the music of david bowie - stageview.costageview.co/pageturn/books/spo3_1617/spo3_1617.pdf ·...

SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY CENTER THEATER

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14 8PM

THE MUSIC OF

A ROCK SYMPHONY

DAVIDBOWIE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21 8PM

T I C K E T S s a c p h i l o p e r a . o r g 9 1 6 . 8 0 8 . 2 0 0 0 3

PRESIDENTLaurie NelsonLegislative Advocate

VICE PRESIDENTSue MillerCommunity Volunteer

SECRETARY, GOVERNANCE CHAIRDavid E. LindgrenDowney Brand, LLP

TREASURER, FINANCE CHAIRDavid R. MotesDavid R. Motes, CPA

Nina Ankelé Delta Yacht Sales

Eric AstacaanVirgin America

Joanne BodineMediator/Facilitator/Trainer

George ClaireLego Builder/Head of Design Thinking, TheShop@VSPGlobal

John Crowe, PhD.Arts Patron and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, UC Davis

Priscilla EnriquezChief Giving Officer

Randy GetzCBRE, Inc.

Jessica KriegelGlobal Organization and Talent Development Consultant

Helen MendelArts Patron

Sheree L. MeyerInterim Dean, College of Arts and Letters California State University, Sacramento

John L. MillerHealthcare Studio Director, Stafford King Weise Architects

Dick OsenAttorney (retired)

Chris SewardPresident, Sacramento Opera Guild

Sandra R. SmoleyThe Sandy Smoley Group

Kyle WakamiyaComptroller, Micromidas, Inc.

Alice SauroExecutive Director and CEO

Julian C. DixonSenior Director, Operations and Community Partnerships

Gail EdwardsOrchestra Personnel Manager

Raymond James IrwinMarketing and Communications Coordinator

Giuliano KornbergDevelopment Associate

Jacey MayronneOperations Coordinator

Larry MurdockStage Manager

Alexandra RiggsContent Producer/Copywriter, Subscriptions Coordinator

Naomi WilsonFinance Manager

Danielle YetiOrchestra Librarian

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS/STAFF

S A C R A M E N T O P H I L H A R M O N I C & O P E R A 2 0 1 6 - 1 7 S E A S O N4


Dear friends and arts patrons, happy New Year!

A Riddle for You:What do David Bowie and Antonio Vivaldi have in common? Not much, you might say. But on further inspection—aside from both being represented in concert this month and both being musicians—there is actually a lovely parallel I’d like to present.

David Bowie represents decades of innovative, theatrical artistry. His every transformation, persona, and season of his life has unfolded before our eyes, elevating the rock genre to an art form utterly operatic in scope. Likewise, Vivaldi took the form of the concerto and made it glisten with brightness and unceasing exuberance—a truly innovative move that brought new dimension and depth to the concerto genre. What stands out to me as the most precise commonality between Bowie and Vivaldi is that of truly remarkable innovation.

And a Warm Winter Welcome, too…this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights Those words are from the sonnet accompanying Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” which you’ll find along with the program notes. For me they convey such relevance right now. It’s cold outside, but that draws us inside, closer—perfect conditions for listening to the delights of fabulous classical music. And certainly, our community partnerships create a warmth in spite of the coldness outside. Winter also exudes a feeling of anticipation—one of knowing that around the corner is emergence into spring! And this springtime we’ll have some spectacular programming, culminating with our season finale of La Traviata.

Clarity of vision, a revolutionary approach, and innovation always stand the test of time. So, in closing I’m going to go one step further and include the SP&O in this equation: We continue our marvelous trajectory by forging innovative, ground-breaking partnerships within the community, and I love being a part of this process—no matter the season!

Warmly,

Alice SauroExecutive DirectorSacramento Philharmonic & Opera

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


VIOLIN 1Dan Flanagan, Concertmaster Simeone Simeonov,

Assistant Concertmaster^Daegnais Smiley**Tuula CotterRobert DonehewAnita FelixCindy Lee*Baker PeeplesSandra Togashi ChongVictoria TognozziLjubomir VelickovicSharon Wood

VIOLIN 2Michelle Xiao You, PrincipalMark Tammes,

Assistant Principal^^Mary BlanchetteMyriam Cottin-RackCatherine HeusnerNatasha MakhijaniErika Miranda +Ingrid PetersDarren SagawaZinovy Zelichenok

VIOLA Emily Onderdonk, Principal James Een, Assistant Principal+ Gay CurrierDaria D’AndreaIlana MatfisMelinda Rayne^^

CELLORobin Bonnell, Principal

C. Edward Lindgren ChairPaul Rhodes,

Assistant PrincipalCathy AllenLena Bonhorst Andaya +Poppea DorsamGretchen Egen Leo GavinJulie HochmanSusan Lamb Cook ^^

Nina Ankele Chair

BASSThomas Derthick, Principal

Helen Mendel ChairAndy Butler, Assistant PrincipalSteven Comber^^Richard Duke David RobinsonBen Tudor

