a whirl of diplomatic, social and media commitments – he was the most famous composer in Europe.
Salomon’s subscription series was planned to launch in less than six weeks. Even Haydn could hardly have guaranteed his new Symphony No.96 in such circumstances. Two delays put off the opening until Friday 11 March, by which time Symphony No.96 was probably well and truly ready. It’s generally thought that this was the symphony played at that fi rst concert, although there is also circumstantial evidence suggesting that No.92 (the ‘Oxford’) was played.
The symphony calls for pairs of fl utes, oboes, bassoons, horns and trumpets as well as timpani and strings. One of its distinctive features was the powerful writing for the trumpets and drums, and Haydn deliberately positioned the drums on a raised central platform behind the rest of the orchestra, for maximum eff ect.
Heard with this pyramidal orchestral layout and with his highly accomplished 40-piece band in the 800-seat Hanover Square Room, there is little doubt that the impact of Haydn’s fi rst London Symphony would have made it a worthy salute from the world’s most acclaimed composer to the world’s greatest metropolis.
The press found it to be the ‘most wonderful’ composition, praised for its ‘grandeur of subject’ and ‘rich variety of air and passion’.
Symphony No.96
ABOUT THE MUSIC
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Navigating the symphonyThe fi rst movement begins with a solemn and dramatic introduction (Adagio). A brief solo for the oboe signals the transition into the main Allegro. This is perfectly formed in two balanced sections, each repeated. The fi rst section creates expectation, its single theme presented with elegance and spirit. The second gives satisfaction, as Haydn expands on and digresses from his musical material. Then Haydn-the-wit takes the stage: suspending play for two whole bars before returning to the opening material, and then, just ten bars before the end, he plunges into the minor mode, fortissimo! Knowing the London audience would delight in being startled a second time, Haydn makes a rare repeat of the second half of the movement.
In the delicate slow movement (Andante), two solo violins (one of whom would have been Salomon – concertmaster as well as impresario) take centre stage and the woodwinds are highlighted. This would have appealed to the English taste for concertos with multiple soloists.
The minuet is thoroughly Austrian, with an attractive oboe solo in the central trio section, which is accompanied in strict waltz rhythm. The trumpets and drums again make an appearance.
The Finale is a brilliant and technically demanding sonata-rondo movement in the style of a perpetuum mobile in which Haydn sought ‘the softest piano and a very quick tempo’.
We’re not absolutely sure if No.96 was the fi rst Haydn symphony to be heard in London. But it was defi nitely not the work that so entranced the audience, pressing forward for a better view of the great composer, that, by a ‘miracle’ they all escaped a falling chandelier. That event happened at the premiere of Symphony No.102 four-and-a-half years later and in a diff erent hall. But Haydn’s biographer Albert Christoph Dies got mixed up and so tradition has applied the label to the wrong symphony. Not that No.96 isn’t a musical ‘miracle’ in its own right, or a work of impressive grandeur and majesty.
Not the ‘miracle’
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Flute Concerto
One of Lowell Liebermann’s most popular and frequently performed compositions is his Flute Sonata, which was premiered by Paula Robison and Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the 1988 Spoleto Festival. Soon after, James Galway added the Flute Sonata to his repertoire and on the strength of Liebermann’s writing for fl ute, commissioned him to write the Flute Concerto. Galway gave the premiere in 1992 with Leonard Slatkin conducting the St Louis Symphony Orchestra. Not stopping there, Galway then commissioned the Flute and Harp Concerto (1995) and a trio for fl ute, cello and piano (2002). Together with the sonata, the concerto quickly entered the fl ute repertoire as a major (and much-loved) work of the late 20th century.
Liebermann claims that he normally doesn’t adapt his musical style for any particular soloist, instead always writing ‘for my imagined ideal performer’. But James Galway proved an exception, with Liebermann saying: ‘he has such an incredible sound and such incredible low notes that I did emphasise a lot of that… He can do anything on the instrument, so I wasn’t afraid to write anything.’
The Flute Concerto is in three movements, following the traditional pattern of fast – slow – fast.
The fi rst movement (Moderato) is the longest of the three and follows an arc-like form, all of whose components are variations on the harmonic progression of its principal theme. The repetitive ‘tick-tock’ motif heard in the strings at the beginning forms the basis of the movement, an example of Liebermann’s preference to develop large forms from the ‘smallest idea or seed’.
The central section of this movement is a chaconne: an explicit set of variations on a repeating chorale-like version of this progression. The movement off ers an opportunity to explore the various qualities of the fl ute sound through increasingly elaborate variations.
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LOWELL LIEBERMANNAmerican composer(born 1961)
The Man with the Golden Flute
Composing for Galway
Navigating the concerto
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About the composer
The second movement (Adagio molto – very slow) presents a wistful, lyrical melody that is spun out over a pulsating, syncopated ostinato, which persists through the entire movement.
The fi nale (Presto – as fast as possible!) is a virtuoso work-out for the soloist. It follows a rondo-like form that closes with a coda marked Prestissimo (even faster!).
