Beethoven Symphony No. 9 | Program Notes

SOUNDINGS 2014/15 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG PROGRAM 1

MASTERWORKS • 2014/15BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 9

COLORADO SYMPHONYANDREW LITTON, conductor JEFFREY BIEGEL, piano RACHEL NICHOLLS, soprano KELLEY O’CONNOR, mezzo-soprano JOHN MAC MASTER, tenor KEVIN DEAS, bass-baritone COLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUS; Duain Wolfe, director

Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 7:30 pmFriday, September 19, 2014 at 7:30 pmBoettcher Concert Hall

BEETHOVEN Choral Fantasy for Piano, Chorus and Orchestra, Op. 80 Adagio Finale: Allegro – Allegretto ma non troppo, quasi andante con moto

— INTERMISSION —

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, “Choral” Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso Molto vivace Adagio molto e contabile Presto – Allegro assai – Allegro assai vivace

THURSDAY’S CONCERT IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED TO JOYCE ZEFF AND MAGNOLIA HOTEL

FRIDAY’S CONCERT IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED TO DR. AND MRS. W. GERALD RAINER

PROGRAM 2 SOUNDINGS 2014/15 | COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG

MASTERWORKS BIOGRAPHIESANDREW LITTON, conductor

Andrew Litton currently serves as Music Director of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Denver, Artistic Director of the Minnesota Orchestra’s Sommerfest, and Conductor Laureate of Britain’s Bournemouth Symphony. He guest conducts the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies and has a discography of over 120 recordings with awards including America’s Grammy®, France’s Diapason d’Or, and many British and other honors. First appointed Bergen

Philharmonic Music Director in 2003, Litton will have the distinguished honor to celebrate the orchestra’s 250th Anniversary in 2015. It is one of the world’s longest established orchestras. In recognition of Litton’s achievements with the Bergen Philharmonic, Norway’s King Harald knighted Litton with the Royal Order of Merit. Under Litton’s leadership the Bergen Philharmonic has taken numerous tours, including debuts at the London BBC Proms and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, as well as appearances at Vienna’s Musikverein, Berlin’s Philharmonie, and New York’s Carnegie Hall - the capstone of its first American tour in 40 years. Litton and the Bergen Philharmonic record for the BIS and Hyperion labels, and have won extraordinary critical acclaim for their Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, and Prokofiev series. Andrew Litton, a graduate of the Fieldston School, New York, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Juilliard in piano and conducting. The youngest-ever winner of the BBC International Conductors Competition, he served as Assistant Conductor at Teatro alla Scala and Exxon/Arts Endowment Assistant Conductor for the National Symphony under Rostropovich. His many honors in addition to Norway’s Royal Order of Merit include an honorary Doctorate from the University of Bournemouth, Yale University’s Sanford Medal, and the Elgar Society Medal..

JEFFREY BIEGEL, piano

Considered one of the great pianists of our time, Jeffrey Biegel has created a multi-faceted career as a pianist, recording artist, composer and arranger. Along with standard-setting performances of the classic repertoire, Mr. Biegels work with living composers includes two premieres during the 2013-14 season: Lucas Richman’s Piano Concerto with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and, Jake Runestad’s Dreams of the Fallen with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Chorus New Orleans at the National WWII Museum

on Veterans Day 2013. New commissions continue through 2018 with concerti by Kenneth Fuchs, Jeremy Lubbock, Lera Auerbach, Dick Tunney and Peter Tork. He has also formed a new piano trio, the Dicterow-DeMaine-Biegel trio with violinist Glenn Dicterow, and cellist Robert DeMaine. The career of pianist Jeffrey Biegel has been marked by bold, creative achievements and highlighted by a series of firsts: He initiated the first live internet recitals in New York and Amsterdam in 1997 and 1998, and, in 1999, assembled the largest consortium of orchestras (over 25), to celebrate the millennium with a new concerto composed for him by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, whose Millennium Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra was premiered with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2000. He also transcribed Balakirev’s Islamey Fantasy for piano and orchestra, premiered with the American Symphony Orchestra, followed with Charles Strouse’ new work titled, Concerto America for Biegel, premiered with the Boston Pops in 2002. He has premiered Lowell Liebermann’s Concerto No. 3 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and arranged the piano parts for Billy Joel’s Symphonic Fantasies in 2006, as well as Neil Sedaka’s Manhattan Intermezzo in 2011. He will record Mr. Sedaka’s concerto with works by Gershwin, Ellington and Keith Emerson this fall for Naxos.