FLUTE Mathew Krejci, Principal ^^

Helen Mendel ChairElizabeth Coronata

Sandy Smoley ChairGail EdwardsTod Brody +

PICCOLOGail Edwards

OBOEThomas Nugent, PrincipalRuth Stuart Burroughs

ENGLISH HORNRuth Stuart Burroughs

CLARINETGinger Kroft, PrincipalSandra McPherson

Laurie Nelson Chair

BASS CLARINET Sandra McPherson BASSOON David Granger, PrincipalMaryll Goldsmith

CONTRABASSOONMaryll Goldsmith

Keith Springer Chair

FRENCH HORNEric Achen, PrincipalSusan VollmerZachary Limacher,

Assistant Principal Janis LiebermanPete Nowlen^^

TRUMPET James Rodseth, PrincipalScott MacomberMichael Meeks +John Leggett

TROMBONE Anthony Collins, PrincipalSteve Perdicaris

Laurie Nelson ChairSteve Trapani

BASS TROMBONESteve Trapani

TUBAJulian Dixon, Principal

TIMPANIKumiko Ito, Principal

PERCUSSIONAmy Stubbs, PrincipalThomas Rance +Michael Downing

HARPAnna Maria Mendietta,

Principal

KEYBOARDTheresa Keene, Principal

^ 2016-2017 Leave of Absence

** Acting Assistant Concert Master

+ Principal for Sacramento Opera Performances

* Assistant Concertmaster for Sacramento Opera Performances

^^ Assistant Principal for Sacramento Opera Performances

SACRAMENTO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA ROSTER


Richard Carsey, conductor

Tony Vincent, vocals

Arrangements by Brent Havens

George Cintron, guitar

Danny Miranda, bass

Adam Michaelson, drums

Andrew Payne, keyboards

Concert program will be announced from the stageThere will be a 20 minute intermission

POPS! SERIES GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY NANCY MCRAE FISHER

Richard Carsey, conductor

Tony Vincent, vocals

JANUARY 14, 2017 8PMS A C R A M E N T O C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R T H E A T E R

Erik RönmarkArtistic Administrator

Michael MorganMusic Director Emeritus

THE MUSIC OF

DAVID BOWIEA ROCK SYMPHONY


BRENT HAVENS, arranger and conductor, Windborne Music

1. You’ve put together and written arrangements for quite a few “Music Of” programs now. Do you have a favorite? I don’t really have a favorite show that I’ve put together. I have favorite pieces from each of the shows but in terms of a single favorite, that’s difficult to say. Each show offers something so different from each of the others that it’s tough to make that call. We actually present each of the shows similarly but the interesting thing about what we’re doing is that so much of the music is distinct within each group. The mood is different for each of them.

2. Tonight the SP&O will be performing your arrangements of David Bowie’s songs. How would you characterize David Bowie’s body of work?I think David was one of the most diverse of the artists that we present. He had many facets to his career and that was reflected in his music. From the early Ziggy days to his time in L.A. and his New York influence, and even his collaborations with other artists over the years, David was a chameleon and it was reflected in his music.

3. Do you have a favorite Bowie song?Hmm… I would have to say in terms of writing for the orchestra it would have to be Life on Mars. But in terms of sheer fun on stage… Let’s Dance. ;-)

4. Any particular challenges in bringing the music of David Bowie to the stage in contrast to that of other great rock bands?I think the most difficult aspect of bringing David’s music to the orchestral stage was deciding what to present. His catalog was enormous and because of that I had a hard time deciding what should be presented to an audience of fans who know every song he ever wrote. Certainly someone will be disappointed that their particular favorite wasn’t performed but we tried to present a good cross section of his catalog and hopefully, we did a decent job of it.

5. Growing up, who was your music idol?Interestingly, I grew up with jazz and jazz fusion. My idol was a Canadian trumpet virtuoso named Maynard Ferguson. I would buy anything that he put out in the 70s and 80s and musically dissect what was being played on those recordings. Terrific material.

6. Is there a musician whose music you’d love to bring to life in one of your productions?Well, I’m constantly thinking about this as we try to offer a new show each year to keep new audiences coming to see their local orchestra. I haven’t decided who that will be for 2017 but I have my eye on a few artists. The audience will just have to wait and see what we come up with.

7. Would you ever consider expanding your programming—making it bigger to include dancers, etc.?There are certain rules that we are restricted by in performing these shows. We’d love to add video and dancers, etc. but there are restrictions that prevent those that we have to adhere to so for now, we are simply celebrating the music of these artists.

8. And finally, when you are arranging, conducting, touring, what are some favorite activities?It’s always wonderful traveling to new cities. My crew enjoys getting out and discovering what each city has to offer and trying to find the local specialty spots is something we try to do. If I’m writing, it’s usually a different story, though. It can be all consuming and the concentration level needs to remain high for me when I’m writing for so many instruments. Distractions can throw me off so while I’m writing I try to lock myself away so I can manage the deadlines and make sure that the music is the best that I can present.

Q&A


RICHARD CARSEY, conductor

Richard Carsey is a conductor, pianist, and actor. In 2014-15, he toured the U.S.

as Music Director of Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of The Phantom of the Opera. Other national tours include the Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles, with George Hamilton, and the new musical Little House on the Prairie, featuring Melissa Gilbert.

Internationally, he has performed as a pianist and conductor in such exotic locales as Lima, Athens, Islamabad, and Kuwait. On Broadway he was the Music Supervisor of The House of Blue Leaves, with Ben Stiller, and Musical Director for A Minister’s Wife at Lincoln Center Theater. He has a long association with the Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee as Principal Conductor, and for nine seasons.

He was Artistic Director. Highlights of his tenure include the world premiere and television broadcast of Richard Wargo’s opera Ballymore; PBS broadcast of The Mikado; and the world premiere of the opera The Rivals, by Kirke Mechem.

As an actor he has appeared in 2 Pianos 4 Hands at many regional theaters, including Dallas Theater Center, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, The Globe (Saskatchewan), Laguna Beach Playhouse, and Hartford Stage (Connecticut Critic’s Circle Award). Other acting highlights include The Boys in the Band (Harold); Twelfth Night (Malvolio); Souvenir (Cosme) and Old Wicked Songs (Mashkin).