Lowell Liebermann was born in New York City. He began studying piano when he was eight and composition when he was 14. These two activities came together two years later when he made his debut at Carnegie Recital Hall, performing his Piano Sonata, Op.1. He studied at the Juilliard School of Music, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a doctorate. Today he is one of America’s most frequently performed and recorded living composers. His Flute Sonata (1987), for example, has been recorded more than 20 times, and his Gargoyles for piano has more than 15 recordings. Liebermann’s music is known for its marriage of tradition and innovation, combining technical command and audience appeal.
He has composed two operas (The Picture of Dorian Gray and Miss Lonelyhearts), chamber music and solo sonatas, and many orchestral works, including concertos for piano, violin, trumpet and other instruments. These works have been performed by leading orchestras and artists throughout the world, including pianists Stephen Hough, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Garrick Ohlsson, violinist Joshua Bell and conductors Charles Dutoit and Edo de Waart. Since he’s a pianist, it’s no surprise that Liebermann has an extensive catalogue of music for solo piano, and he remains active as a pianist and conductor.
An evening of musical highlights from Wagner’s Ring Cycle without the horned helmets or singing. Plus pianist Ingrid Fliter will bring aristocratic elegance to a favourite Chopin piano concerto.
A Wagner 200th anniversary concert.
Wed 18 Sep 8pm Thu 19 Sep 1.30pm
Fri 20 Sep 8pm Sat 21 Sep 8pm
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The composer’s inspiration
JAMES LEDGERAustralian composer (born 1966)
The Madness and Death of King Ludwig
King Ludwig II of Bavaria (born 1845 and king from the age of 19), was a champion of art and architecture. He had many castles built, including the fantastic Neuschwanstein. He was also Wagner’s patron, helping him clear his debts, fi nancing the Bayreuth Festspielhaus and sponsoring the production of many Wagner operas. Ludwig had many eccentricities and on 10 June 1886, the state of Bavaria sent one Bernhard von Gudden, psychiatrist, to examine him. The king was declared insane and promptly deposed from offi ce. The following day, both Ludwig and von Gudden’s bodies were found fl oating in Lake Starnberg…
The mystery of how Ludwig met his demise has never really been resolved. And when the West Australian Symphony Orchestra asked me to write a fanfare for an all-Wagner program, I was drawn by this real-life saga. Based on what I’ve read, it’s debatable whether he was in fact insane.
The fanfare is scored for 17 brass instruments, percussion and eight double basses. It begins low in the double basses and rises up – a parallel to the opening of the fi rst opera in the Ring cycle, Das Rheingold. After the fi rst climax, the fi rst of two Ring quotations is heard: music describing the acceptance of destiny from Die Walküre. At the second climax, three-note brass chords appear as ‘towers’. Now the second Ring quotation is heard: the Rheingold prelude, emerging between the towers before forming fully into the Rhine Journey music from Götterdämmerung. The three pounding notes of the conclusion allude to a funeral march.
James Ledger composed his fi rst orchestral work, Indian Pacifi c, while living in England during the mid-1990s. Since then, he has been composer in residence with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (2003–2004), West Australian Symphony Orchestra (2007–2009) and Australian National Academy of Music (2011), and the SSO has performed some of the music created during these associations, including Peeling and Arcs and Planes. In 2011, his Bassoon Concerto was premiered in Meet the Music. He is currently composer in residence for the Australian Festival of Chamber Music and a composition lecturer at the University of Western Australia, and recently collaborated with Paul Kelly on Conversations with Ghosts.
Navigating Madness and Death
About the composer
The Mad King
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RICHARD WAGNERGerman composer(1813–1883)
Highlights from Die Meistersinger The Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre
As a composer of opera, writer and conductor, Wagner was one of the most infl uential creative personalities of his generation. He was also one of the most controversial: a composer who polarised listeners even as he changed the nature of opera forever. He cultivated an almost symphonic conception of opera, and his monumental creations were sustained by long-range harmonic thinking. One of his most important contributions to music was the ingenious linking of musical motifs (Leitmotive or ‘leading motifs’) to specifi c characters and situations; the infl uence of this technique continues to be profoundly felt in most fi lm soundtracks.
Wagner’s preferred term for opera was ‘music drama’ and he pursued an artistic goal of Gesamtkunstwerk or the ‘complete work of art’. For him the integration of music (vocal and instrumental), text and every aspect of staging into a unifi ed art form was all-important. He brought this vision to full realisation in the four music dramas that make up his Ring cycle.
For some music-lovers the presentation of music from Wagner’s operas as orchestral highlights without singers fl ies in the face of the composer’s own artistic goals. The practice has a long tradition, however, beginning with Wagner himself, who approved specifi c excerpts for concert performance. In the 19th century, before the existence of recordings, concert excerpts would have allowed more people to hear the music. Many conductors and arrangers since have prepared concert highlights and orchestral suites, including the Dutch percussionist, Henk de Vlieger, whose hour-long The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure will be performed by the SSO in September.