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RACHEL NICHOLLS, soprano

Recently described by The Observer as “magnificent, full-toned, flexible accurate and powerful” Rachel Nicholls is now widely recognised as one of the most exciting dramatic sopranos of her generation. She was born in Bedford and in 2013 was awarded an Opera Awards Foundation Bursary to study with Dame Anne Evans. She made her début at London’s Royal Opera House as Third Flowermaiden/Parsifal with other operatic engagements including Tatyana/Eugene Onegin, Senta /Der fliegende Holländer both for Scottish Opera and

acclaimed performances as Brunhilde in Longborough Opera’s 2013 Ring Cycle. She is also in demand as a concert artist and has worked with orchestras including Bach Collegium Japan, BBC Symphony, Bochum Symphony, Britten Sinfonia, City of Birmingham Symphony, London Philharmonic, Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment, Philharmonia, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra , the Royal Philharmonic and has performed in recital at Wigmore Hall, London. Recent and future engagements include Leonore/Fidelio for Bergen National Opera, Guinevere/Gawain for the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Lady Macbeth/Macbeth for NI Opera, Eva/Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Fidelio for Lithuanian National Opera, Isolde/Tristan und Isolde for Longborough Opera, Wesendonck Lieder at the 2013 St Endellion Festival, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Carols by Candlelight for Raymond Gubbay Ltd, Verdi Requiem in Milton Keynes and performances with Colorado Symphony, the Hallé, Cambridge University Music Society, Huddersfield Choral Society, Bournemouth Bach Choir and Oxford Symphony Orchestra.

KELLEY O’CONNOR, mezzo-soprano

Possessing a voice of uncommon allure, musical sophistication far beyond her years, and intuitive and innate dramatic artistry, the Grammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor has emerged as one of the most compelling performers of her generation. During the 2014-15 season, the California native’s impressive calendar includes Mozart’s Requiem with Louis Langrée and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center, Leoš Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Alan

Gilbert, Debussy’s La Damoiselle élue and Duruflé’s Requiem with Donald Runnicles conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Colorado Symphony and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Mahler’s Second Symphony with the San Antonio Symphony and Reno Philharmonic. The artist returns to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Creation Oratorio led by Music Director Robert Spano, as well as for Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder conducted by Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles. Recent concert seasons include performances of Beethoven’s Mass in C during an international tour with Franz Welser- Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra, John Adams’ El Niño under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, a US recital tour with soprano Jessica Rivera and pianist Robert Spano including a performance at Carnegie Hall, Ravel’s Shéhérazade with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Edinburgh Festival, and Mozart’s Requiem with Iván Fischer leading the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall. Additional information is available on the artist’s website: kelleyoconnor.com.

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MASTERWORKS BIOGRAPHIESJOHN MAC MASTER, tenor

Since his astonishing portrayal of Canio in Pagliacci at Glimmerglass Opera, John Mac Master has been in demand at the highest international level for the dramatic tenor repertoire. Performances and recording projects include Florestan in Fidelio with Sir Colin Davis in London, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Sir Bernard Haitink (both with the London Symphony Orchestra) and his debut at Dresden’s Semper Oper as Calaf in Turandot conducted by Fabio Luisi. Mac Master’s Metropolitan Opera début came as Canio in Pagliacci. Of

particular note was his Tristan in Tristan Und Isolde for Welsh National Opera conducted by Mark Wigglesworth and a subsequent outing at the Met in this demanding role, with Levine in the pit. His schedule has also included Fidelio with Gergiev in Rotterdam, Tristan Und Isolde with Harding and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Verdi’s Requiem at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa with Zukerman, plus Pagliacci and Ariadne Auf Naxos (both for Vancouver Opera). Mac Master continues to be in demand for heroic repertoire and he has recently repeated a number of his signature roles including Florestan in Fidelio for Edmonton Opera and Herodes in Salome for the Philadelphia Orchestra and New Orleans Opera. He was featured in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the Toronto Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Seattle and Dallas symphonies and in an Opera Gala for the Colorado Symphony. He was heard in Verdi’s Requiem for the Vail Valley Festival in Colorado (Philadelphia Orchestra) and with Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal (both conducted by Nézet-Séguin), and Otello for Calgary Opera. He looks forward to Aegisth in Elektra with Montreal Opera.

KEVIN DEAS bass-baritone

Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and the symphonies of Atlanta, Baltimore, Calgary, Houston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Montreal, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah, and Vancouver, and at the Ravinia, Vail and Saratoga festivals. He repeats the role

during the 2014-2015 season with the symphonies of Columbus (OH), Detroit, Florida, and Hartford, as well as in his return to the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica. Kevin Deas’ other engagements during the 2014-15 season include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and Elgin (IL) Symphonies, as well as the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico; Claudius in Handel’s Agrippina in a concert staging and recording with Boston Baroque; a return to the Winter Park Bach Festival for Bach’s Mass in B-minor and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem; Bach’s Mass in B-minor with the Louisiana Philharmonic and Vox AmaDeus; Messiah with the National Philharmonic; a concert of the music of Gershwin and Copland with Orchestra Iowa; Copland’s Old American Songs and a set of spirituals with the Columbus (OH) Symphony; and Christmas concerts with the Acadiana Symphony and Riverside Symphonia. He also joins Post Classical Ensemble of Washington, DC for a concert of Bach cantatas and a series of master classes in Washington’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts.