For six seasons he was the Principal Pops Conductor of the Racine Symphony, and has conducted Syracuse Opera, Sheboygan Symphony, and Lyric Opera Cleveland. Recently he was Keyboard and Cover Conductor for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

ARTIST PROFILES


TONY VINCENT, vocals

Tony Vincent grew up in the small town of Albuquerque, NM, where from a

young age he was exposed to the music of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In his early teens Vincent began writing songs heavily influenced by Depeche Mode, New Order and Tears for Fears.

While attending university (Nashville, TN), Vincent started a makeshift record company out of his dorm room and recorded a five-song EP, which led to a recording contract with EMI records. The two solo albums (Tony Vincent, One Deed) followed producing six #1 Billboard radio singles.

Shortly after moving to NYC in 1997 to continue his recording career, Vincent took an unexpected detour into the world of rock-based theater, joining the cast of RENT, initially as part of the first national tour, then making his Broadway debut in the New York production in 1999. He was featured as Simon Zealotes in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s remake of the film Jesus Christ Superstar (2000), and when the production was revived on Broadway that same year Vincent earned critical acclaim starring as Judas Iscariot. In 2002 Vincent originated the role of Galileo Figaro in the rock band Queen’s smash hit We Will Rock You in London’s West End. He also fronted the band itself on several occasions, including a performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” at Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee concert for a live audience of over 1 million people surrounding Buckingham Palace and over 200 million television viewers world-wide. Two years later he was invited to Las Vegas to open the North American premier of We Will Rock You (2004-2005).

During this time Vincent continued to write, and in 2008 independently released the EP A Better Way, produced by Adam Anders. In the fall of 2009, he returned to Broadway, originating the role of St. Jimmy in Green Day’s American Idiot. Vincent is best known for his appearance on the second season of NBC’s reality singing competition, The Voice. While on the show, Vincent was selected to be on “Team Cee Lo,” and made a lasting impression on fans worldwide with his final performance of The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”

After 10 long months of writing, recording and producing, Vincent released his highly anticipated studio project, In My Head, through iTunes and cdbaby on July 10th, 2012. Tony Vincent continues to write and produce for future projects, both as a solo artist, as a producer for other artists and under the band moniker Mercer.

ARTIST PROFILES


SACRAMENTOPHILHARMONIC &

OPERA GOES GREEN!

Get a digital version of tonight’s program with

STAGEVIEWTo get your STAGEVIEW paperless program book

for tonight’s concert: Scan the code

to your smartphoneor go to:

www.stageview.co/spo

No downloads! No apps!

NO APPS. NO DOWNLOADSAccess your program bookquickly and securely withouta cumbersome download.

SOCIAL INTERACTIONConnect to your favoritevenue and performerswhile you sit in the audience.

PURCHASE TICKETSPurchase tickets for upcoming shows right from your seat.


Keeping Up With Julian Dixon SP&O Senior Director, Operations and Community PartnershipsBy Alexandra Riggs

Recently, my coworker, Julian Dixon, passed on to me something he wrote about himself, which I’ll let you read here:

Being the fifth of six children, I was raised by a single-mother who understood the essential value of the creative arts and the importance for us children to be immersed in the arts starting at the earliest days of childhood. We grew up, then, in a family friendly neighborhood in the hills of San Francisco. Fortunately, it was during a period when opportunities to participate in visual arts, dance, drama, and music were very accessible and affordable to many lacking the means. The community provided opportunities, the community helped raise us.

My sisters gravitated to the various dance forms – ballet, modern, jazz, contemporary, etc. Outside of some sports and a love of nature, my brothers gravitated to visual arts and a garage band. I often characterized our family and friends at play as “unbridled creativity and innovation with a passion to perform for others - the Little Rascals.”

My calling to music began in the 7th grade in the public school system, where I first picked up, actually “propped” up the tuba, being much larger than myself. Little did I know at the time of the many paths this opportunity would lead me. I played in the first SF Symphony Youth Orchestra, my first major gig was at the Tokyo Disneyland. I studied on the East Coast and toured across the United States and Internationally. Eventually I landed here at the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (SP&O) and have been an active member for 16 years ever since.

I love knowing this about Julian. This is his story—it’s what makes him tick, and what gives the SP&O an important and vital place within the Sacramento community. When you engage with your life’s passion every single day, it is hard to slow down—you want to make every second count. So, when I set out to get a feel for what a day in the life of Julian is really like, I knew I’d be—at least metaphorically—running to keep up!

Indeed I was. Consider: Most classical music organizations have some type of community outreach/ education programs. But these initiatives are usually executed by teams of employees. For instance, neighboring SF Opera has roughly 5 people operating in an administrative capacity for its Education Department plus another 27 teaching artists to bolster its programs. What they do collectively, Julian Dixon does by himself for the SP&O.

Julian’s musical passion that began in the seventh grade led him to pursue classical training at San Francisco State University and subsequently Boston University, where he pursued a master’s degree. He serves as principal tuba for the SP&O and teaches in the School of Music at Sacramento State University. And of course, works as Senior Director, Operations and Community Partnerships at the SP&O.

A DAY IN THE LIFE AT SP&O


And somehow amidst all these musical endeavors, he brings in more than 5,000 children per season from underserved communities in the region to participate in Carnegie Hall’s Link-Up program; manages and sets up SP&O’s Cre8tive concerts, which take music into the eight city districts that partially converge with the Sacramento Promise Zone, with a goal of 55 for the 2016-17 season; and brings world-class visiting soloists and conductors into our schools and other venues—most recently he put together an SP&O ensemble for Councilmember Steve Hansen’s swearing in ceremony and brought in-demand, virtuoso violinist Karen Gomyo to Shriner’s Hospital to give the children an unforgettable, truly one-of-a-kind musical experience.