Today, concert highlights enable us to appreciate the imagination and symphonic character of Wagner’s orchestral writing. Sometimes – as in this concert – these are drawn
About the composer
Wagner’s vision
Wagner without singing
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from those parts of the opera that were purely, or principally, orchestral to begin with: preludes, dances and interludes.
Wagner completed The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in 1867 while he was partway through composing his Ring cycle. (He also took time out to write Tristan und Isolde.) It’s his only comic opera and is regarded by some as his masterpiece.
The story is set in the 16th century, and concerns a song festival held by the Mastersingers Guild. Walther, a young knight, is in love with Eva, whose father has promised her hand to the winner of the song contest. According to the Mastersingers’ rules, Walther is eliminated on his fi rst attempt at a song. Fortunately, Hans Sachs, the philosophical, middle-aged cobbler who comes to realise that his own suit with Eva is hopeless, assists Walther in composing a prize song. This song is so inspired it sweeps away the Guild’s obsession with rules. The young knight wins the contest, and Eva becomes his bride.
The highlights heard in this concert come from Act III, beginning with a decidedly uncomical Prelude, its subdued opening blossoming to music of solemn nobility. This is Sachs’s attempt to reach spiritual happiness through renunciation. The Dance of the Apprentices introduces a merry mood and the scene is populated by apprentices and tradesmen: the middle classes from whom the Mastersingers are drawn. Never mind that the waltz wasn’t danced in the 16th century! Finally the Procession of the Mastersingers returns to the wonderful pomp and grandeur fi rst heard in the overture to the opera.
Wagner’s Ring cycle is opera on an epic scale: nearly 20 hours of music over four operas, with a text based heavily on Norse mythology. Gold stolen from the bottom of the Rhine is forged into a magic ring, which is cursed to bring death to all who possess it. Siegfried is the great warrior destined to recover the ring and put an end to its evils, but he pays with his life, and with the life of his beloved Brünnhilde, daughter of Wotan (the chief of the gods), and herself a Valkyrie.
This concert ends with music from the second of the four operas, Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), and the most famous moment of all: The Ride of the Valkyries. In Norse mythology the Valkyries decide who will die in battle and then bring the fallen heroes to the afterlife. These fearsome females fl y through the air to the exhilarating trilling of Wagner’s music.
Adapted in part from notes by ANTHONY CANE (Haydn), YVONNE FRINDLE (Haydn), JAMES LEDGER, and GORDON KALTON WILLIAMS (Wagner)
SYDNEY SYMPHONY © 2013
Valkyries!
Mastersingers
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Nicholas Carter CONDUCTOR
Nicholas Carter is fast establishing a career as a conductor of exceptional versatility, equally at home in the concert hall and the opera house, and fl uent in a diverse repertoire. He is currently Resident Conductor of the Hamburg State Opera, as well as serving as musical assistant to Music Director Simone Young. This engagement followed his three-year association with the Sydney Symphony, fi rst as Assistant Conductor, working closely with Vladimir Ashkenazy and a number of guest conductors, and subsequently as Associate Conductor.
In Hamburg, Nicholas Carter has conducted performances of Barber of Seville, The Magic Flute, Hänsel und Gretel, and Cleopatra by Johan Mattheson. The 2013–2014 season will see him conduct performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, Così fan tutte and L’Orontea (Cesti), as well as further performances of The Magic Flute and Hänsel und Gretel. And as musical assistant to Simone Young, he is heavily involved in the preparation of a vast repertoire, including the presentation of ten Wagner operas, from Rienzi to Parsifal, to celebrate the bicentenary of the composer’s birth. As a guest conductor, he has recently conducted the Staatsorchester Braunschweig.
At the invitation of Donald Runnicles, Nicholas Carter also serves as Associate Conductor of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming.
In Australia, he collaborates regularly with the Sydney, West Australian, Melbourne, Adelaide and Queensland symphony orchestras, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Australian National Academy of Music. He has also appeared with the Malaysian and New Zealand symphony orchestras. Recent engagements with the Sydney Symphony include a gala concert in 2011 with Anne Sofi e von Otter, and a Mozart in the City program in 2012.
Born in Melbourne in 1985, Nicholas Carter initially studied violin, piano and voice. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2007 and was a member of the inaugural Victorian Opera Artist Development Program, studying conducting with Richard Gill. He was also a participant in the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
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Janet Webb FLUTE
Janet Webb received her Arts/Music degree from the Canberra School of Music and later studied in France with András Adorján. In 1980, at the age of 21, she won the Principal Flute position with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Then in 1985 she was appointed to the same position in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
She has performed numerous concertos with the Singapore and Sydney symphony orchestras as well as other ensembles, playing repertoire ranging from CPE Bach to Honegger and including a performance of JS Bach’s Fourth Brandenburg concerto with James Galway. She has also appeared as a guest principal with most of Australia’s major orchestras and throughout her distinguished career she has worked with conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Mariss Jansons, David Robertson, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Paavo Järvi, Jaap van Zweden and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Recent concerto appearances in Sydney Symphony subscription concerts include Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G, K313, and his Concerto for Flute and Harp, K299, with Louise Johnson. And in 2011, together with Emma Sholl, she performed Franz Doppler’s Double Flute Concerto in Parramatta Park and on tour in NSW.
Janet Webb is regularly heard on radio in solo performances and with the Sydney Symphony. She has released a solo CD, Tango and All That Jazz, which features works written for her and her accompanist Jocelyn Edey-Fazzone by Australian composer Andy Firth. In 2001, she received the Whelan Trust scholarship which allowed her to travel to the United States to collaborate with composers there.
Janet Webb performs chamber music and gives solo recitals and masterclasses across Australia, and has taught at several institutions, including the universities of Singapore, Sydney and New South Wales, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. As a tutor at the annual Australian International Summer Orchestra Institute she has played an important role in shaping the course. She was also invited to be on the jury for the Nicolet Flute Competition held in Beijing in 2010. Janet Webb is a Powell Flute Master.
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Vladimir AshkenazyPrincipal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates
Dene OldingConcertmaster
Jessica CottisAssistant Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse
Andrew HaveronConcertmaster(from May)
To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: www.sydneysymphony.com/SSO_musiciansIf you don’t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer.
The men of the Sydney Symphony are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen.
FIRST VIOLINS
Andrew Haveron Concertmaster
Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster
Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster
Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster
Julie BattyMarianne BroadfootBrielle ClapsonAmber DavisGeorges LentzNicola LewisAlexandra MitchellAlexander NortonClaire Herrick°Emily Qin°Dene Olding Concertmaster
Jennifer BoothSophie ColeJennifer HoyLéone Ziegler
SECOND VIOLINS
Kirsty Hilton Marina Marsden Emma Jezek A/ Associate Principal
Maria DurekEmma HayesShuti HuangStan W KornelBenjamin LiNicole MastersBiyana RozenblitMaja VerunicaAlexandra D’Elia*Emily Long A/ Assistant Principal
Susan DobbiePrincipal Emeritus
Philippa Paige
VIOLAS
Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Justin Williams Assistant Principal
Robyn BrookfieldJane HazelwoodGraham HenningsStuart JohnsonJustine MarsdenFelicity TsaiLeonid VolovelskyRoger Benedict Sandro CostantinoAmanda Verner
CELLOS
Catherine Hewgill Kristy ConrauFenella GillTimothy NankervisElizabeth NevilleChristopher PidcockAdrian WallisDavid WickhamLeah Lynn Assistant Principal
DOUBLE BASSES
Alex Henery Neil Brawley Principal Emeritus
David CampbellSteven LarsonRichard LynnDavid MurrayJosef Bisits*Hugh Kluger*Kees Boersma Benjamin Ward
FLUTES
Emma Sholl Carolyn HarrisKate Rockstrom*Jessica Lee*Janet Webb Rosamund Plummer Principal Piccolo
OBOES
Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David PappAlexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais
CLARINETS
Lawrence Dobell Francesco Celata Christopher TingayCraig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet
BASSOONS
Matthew Wilkie Noriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon
Long Nguyen*Fiona McNamara
HORNS
Robert Johnson Geoffrey O’Reilly Principal 3rd
Euan HarveyMarnie SebireRachel SilverClaire Linquist*Jenny McLeod-Sneyd*Rachel Shaw°Ben Jacks
TRUMPETS
Paul Goodchild Andrew Evans*Paul Terracini*David Elton Anthony Heinrichs
TROMBONES
Ronald Prussing Scott Kinmont Nick ByrneChristopher Harris Principal Bass Trombone
Mitchell Nissen*
TUBA
Steve Rossé
TIMPANI
Richard Miller Mark Robinson Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Rebecca Lagos Colin PiperBrian Nixon*
HARP
Louise Johnson
PIANO
Susanne Powell*
Bold = PrincipalItalics = Associate Principal° = Contract Musician* = Guest Musician† = Sydney Symphony FellowGrey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony not appearing in this concert
MUSICIANS
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Irene LeeDavid LivingstoneGoetz Richter
Sydney Symphony BoardJohn C Conde ao ChairmanTerrey Arcus amEwen Crouch amRoss Grant
Jennifer HoyRory JeffesAndrew Kaldor am
SYDNEY SYMPHONYVladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor and Artistic AdvisorPATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO
Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony has evolved into one of the world’s fi nest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world’s great cities.
Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the Sydney Symphony also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2012 tour to China.
The Sydney Symphony’s fi rst Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenek Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in 2014. The orchestra’s history also boasts collaborations with legendary fi gures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky.
The Sydney Symphony’s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra’s recording of works by Brett Dean was released on both the BIS and Sydney Symphony Live labels.
Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 2010–11 the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label.
This is the fi fth year of Ashkenazy’s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor.