More Than a PassionBut I still felt about Julian that there must be another layer that keeps him going, keeps him striving, keeps him always wanting to reach out to the community even more. So, when I sat down with him in his office at the SP&O—amidst a clutter of instruments, educational materials, a whiteboard displaying a seemingly indecipherable tangle of educational outreach dates and goals, signed letters from kids and classical artists—he told me a story.

It was at a concert of Peter and the Wolf that he’d put together in conjunction with another Sacramento outreach organization called The Bread of Life. Not only had he set up the concert itself, but he’d also amplified the experience with his “Instrument Discovery Zone”—a local favorite that gives kids and adults the opportunity to look at, learn about, interact with, and play a variety of musical instruments.

A young woman named Jique Bryant approached in a motorized wheelchair, along with her attendant, and out of all the instruments, she was immediately drawn to the “tone pipes,”—rows of specially cut pipes topped with metal plates, which are struck with mallets and sound similar to a vibraphone or marimba, giving off a resonant, full, bell-like and visceral sound. Seeing her interest, Julian went over to assist her.

Her hands, gripped by the effects of cerebral palsy, needed to be carefully fitted around the two mallets. Julian and the woman’s assistant set the tone pipes on the wheelchair table and she struck the notes. A visible transformation took place. She not only achieved something she previously believed her body would never let her do—she thought she couldn’t use her left hand— she instantly embodied and was transformed by art. As Julian put it so succinctly and eloquently, he says he witnessed humanity’s inherent need to express oneself through music.

The Beat of His DayThis is where the heart of it is for Julian; it’s what sets the beat of his day. This is what keeps the passion alive—that one-on-one engagement coupled with the privilege of witnessing just how music can change lives. Reflecting on her own experience, Jique sent Julian these words, “Thank you so much for helping me unlock a new part of myself,” and “When I finally do get my own set of tone pipes, we will definitely have a jam session.”

So powerful and authentic was the experience that Julian and the SP&O Board President, Laurie Nelson, teamed up to get Jique Bryant her own set of tone pipes. Friends still today, Jique—whose email address proudly announces “got wheels”—truly is, Keeping Up With Julian.


GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868) L’Italiana in Algeri, Overture

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809) Symphony No. 101 in D major, “The Clock”

I N T E R M I S S I O N

ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741) The Four Seasons La Primavera L’Estate L’Autunno L’Inverno

Andrés Cárdenes, violin and conductor

VIVALDI’S THE FOURSEASONS

Andrés Cárdenes, conductor and violin

JANUARY 21, 2017 8PMS A C R A M E N T O C O M M U N I T Y C E N T E R T H E A T E R

Erik RönmarkArtistic Administrator

Michael MorganMusic Director Emeritus


FOUR SEASONS SONNETS

SPRINGI. Allegro

Springtime is upon us. The birds celebrate her return with festive song, and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes. Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven, Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.

I. Largo On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.

I. Allegro Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly dance beneath the brilliant canopy of spring.

SUMMERI. Allegro non molto

Under a hard Season, fired up by the Sun Languishes man, languishes the flock and burns the pine We hear the cuckoo’s voice; then sweet songs of the turtledove and finch are heard. Soft breezes stir the air, but threatening the North Wind sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearing violent storms and his fate.

I. Adagio e piano - Presto e forte The fear of lightning and fierce thunder Robs his tired limbs of rest As gnats and flies buzz furiously around.

I. Presto Alas, his fears were justified The Heavens thunders and roar and with hail Cuts the head off the wheat and damages the grain.

AUTUMNI. Allegro

Celebrates the peasant, with songs and dances, The pleasure of a bountiful harvest. And fired up by Bacchus’ liquor, many end their revelry in sleep.

I. Adagio molto Everyone is made to forget their cares and to sing and dance By the air which is tempered with pleasure And (by) the season that invites so many, many Out of their sweetest slumber to fine enjoyment

I. Allegro The hunters emerge at the new dawn, And with horns and dogs and guns depart upon their hunting The beast flees and they follow its trail; Terrified and tired of the great noise Of guns and dogs, the beast, wounded, threatens Languidly to flee, but harried, dies.

WINTERI. Allegro non molto

To tremble from cold in the icy snow, In the harsh breath of a horrid wind; To run, stamping one’s feet every moment, Our teeth chattering in the extreme cold

I. Largo Before the fire to pass peaceful, Contented days while the rain outside pours down.

I. Allegro We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling. Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up. We feel the chill north winds course through the home despite the locked and bolted doors... this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.


ANDRÉS CÁRDENES

VIOLINIST

Recognized worldwide as a musica l phenomenon, Grammy-nominated Andrés

Cárdenes parlays his myriad talents into one of classical music’s most versatile careers. An intensely passionate and personally charismatic artist, Cuban-born Cárdenes has garnered international acclaim from critics and audiences alike for his compelling performances as a violinist, conductor, violist, chamber musician, concertmaster, and recording artist.

Since capturing Second Prize in the 1982 Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition in Moscow, Mr. Cárdenes has appeared as a soloist on four continents with over 100 orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, Sinfonica Nacional de Caracas, Sinfonica de Barcelona, and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra. He has collaborated with many of the world’s greatest conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Mariss Jansons, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Sir André Previn, Leonard Slatkin, Jaap van Zweden, David Zinman and Manfred Honeck.

Mr. Cárdenes has thrice served as President of the Jury of the Stradivarius International Violin Competition and in 2011 joined the jury of the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Mr. Cárdenes was appointed Concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra by Maestro Lorin Maazel in 1989 and departed after the 2010 season to concentrate on his conducting, solo and chamber music careers.