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06 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair
07 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair
08 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair
09 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair
SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS
Maestro’s CirclePeter William Weiss ao – Founding President & Doris WeissJohn C Conde ao – ChairmanGeoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Ainsworth Tom Breen & Rachael KohnIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonAndrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor aoRoslyn Packer ao
Penelope Seidler amMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetWestfield GroupBrian & Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam
Sydney Symphony Corporate AllianceTony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner PrettyInsurance Australia Grou pJohn Morschel, Chairman, ANZ
01 Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair
02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus am Chair
03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Chair
04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair
05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair
Directors’ Chairs
01 02 03
04 05 06
07 08 09
For information about the Directors’ Chairs program, please call (02) 8215 4619.
Centric WealthMatti AlakargasStephen AttfieldDamien BaileyAndrew BaxterMar BeltranEvonne BennettNicole BilletDavid BluffKees Boersma Andrew BraggPeter BraithwaiteAndrea BrownHelen CaldwellHilary CaldwellHahn ChauAlistair ClarkMatthew Clark
Benoît CocheteuxGeorge CondousMichael CookPaul CousinsJuliet CurtinJustin Di LolloAlistair FurnivalAlistair GibsonSam GiddingsMarina GoSebastian GoldspinkLouise HaggertyRose HercegPhilip HeuzenroederPaolo HookePeter HowardJennifer HoyScott Jackson
Damian KassagbiAernout KerbertTristan LandersGary LinnanePaul MacdonaldRebecca MacFarlingKylie McCaigDavid McKeanHayden McLeanAmelia Morgan-HunnPhoebe Morgan-HunnTom O’DonnellTaine MoufarrigeKate O’ReillyFiona OslerJulia OwensArchie PaffasJonathan Pease
Jingmin QianSeamus R QuickLeah RanieMichael ReedeChris RobertsonBenjamin RobinsonEmma RodigariJacqueline RowlandsKatherine ShawRandal TameSandra TangAdam WandJon WilkieJonathan WatkinsonDarren WoolleyMisha Zelinsky
Justin Di Lollo – ChairKees BoersmaMarina GoDavid McKeanAmelia Morgan-HunnJonathan PeaseSeamus R Quick
Sydney Symphony VanguardVanguard Collective Members
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PLAYING YOUR PART
The Sydney Symphony gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at www.sydneysymphony.com/patrons
Platinum Patrons $20,000+Brian AbelRobert Albert ao & Elizabeth AlbertGeoff AinsworthTerrey Arcus am & Anne ArcusTom Breen & Rachael KohnSandra & Neil BurnsMr John C Conde aoRobert & Janet ConstableMichael Crouch ao & Shanny CrouchJames & Leonie FurberDr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuff reIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonMr Andrew Kaldor am & Mrs Renata Kaldor aoD & I KallinikosJames N Kirby FoundationVicki OlssonMrs Roslyn Packer aoPaul & Sandra SalteriMrs Penelope Seidler amG & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzieMrs W SteningMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetPeter William Weiss ao & Doris WeissWestfi eld GroupMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary WhiteKim Williams am & Catherine DoveyRay Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam
Gold Patrons $10,000–$19,999Doug & Alison BattersbyStephen J BellAlan & Christine BishopIan & Jennifer BurtonCopyright Agency Cultural Fund Edward FedermanNora GoodridgeMr Ross GrantThe Estate of the late Ida GuggerMs Irene LeeHelen Lynch am & Helen BauerRuth & Bob MagidJustice Jane Mathews aoThe Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran MeagherMrs T Merewether oamMr John MorschelMr John SymondAndy & Deirdre Plummer Henry & Ruth WeinbergCaroline WilkinsonJune & Alan Woods Family BequestAnonymous (1)
Silver Patrons $5000–$9,999Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera BoyarskyMr Robert BrakspearMr David & Mrs Halina BrettMr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie ClampettEwen Crouch am & Catherine Crouch
Ian Dickson & Reg HollowayDr C GoldschmidtThe Greatorex Foundation Mr Rory Jeff esJudges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin KatzThe Estate of the late Patricia LanceR & S Maple-BrownMora MaxwellMrs Barbara MurphyDrs Keith & Eileen OngTimothy & Eva PascoeWilliam McIlrath Charitable FoundationMr B G O’ConorRodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia RosenblumManfred & Linda SalamonMrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet CookeMichael & Mary Whelan TrustJune & Alan Woods Family BequestAnonymous (2)
Bronze Patrons $2,500–$4,999The Berg Family Foundation in Memory of Hetty GordonMr Howard ConnorsGreta DavisThe Hon. Ashley Dawson-DamerFirehold Pty LtdStephen Freiberg & Donald CampbellVic & Katie FrenchMrs Jennifer HershonGary LinnaneRobert McDougallJ A McKernanRenee MarkovicJames & Elsie MooreMs Jackie O’BrienJF & A van OgtropIn memory of Sandra Paul PottingerIn memory of H St P ScarlettJulianna Schaeff erDavid & Isabel SmithersMarliese & Georges TeitlerMr Robert & Mrs Rosemary WalshMr & Mrs T & D YimAnonymous (1)