ARTIST PROFILES


CONDUCTOR

A consummate musician, powerful presence and master programmer, Andrés Cárdenes has established himself as a conductor possessing all the essentials of a modern maestro.

His innovative programming and compelling performances have earned him high praise from audiences, critics and colleagues alike. Former Music Director of Strings Festival Orchestra (CO) from 2009-14, the Pittsburgh Festival Orchestra, and former Music Director and Leader of the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra from 1999-2010, Cárdenes has drawn audiences to the concert hall for a vast array of aural experiences. A champion of living composers and the music of our time, Cárdenes’s formula for presenting diverse genres of music has been met with great enthusiasm.

Mr. Cárdenes began formal conducting studies at age 15 with Thor Johnson, former Music Director of Cincinnati Symphony. Entering Indiana University to study with the legendary Josef Gingold, Cárdenes continued his education under the tutelage of Bryan Balkwill, former conductor at Covent Garden. After winning top prizes at numerous international violin competitions, Cárdenes accepted concertmaster positions with the San Diego, Utah and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras, remaining in those capacities for 25 years and apprenticing under the great maestros of today. Counted among his mentors are Lorin Maazel, Charles Dutoit, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Andrew Davis and David Zinman.

In addition to his frequent appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mr. Cárdenes has conducted orchestras across the globe: Munich Radio Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, St. Petersburg (Russia) Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Fundacíon Beethoven Philharmonic (Santiago, Chile), OFUNAM Orchestra of Mexico City, Sinfonica de Venezuela, National Repertory Orchestra, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, Cleveland Institute Philharmonic and the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen in Germany. He has collaborated with soloists such as Midori, Sarah Chang, Pinchas Zukerman, Elmar Oliveira, Gary Hoffman, Jon Kimura Parker, Ian Hobson, Gabriela Montero, Christopher O’Riley, David Deveau, Chee-Yun, Michelle deYoung and Lars Vogt.

Maestro Cárdenes is currently Music Director of Orchestral Studies and Conductor of the Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic.

ARTIST PROFILES

Double the Impact of Your Donation TodayWhen you make a donation by March 31, 2017, your donation will be matched

dollar-for-dollar by the generous Maestoso Matching Challenge Grant. Please make a donation today by calling 916.808.1989 or

by going online at sacphilopera.org. Thank you for your support!


Overture to L’Italiana in Algeri (1813)

GIACCHINO ROSSINI (b. Pesaro, Italy February 9, 1792; d. Passy, France November 13, 1868)

One would be forgiven if unable to explain what each of the 39 operas of Rossini is

properly called. He subtitled them variously as commedia, farsa comica, opera buffa, drama buffo, dramma serio, dramma semiserio, dramma buffo, dramma giacoso, melodramma giocoso. I don’t believe any of these need translation – the very sound of the designation gives a sense of each opera’s emotional material. But clearly Rossini reveled in the humorous, the ribald, the ironic. The Italian Girl in Algiers (written in 27 days) is a dramma giocoso, a drama with both light playfulness and conflict of heart, an opera that includes lines such as “Confusi e stupidi!” and roles characterized as pappataci (translation: a silent eater, a man who cannot resist women). The plot involves a good deal of mistaken identity, miscommunication, guile, and nefarious intentions. The lover of the Italian girl, Isabella, has been kidnapped. She is shipwrecked while searching for him and taken prisoner by the Bey of Algiers. She finds her lover among the captives and plots to deceive the Bey who has decided he needs an Italian girl in his harem. Needless to say, her flirtations and wit allow her and her lover to escape and the Bey sorry he ever met her. Rich in characters noble and beguiled, hapless and heroic, Algeri mixes freely and movingly opera serio and opera buffa. The overture is the first indication of this mixture; it opens with a solemn, gentle theme only to be shocked awake by a sudden burst from the whole orchestra – a surprise in the manner of Haydn’s Surprise Symphony. After that outburst, it is the typical mad scramble to the end, a signature of Rossini’s overtures regardless of the plot, which are by turns graceful, silly, and undeniably cheerful.

Symphony No. 101 in D Major, “The Clock” (1794)

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN (b. Rohrau, Austria March 31, 1732; d. Vienna May 31, 1809)

Joseph Haydn spent nearly thirty years in service to the Habsburg Prince Eszterházy – as a teacher, librarian, music director and composer. While his fertile imagination produced work after work

of great originality and excellent brio, Haydn was never entirely content at the estate, regarding his position as a kind of indentured servant – which, indeed, he was. “The prince was satisfied with all my works,” said Haydn much later. “I was applauded… I could experiment, observe, what strengthens an effect and what weakens it, and thus improve, add, eliminate, dare. I was cut off from the world. No one could have doubts about me or torment me, and I was forced to become original.” He was, indeed, original: he was never content to rest on convention and his powers of invention are almost single-handedly responsible for the versatility of the modern symphony and the expressive quality of the string quartet.

When the prince died, his son began cutting musical services, retaining Haydn’s position but scaling back his duties. This allowed Haydn to accept commissions and tours from other areas of Europe, including the most auspicious of invitations, that from the impresario Johann Peter Salomon to come to England and compose for the princely sum of £1000 six symphonies, an opera, and

PROGRAM NOTES

ROSSINI


miscellaneous chamber works. The symphonies, which would eventually number twelve in total, are now known as the London Symphonies.

“The Clock” Symphony, so called because of the quiet tick-tock that begins the Andante, is no less adventurous than any of its predecessors or successors, but Haydn did take advantage of the virtuosity of the London players to create works that challenge musicians to this day. Beginning with a slow introduction, which Haydn favored in works with a certain gravitas, particularly the London Symphonies, a breathless Presto follows in a meter that is usually employed for finales. More unusual is the use of five-bar phrases in an era of square and quartered ideas. This yields a number of interesting developments showing Haydn at his most creative. The Andante, with its monotonous and colorless pulse, has a lovely theme for the violins in a four-bar phrase

followed by one-in-five bars, each accompanied by new and more colorful permutations of the steady tick-tock. At the second strain, Haydn slyly reverses the order – five followed by four. The movement moves through a series of variations highlighted by a startling entry by the high horns in their turn as the clock. The clock eventually winds down in seven quiet bars. The Minuet is as elaborate as any Haydn composed. Michael Steinberg has pointed out that one curious feature is that dissonances caused by certain instrument tugging toward one key over other others resisting with the home key were assuredly what Haydn intended – he numbered the bars in a ways to assure players that the wrong notes were the right ones! The opening of the Finales resembles the scale that began the symphony and leads to a theme which Haydn gleefully teases into two directions. A genial stroke of invention, this leads to a double fugue, written with the technical challenges I mentioned earlier. The first theme is brought into full play by the orchestra, three notes at a time by each group, until everyone is involved with its boisterous conclusion.

The Four Seasons, from Op. 8 (1723)

ANTONIO VIVALDI (b Venice, Italy March 4, 1678; d Vienna, Austria, July 28, 1741)

Indisputably the most well-known piece of music from the Italian Baroque and the earliest example of what could be called program music, I Quattri Stagioni, “The Four Seasons,” is a

set of four violin concerti from a collection of twelve entitled Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione – “The Contest between Harmony and Invention.” In metaphorical terms, this contest is between the Dionysian and the Apollonian, the poetic and the prosaic, the powers of emotions and the rhetoric of reason. In musical terms, it is between harmony and its sensuous quality, the marriage of many notes, and invention, the progression of a melodic idea through its development to a satisfying conclusion. Whatever its intention, the delights of the concerti are abundantly derived from the inventive ways in which Vivaldi uses the violin and orchestra to render sights, smells and feelings purely through sound. Generally considered the first programmatic music, that is music with a narrative, the concerti are more than a virtuosic display vehicle for the violinist. Vivaldi was adamant that the narrative of the seasons and their characteristics be first and foremost descriptive, even insisting that sonnets detailing the seasonal minutiae of the correspondent concerto be printed in the score. There is a question of whether the sonnets were written before the concerti or vice versa and whether

PROGRAM NOTES

HAYDN


they were composed by Vivaldi himself. In either case, the concerti are full of brilliant instrumental renderings of the sights and sounds of the seasons.

Antonio Vivaldi was a gifted violinist as well as a composer and was famous in his time for establishing one of the finest music ensembles in Europe at an orphanage called Ospedale della Pietá – the Devout Hospital of Mercy – one of many, it seems. (How a city the size of Venice could have need for so many orphanages may be explained by a census of the late sixteenth century. At the time, there were counted 11,650 courtesans in a city of 175,000!) The orchestra was made up of foundling girls – boys were expected to learn a trade – and Vivaldi, known throughout as the Red Priest after the color of his hair, taught, conducted, and composed there for more than 30 years. The technical excellence of the young girls was known across Europe and few passed through Venice without attending one of the concerts, which included hundreds of concerti for various instruments, cantatas, and chamber works, all performed by the students. This proved beneficial for the upkeep of the orphanages. His relations with the directors of the orphanage were strained for most of his tenure. Though internationally famous, he was forced to accept commissions from other locales, including Mantua and Milan. It was in the countryside near Mantua that he conceived “The Four Seasons” concerti, which were astonishing for their time, not just for the virtuosity required to play them but for their descriptive powers. With only the voices of a string orchestra and solo violin, we are treated to a symphony of flowing creeks, singing birds (of many species with each birdcall accurately depicted), barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, weeping shepherds, wind, thunder and lightning, drunken dancers, torrid summer nights, hunting parties from both the hunters’ and the prey’s point of view, icy landscapes, ice-skating children, and crackling winter fires.

The concerti follow the three-movement form – quick, slow, fast – which persists today and it was Vivaldi’s example that established this tradition. As with nature itself, the set begins with “Spring” (La primavera E major, RV 269). Here the bursts of birdsong and spring rains alternate with the murmuring of streams in a cheerful and airy theme for the whole ensemble. The slow movement depicts a goatherd peacefully sleeping beneath a tree, his dreams marked by his slow rhythmic breathing. The third movement awakens to a dance, a gentle gig in three. ‘Summer’ (L’estate, G minor RV 315), in a very distant key, nevertheless segues seamlessly from Spring’s gentleness giving way to the torpor of the countryside under a blazing sun. A north wind provides some relief and there is some frenetic energy in the orchestra; but always it is beaten back by the sweltering heat. The adagio indicates a summer storm is on the horizon which brings its own worries. Finally, in the Presto we hear the storm break with hail and winds – this movement is even more violent than the storm that blows in the winter concerto. ‘Autumn’ (L’autunno F major RV 293) returns some of the uplift of spring – harvest, after all, means victuals and wine in abundance and the festivities to indulge. The first movement opens with a heady peasant dance during which the intoxicated dancers begin to sink into pleasant slumbers. The Adagio again visits the dreams of the sleeping revelers. The third movement depicts a hunt in progress, baying dogs, hunting horns and gunshots all in clear detail. ‘Winter’ (L’inverno F minor RV 297) is the concerto that needs the least amount of help in prose – the driving winds, the stinging snows, and treacherous icy roads all lash out violently from the violinist’s strings.

©Jay Stebley 2016

PROGRAM NOTES

VIVALDI


Plant Trees!Plant Trees!