Bronze Patrons $1,000–$2,499Mrs Antoinette AlbertAndrew Andersons aoMr Henri W Aram oamDr Francis J AugustusSibilla BaerRichard and Christine Banks David BarnesNicole BergerMark Bethwaite am & Carolyn BethwaiteAllan & Julie BlighDr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Jan BowenLenore P Buckle
M BulmerIn memory of RW BurleyIta Buttrose ao obeMr JC Campbell qc & Mrs CampbellDr Rebecca ChinDr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert MillinerMr Peter ClarkeConstable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill CaukillMr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret CunninghamLisa & Miro DavisMatthew DelaseyMr & Mrs Grant DixonColin Draper & Mary Jane BrodribbMalcolm Ellis & Erin O’NeillMrs Margaret EppsMr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. Neville WillsProfessor Michael Field AMMr Tom FrancisMr James Graham am & Mrs Helen GrahamWarren GreenAnthony Gregg & Deanne WhittlestonAkiko GregoryTony GriersonEdward & Deborah Griffi nRichard Griffi n amIn memory of Dora & Oscar GrynbergJanette HamiltonMichelle HiltonMrs & Mr HolmesThe Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret HuntDr & Mrs Michael HunterMr Peter HutchinsonIrwin Imhof in memory of Herta ImhofMichael & Anna JoelMrs W G KeighleyIn memory of Bernard M H KhawMr Justin LamMr Peter Lazar amAssociate Professor Winston LiauwDr David LuisCarolyn & Peter Lowry oamDeirdre & Kevin McCannIan & Pam McGawMatthew McInnesMacquarie Group FoundationHenry & Ursula MooserMrs Milja MorrisMrs J MulveneyMr & Mrs OrtisDr A J PalmerMr Andrew C PattersonAlmut PiattiRobin PotterTA & MT Murray-PriorErnest & Judith RapeeKenneth R ReedPatricia H Reid Endowment Pty LtdDr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June Roarty
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Robin RodgersLesley & Andrew RosenbergCaroline SharpenDr Agnes E SinclairCatherine StephenJohn & Alix SullivanThe Hon. Brian Sully qcMildred TeitlerKevin TroyJohn E TuckeyMrs M TurkingtonIn memory of Joan & Rupert VallentineDr Alla WaldmanThe Hon. Justice A G WhealyMs Kathy White in memory of Mr Geoff WhiteA Willmers & R PalAnn & Brooks Wilson amDr Richard WingMr Robert WoodsMr R R WoodwardIn memory of Lorna WrightDr John YuAnonymous (7)
Bronze Patrons $500–$999Mrs Lenore AdamsonDavid & Rae AllenMr & Mrs Garry S AshBarlow Cleaning Pty LtdMichael Baume ao & Toni BaumeBeauty Point Retirement ResortMrs Margaret BellMrs Jan BiberMinnie BiggsDr Anthony BookallilMrs Elizabeth BoonMr Colin G BoothDr Margaret BoothMr Peter BraithwaiteR D & L M BroadfootAnn & Miles BurgessPat & Jenny BurnettEric & Rosemary CampbellBarrie CarterMr Jonathan ChissickMrs Sandra ClarkR A & M J ClarkeMr & Mrs CoatesCoff s Airport Security Car ParkMr B & Mrs M ColesMrs Joan Connery oamJen CornishDom Cottam & Kanako ImamuraMr David CrossDegabriele KitchensPhil Diment am & Bill Zafi ropoulos
Dr David DixonElizabeth DonatiThe Dowe FamilyMrs Jane DrexlerDr Nita Durham & Dr James DurhamIn memory of Peter EverettJohn FavaloroMs Julie Finn & Mr Trevor CookMrs Lesley FinnMr Tom FrancisMr John GadenVivienne GoldschmidtClive & Jenny GoodwinMs Fay GrearIn Memory of Angelica GreenMr & Mrs Harold & Althea HallidayMr Robert HarvardRoger HenningHarry & Meg HerbertSue HewittIn memory of Emil HiltonDorothy Hoddinott aoMr Joerg HofmannMr Angus HoldenMr Gregory HoskingDr Esther JanssenNiki KallenbergerMrs Margaret KeoghDr Henry KilhamChris J KitchingAron KleinlehrerAnna-Lisa KlettenbergThe Laing FamilySonia LalMr Luigi LampratiDr & Mrs Leo LeaderMargaret LedermanErna & Gerry Levy amSydney & Airdrie LloydMrs A LohanMrs Panee LowDr David LuisPhilip & Catherine McClellandMelvyn MadiganBarbara MaidmentAlan & Joy MartinHelen & Phil MeddingsMrs Toshiko MericP J MillerDavid MillsKenneth N MitchellMs Margaret Moore oam & Dr Paul Hutchins amHelen MorganChris Morgan-HunnA NhanMr Darrol Norman
Mr Graham NorthDr Mike O’Connor amOrigin FoundationDr Margaret ParkerDr Kevin PedemontDr Natalie E PelhamMrs Greeba PritchardMichael QuaileyMr Patrick Quinn-GrahamMiss Julie RadosavljevicRenaissance ToursDr Marilyn RichardsonAnna RoMrs Pamela SayersGarry Scarf & Morgie BlaxillPeter & Virginia ShawMrs Diane Shteinman amMs Stephanie SmeeVictoria SmythMs Tatiana SokolovaDoug & Judy SotherenMrs Judith SouthamMrs Karen Spiegal-KeighleyRuth StaplesMargaret SuthersThe Taplin FamilyNorman & Lydia TaylorDr Heng Tey & Mrs Cilla TeyMrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward SpicerJudge Robyn TupmanGillian Turner & Rob BishopMr & Mrs Franc VaccherProf Gordon E WallI Ronald Walledgen memory of Denis WallisMs Elizabeth WilkinsonEvan Williams am & Janet WilliamsAudrey & Michael WilsonDr Richard WingateDr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K WongGeoff Wood & Melissa WaitesGlen & Everly WyssMrs Robin YabsleyAnonymous (32)
List correct as of 18 July 2013
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It’s all about getting some runs on the board.