PLATINUM LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $30,000+Mendel Family Administrative TrustThomas P. Raley FoundationThe James & Susan McClatchy FundA. Jerald SaladanaNancy McRae Fisher

GOLD LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $20,000-$29,999Neil and Joanne BodineDrs. John and Lois CroweMort and Marcy Friedman FoundationThe McClatchy CompanyLaurie E. Nelson and James E. RandlettRCA Community Fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation

Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra Foundation

Joyce and Jim Teel

SILVER LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $10,000-$19,999Arata Brothers TrustEmily LouwBurnett and Mimi MillerSacramento Metropolitan Arts CommissionSactown Magazine and the Don Turner Family Foundation

BRONZE LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $5,000-$9,999Astacaan-Butler FamilyAnn and Gordon Getty FoundationRandy Getz and Pat MahoneyPhyllis HammerDee HartzogDavid and Ruth LindgrenSusan Mansfield and Tony GarciaDavid Motes and Charlene WoodwardWilliam O. Morris and Susan Woodbury Morris Endowment for the Performing Arts of the SRCF

Michael A. NelsonRichard and Judith Osen

The Setzer FoundationTeichert Foundation

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE $2,500-$4,999Anthony and Elinor DeCristoforoSusan K. EdlingRussell and Deborah GodtHammel, Green and AbrahamsonAlbert and Elaine Hellenthal Designated Arts Fund

Rex Hime and the California Business Properties Association

Ernest and Muriel JohnsonJohn and Joanie KrizmanElaine MyerW. Nelson Lewallyn and Marion Pace-LewallynRichard and Teresa NielloPacific Coast Building Products Inc.PFund FoundationRiver Cats FoundationKathleen RosenbergAlice and David SauroSandra R. SmoleySMUD, Sacramento Municipal Utility DistrictKeith SpringerJan Stevens and Carole CoryDrs. William and Kathryn Vetter

BENEFACTOR $1,000-$2,499Nina AnkeleRichard BojeElaine G. BonningtonLinda BrandenburgerDr. and Mrs. Donald W. BrownSusan M. BurkeAaron CunninghamDr. and Mrs. Douglas and Sylvia EnochPriscilla EnriquezKenneth and Nancy J. EvansAlan S. FongRobert and Winifred Gaines Managed Fund of the SRCF

Melvin and Dorothy GarlickDonald and Beverly Gerth

DONOR ROLL


DONOR ROLL

John C. Gist Family FundDavid and Erla GollerDonald Hall and Carol MaxwellMeg HalloranJennifer Hayes, Lyon Real EstateEdward InchRuth W. JacksonC. Darryl Jones, M.D.Mary Louise and Rodney KleinJessica KriegelLasher Auto GroupOleta Lambert and Dr. Ralph CoxNancy LawrenceWen Pen LiuRichard and Kyoko Luna Family Fund of the SRCF

Kenneth MacDonaldKathleen McMillanGlen and Nancy MichelJohn MillerRex and Sue MillerBelton MourasBarbara OreKathi and Larry ProvonshaPatricia A. RontenRon and Jeanne ReavesAlan and Barbara RothPhil and Jan StohrJim and Mary Jo StrengRonald VargasVismara Family Foundation Fund of the SRCFKyle WakamiyaDr. James Wells and Dr. Patricia Will WellsDonald and Gloria YostDr. Stephen and Michele YoungMichael and Debby Ziegler in Honor of Sandy Smoley

PATRON $600-$999Adrienne AlvordKaren and Irv BroidoLucinda CalvoRona ComminsKen GebertGregory S. Geeting

Ed GoldmanDavid and Donna HarrisMr. and Mrs. Jonathan HarveyEric KingMr. and Mrs. James W. KirkCynthia LaubacherRobert and Judith MabenLawrence MurmanLombard and Malinda RiceKen and Kathleen RothausUlf and Lisbeth Tylen

ASSOCIATE $300-$599Elaine Abelaye-MateoBrooke ArmourWilliam D. BethellHarold BissellRosa Lee BlackHugo and Gunilla BogrenKaren and Ray BrooksGregory BrottMargaret C. BrownBernard and Colette BruggmanKarolee and William BushBruce and Mary Alice CarswellMichael ChaseGeorge and Bernadette ClarkeCyle ColesRobert and Jean ConkinDennis and Susan CookVirginia K. DeGregoryWesley and Mary DoakThomas Engel in memory of Joan EngelTerry Farmer and Lael WhetstoneRobin FisherMichael FlaningamAlvin Franks, Ph.D.Dr. James E. Goodnight Jr.Douglas Grass in memory of Marlene GrassRandall and Holly HaightGary and Cary Hart, In Memory of Helen Angelides

Rick HenriksenDavid H. HillB.J. Hoyt


DONOR ROLL

Greg HoytJacquline HuesingPat IngogliaKent JollyWalter LangfordStanley M. LourimoreAntonio MartinezRobert and Anne MeagherAlexander MerolaJerry and Eleanor MitchellCol. Wilson S. Moses, Esq. and Lorna Voboril-Moses

Fred NotewareFrank PajerskiDavid PerraultDr. Andrew and Rita PichlerPrewoznik FoundationDaren and Leondina Primack B. Viswanath RaoMary Reed in honor of Elizabeth Coronata and Eric Achen

Candace RossiBob and Joan RouseAnne RudinErika RypichGary ShannonClarence and Callie SmithRoger and Barbara SmithEdward SpeegleCurtis and Judy SpencerFred and Nancy TeichertPeter and Vicki TencatiDale and Jan TudorVanna P. TurnerDiane Van MarenDr. Wayne and Margaret WilcoxJames WillettsJohn and Sarah WoodRobert Zeff and Charlotte Ballard