universally acknowledged to be no easy task. And David admits the pressure doesn’t end there. ‘It’s all about getting some runs on the board. To really earn the respect and confidence of your peers, you have to play at a level where people are absolutely sure about you, across all the repertoire.’
David and his wife Rachel Silver, the newest member of our Horn section, have shared a workplace for several years now, first in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and now in Sydney. Is that tricky? ‘You’ve got to remember to switch off after work, try not to obsess about it.’
But there’s a big plus side to a shared work-and-play life together. ‘There’s a good understanding between us that we can’t take too many days off [before losing condition]. We’ve been known to pull over in the middle of a road trip to practise for half an hour. The cows in Margaret River have been occasional beneficiaries…’
David Elton is also a Patron Ambassador for the orchestra.
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There seems to be something of a trend amongst our Sydney Symphony brass players of collecting instruments. Principal Trumpet David Elton has… ahem… quite a few.
‘I try not to count them because it’s best not to know. I think I have in excess of 13, dispersed around the place – at the Opera House, in various cupboards, some of them I’ve lent to friends.’ There is some natural double up, of course, as any orchestral trumpeter is also required to play cornet, piccolo trumpet, or German rotary valve trumpet, depending on the demands of
the repertoire. ‘I did struggle to find one of my cornets recently,’ confesses David. ‘It turned up in Perth, but it took me a week to work out where it actually was.’
Sydney born and bred, David is stoked to have returned home after many years working in other orchestras. ‘This is a very strong and powerful orchestra, but still has such great beauty. Playing music with the people around you who inspire you – it’s pretty fun. It’s not a bad job,’ he says with a typically playful glint in his eye.
Auditioning for an orchestral job and then passing the subsequent trial period is
HOMECOMINGRecently appointed Principal Trumpet David Elton talks about earning the respect of his peers and unusual practice locations.
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JULY 2013
How does a conductor convey his or her intentions to the orchestra in a concert? And how is it different to what they do in rehearsal?
Whether in rehearsal or concert, conducting is all about communication. Every aspect of a conductor’s physicality will encourage the orchestra to play in a particular way. Imagine how you might express something to someone in a foreign language for which you didn’t have the vocabulary: you’d use gestures and facial expressions. In essence, this is what a conductor does.
The connection between conductors and players is often subtle. More often than not it works on a subconscious understanding. On a basic level, the ‘baton hand’, apart from establishing tempo, joins the other hand in shaping the sound. The nature of a downbeat, whether delicate or impassioned, imparts to the orchestra the quality of sound needed. Using the baton with a sweeping motion, for example, can encourage more lyrical playing.
Second to the arms are the conductor’s face and, most powerfully, the eyes. George Szell’s penetrating glare had such compelling potency that his orchestra would be alert to even the smallest of gestures of musical intent. Valery Gergiev is similarly noted for his unflinching eye contact, especially for those players at the back of the orchestra: ‘Looking at a player means I am interested in him. If I’m interested in him, that means he is interested in me. Correct? Everything I do, I try to do relying on expression and visual contact.’
In rehearsal, the gestures are often smaller and a little less energetic. Most conductors leave a bit in reserve, allowing the possibility of something truly cosmic to take place in performance.
Jessica Cottis, Assistant Conductor
Ask a Musician
In June our musicians dusted off legwarmers and sweatbands for a special gathering of the Sydney Symphony Vanguard. This dynamic group of Sydneysiders is changing the way modern generations support the orchestra. For our 80s ‘Flashdance’ event, they were entertained by double bass quartet: David Murray, Kees Boersma, David Campbell and Alex Henery – all suitably attired.
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Education HighlightJail Time
The sweet sounds of the Sydney Symphony Fellowship ensemble recently captivated an unusual audience – a group of 30 maximum-security inmates from the South Coast Correctional Centre. Clarinet Fellow Som Howie wrote about the experience for the Fellowship blog…
In May I went to prison. And it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. My ‘crime’? Being a 2013 Sydney Symphony Fellow. Our recent Bundanon residency included a workshop-performance at the local jail. I knew nothing of prisons other than what I’d seen on TV shows like Oz, so I was a bit nervous. But standing in front of the inmates, we were greeted by warm applause and welcoming smiles. I was amazed at the inmates’ attentiveness and enthusiastic participation during the workshop. They were totally engaged in what they were watching.
I have never felt more fulfilled and humbled. The inmates were so incredibly grateful for our visit and I know each one of them took something away from it. If you asked me to go back, I would easily say “yes”. It’s amazing how powerful the effect of a little bit of happiness can be in the cold, grim environment of a prison.
To read Som’s complete post, visit blog.ssofellowship.com
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DAVID AT HOMEArtistic Profile
What would be your advice for music lovers who are keen to nurture a love of music in their children?Children are very much aural creatures, so listening to music is something they all enjoy. Find ways to participate in making music with them. Music is an activity, not a ‘passivity’. When a child begins playing music at an early stage, there is a marked increase in the number of connections the brain makes in the corpus callosum, leading to better inter-hemispheric communication. The instrument doesn’t matter so much, nor does the proficiency level, but the activity itself proves stimulating to our whole being. This is a life-long gift we give them, whether or not they become musicians!
What are your earliest recollections of music?One of my earliest memories is of my mother singing. Her repertoire consisted of popular songs of the 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, as well as Broadway show tunes, country music folksongs, and hymns. With my dad playing Dixieland jazz and big band numbers on clarinet and sax, bluegrass and folksongs on guitar, harmonica and banjo – it seemed there was all kinds of music, all the time. I remember when I was about seven, we got a big reel-to-reel tape machine but we only had one tape at first: Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole and Bolero. One day I put it on when no one else was around and became aware of the act of listening; I could hear how each repetition of the Bolero melody sounded different. I was hooked.
David Robertson shares the role of music in his life away from the podium.
How do you balance the demands of travelling with your role as a husband and father? And will your new post here in Sydney make that easier or more difficult?It is a huge juggling act! As a parent you quickly realise that your children are changing all the time and need different things at different stages, making the long- range planning that music requires very challenging. But I don’t think it’s easy for any parent. When I’m away from home, we speak on the phone or skype on the computer everyday if possible. My wife [Orli Shaham] is a busy performer as well, so we sometimes feel as though we’re in a relay race, handing off the kids before starting the next lap! It’s important to remember that you can always wait to do a piece of music or a concert at a later date, but your child will only be five once. Luckily, my family loves Sydney as much as I do, so they are looking forward to joining me during the New York school vacations.
What have your children taught you about music and conducting?Not to forget that it is enormous fun! There is a reason we say that we ‘play’ music.
For many people, music is a source of relaxation, or perhaps even ‘background’ to their lives. What part does music play in your life when you’re not working?It’s almost always going on in my head. I agree that music has a strong influence on mood. The thing I can’t do is have music going on and not listen to it! For me personally, there is no such thing as ‘background music’. It may be soft, but it immediately jumps into my foreground. Sometimes I really wish I could turn off the music in restaurants. The change happened when I was around 16; it became clear that I couldn’t read while listening to music. A lot of people seem to be able to do this but I can’t. I am so not the target audience for the iPod!
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HAZEL HAWKE TRIBUTEWe were honoured to perform at the State Memorial Service for Hazel Hawke AO in June. Mrs Hawke was a Council Member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Founder of the Hazel Hawke Alzheimer’s Research and Care Fund 2003, Patron of the Kendall National Violin Competition, and Chair of the NSW Heritage Council 1996, as well as a tireless campaigner in social policy areas.
DOUBLE HELPING
For this year’s Helpmann Awards, our concert performance of Tchaikovsky’s opera The Queen of Spades has been nominated in the category of Best Symphony Orchestra Concert. And we’re delighted that Stuart Skelton’s portrayal of Herman has also earned him a nod in the category
of Best Individual Classical Performance. Winners will be announced on Monday 29 July at the Sydney Opera House. www.helpmannawards.com.au
TCHAIKOVSKY TREATIn December last year we presented a set of all-Tchaikovsky concerts with pianist Garrick Ohlsson performing the original version of the Piano Concerto No.2. This performance was captured in recording and forms the centerpiece of a new release on the Sydney Symphony Live
label. The CD also includes three piano miniatures by Tchaikovsky: Romance Op.5, Chant sans paroles Op.2 No.3 and Humoresque Op.10 No.2. Available through our website: sydneysymphony.com/shop
LAST SEEN RUNNING…A small group of SSO musicians and staff competed in the recent Sydney Men’s Health Urbanathlon in June. Ben Jacks (Team Captain) was joined by David Elton, Euan Harvey, Abbey Edlin, Chris Pidcock and Rachel McLarin. They had to negotiate their way around ten obstacles – ranging from monkey bars to leaping (clean) skip bins – over a 12 km course through Pyrmont, Darling Harbour and Barangaroo. David Elton crossed the line first for the team but, of course, sport was the real winner on the day.
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BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang sydneysymphony.com/bravo