FRIEND $125-$299Jose AbadStephen AbbottFritz AlbrechtJean Alford

Dolores AllenShelly AllenDonald AmisEzra A. AmsterdamKay AmundsonTom AndersenPatricia AndersonRon and Noelle AndersonElinor AnklinMr. and Mrs. Kenneth Joseph BalestreriMonika BasselDebra BassettGeorge and Mary Alice BasyeBob and Doris BeckertJeffrey BedellJohn W.BernhardtDr. Heather J. Bevan, Bevowitz FamilyHerum BjorkLarry BoalsDonald and Lois BrandMr. and Mrs. Arthur Breuer Karen M. Brookhyser Linda BrownKenn and Sue BucholzDiana BuechlerDavid CandeyWendy CarmonaRaymond H. CarterRoy CastelliniPeggy CavaghanLes and Peggy ChisholmDonna ClarkYvonne ClintonDeborah CondonRobert ConnettDr. John CozzaRalph De Vere WhiteSteven DebryWilliam DeanJames and Martha DicksonPoppea DorsamMuriel DrakefordDon EagleWallace EtterbeekDonna EvansBill and Lori Fackenthall


DONOR ROLL

Robert W. FarnsworthNell FarrBill and Margy FindlayElfrena Foord and Bruce HesterSue ForsterRobert FosterJennifer D. Franz and William E. BehnkJoan FreedmanBarbara GardnerLloyd GavinPeggy GoldsteinHedy GovenarJeffrey GreerEugene and Marilyn GregoryEugene and Dorothy GualcoJames GualcoJeffrey and Deborah GualcoJudith GuardalabeneMartin and Susan HaleyM. J. L HamiltonLorna HannonRalph H. HarderGeorge and Mary HargraveDale and Shirley HarryCydney F. Haug-WestDiane HeinzerTed HestilowDavid R. HillPhelps and Teddy Hobart in memory of Irene Hollander

Julie Hochman and Gregory WolfeTimothy HolmesMary L. HopkinsChuck and Suzy HortonAllie HubertyTeresa IrwinStephen KannwischerGloria KasparianJune KellyJulia KingMary A. KirchnerGene KnepprathDave KomaromiFalcon LeeLeff Family Philanthropic FundDavid and Rita Lehman

Leigh LeidigRichard LevensonLuther LewisHarry LittellFay LongRomulo LopezNicole MakramJames MalinJim MarkleRoberta A. MarloweAllen and Kathryn MarrCarolyn MarrahJ. A. MartinEileen McCauleyJohn and Kathy McCoyJoan and Phil McDonaldJoan McFarlandCharles McLeanMaurice MetcalfeDavid MeyerR.B. MillerGeraldine MilliganDavid MooreGretchen and Brad NelsonDavid Bell and Katherine NewmanRichard NicolesKenneth and Sue NoackMargaret NolandCarole NuttLoreen O’Hare-HallRoger OlsonJohn O’NealClair ParshPease Conservatory of MusicWilliam and Elaine PesceSusan PetersAndrea PlesnarskiNorbert PobanzBeth PostKen PragerFreda P. RavizzaMelinda RayneDavid and Carol RichmanMarcia RosensteinTamara RuxinWayne and Ann Schindler


DONOR ROLL

Lisa and Howard SchmidtLynn and Ernie SchornoLynn and Caralee SeamonsChris SewardCarolyn J. ShawMary SilvaSandra L. SilvaElaine Silver MeliaThomas SlakeyJudith SmithNancy SnyderScott SocharThomas SwiftBrian TooleUnited Way Sacramento AreaMark Urban and Terri Friedman

Magda Van BruntLorraine Van KekerixVision Service PlanJoan VondracekM. Therese WagnonPaula WakamiyaPatricia WallAnn WeldyEleanore WetmoreJean WillisLois WrightJudith WydickStuart YaffeMatthew and Lilia YoungDimitris and Elaine ZorbasThomas P. Raley Foundation

Thomas P. Raley Foundation

Share your concert experience on social media

@SacPhilOpera Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera


BECOME A SUPPORTERPlatinum Leadership Circle ($30,000 +) • A postconcert private gathering with the guest conductor/artist/musician • Plus all benefits in categories below

Gold Leadership Circle ($20,000 to $29,999) • Customized benefits and experiences • Plus all benefits in categories below

Silver Leadership Circle ($10,000 to $19,999) • Concierge ticket service • Plus all benefits in categories below

Bronze Leadership Circle ($5,000 to $9,999) • Underwriter recognition for one performance • Plus all benefits in categories below

Leadership Circle ($2,500 to $4,999) • Intimate recital opportunities • Plus all benefits in categories below

Benefactor Level ($1,000 to $2,499) • Season membership to the Donor Lounge • Plus all benefits in categories below

Patron Level ($600 to $999) • One-time admission to the Donor Lounge • Advance ticket purchase opportunities • Plus all benefits in categories below

Associate Level ($300 to $599) • Buy one ticket, get one FREE • Plus all benefits in category below

Friend Level ($125 to $299) • Recognition in all program books

Donor Level (Under $125) • Recognition in one program book

BENEFITS OF GIVING

Double the Impact of Your Donation TodayWhen you make a donation by March 31, 2017, your donation will be

matched dollar-for-dollar by the generous Maestoso Matching Challenge Grant. Please make a donation today by calling 916.808.1989 or

by going online at sacphilopera.org. Thank you for your support!

the music of david bowie - stageview.costageview.co/pageturn/books/spo3_1617/spo3_1617.pdf ·...

Documents