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MASTERWORKS BIOGRAPHIESDUAIN WOLFE, Colorado Symphony Chorus director

Recently awarded two Grammys® for Best Choral Performance and Best Classical Recording, Duain Wolfe is founder and director of the Colorado Symphony Chorus and music director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. This year marks Wolfe’s 30th season with the Colorado Symphony Chorus. The Chorus has been featured at the Aspen Music Festival for over two decades. Wolfe, who is in his 21st season with the Chicago Symphony Chorus has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Muti, and the late Sir

George Solti on numerous recordings including Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, which won the 1998 Grammy® for Best Opera Recording. Wolfe’s extensive musical accomplishments have resulted in numerous awards, including an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Denver, the Bonfils Stanton Award in the Arts and Humanities, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline and the Michael Korn Award for the Development of the Professional Choral Art. Wolfe is also founder of the Colorado Children’s Chorale, from which he retired in 1999 after 25 years; the Chorale is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. For 20 years, Wolfe also worked with the Central City Opera Festival as chorus director and conductor, founding and directing the company’s young artist residence program, as well as its education and outreach programs. Wolfe’s additional accomplishments include directing and preparing choruses for Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, the Bravo! Vail Festival, the Berkshire Choral Festival, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Grand Teton Music Festival. He has worked with Pinchas Zuckerman as Chorus Director for the Canadian National Arts Centre Orchestra for the past 13 years.

SHAHAM PLAYS BRAHMS OCT 3-5 FRI-SAT 7:30 ■ SUN 1:00

COLORADOSYMPHONY.ORG | 303.623.7876 BOX OFFICE MON-FRI 10 AM - 6 PM :: SAT 12 PM - 6 PM


COLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUSCOLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUS

The 2014-2015 Colorado Symphony concert season marks the 31st year for the Colorado Symphony Chorus. Founded in 1984 by Duain Wolfe at the request of Gaetano Delogu, then the Music Director of the Symphony, the chorus has grown, over the past three decades, into a nationally respected ensemble. This outstanding chorus of 200 volunteers — including some 12 charter members — joins the Colorado Symphony for numerous performances (more than 25 this year alone), and radio and television broadcasts, to repeat critical acclaim. The Chorus has performed at noted music festivals in the Rocky Mountain region, including the Colorado Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival and the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, where it performed with the New York, Philadelphia and Dallas Orchestras. For over two decades, the Chorus has been featured at the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival, performing such diverse repertoire as the Bernstein Mass, Mahler ’s massive Symphony No. 8, Honegger’s unique Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake), Britten’s Peter Grimes, the Berlioz Requiem, and the epic Schoenberg Gurre~Lieder, under the baton of notable conductors Lawrence Foster, James Levine, Murry Sidlin, Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano and David Zinman. The Colorado Symphony Chorus has appeared at select public and special events, and has collaborated with many renowned Colorado arts ensembles, including the Colorado Children’s Chorale, Central City Opera, Opera Colorado and the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. The chorus sang at the 1991 opening gala for the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre; provided choral support for international opera stars José Carreras, and Andrea Bocelli; and participated in the 1993 Papal Vigil when Pope John Paul II visited Denver. It has performed the works of a number of Colorado composers, including Samuel Lancaster and John Kuzma, and has had works written especially for it by Colorado Symphony composers-in-residence Jon Deak and Libby Larsen. The Chorus is featured on an upcoming Hyperion release of the Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem. In July 2009, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the chorus, Duain Wolfe led the chorus on a 3-country, 2-week concert tour of Europe, presenting the Verdi Requiem in Budapest, Vienna, Litomysl and Prague, with a final presentation in Aspen! From Evergreen to Lochbuie, and Boulder to Castle Rock, singers travel each week to rehearsals and performances in Denver totaling about 80 a year. The Colorado Symphony continues to be grateful for the excellence and dedication of this remarkable all-volunteer ensemble! For an audition appointment, call 303.308.2483.


COLORADO SYMPHONY CHORUS

Soprano IBrown, JamieCampbell, Lindsay R.Causey, DeneldaChoi, LeEtta H.Colbert, GretchenDaniels, Kaylin E.Dirksen, SarahDukeshier, LauraEmerich, Kate A.Gile, Jenifer D.Gill, Lori C.Graber, SusanHarpel, JenniferHedrick, ElizabethHendee, LaurenHinkley, Lynnae C.Hupp, Angela M.Kirschner, Mary E.Kushnir, MarinaLook, CathyMaupin, AnneMoraskie, Wendy L.Porter, Barbara A.Ropa, Lori A.Ross, Kelly G.Saddler, Nancy C.Sladovnik, Roberta A.Solich, Stephanie A.Sowell, KellyStegink, Nicole J.Tate, JudyTravis, Stacey L.Wood, Linda K.

SOPRANO IIBenson, Claire E.Blum, JudeBowen, Alex S.Brauchli, Margot L.Christus, AthanasiaCoberly, Ruth A.Cote, Kerry H.Dakkouri, ClaudiaEberl, LaceyGross, Esther J.Harrold, RebeccaHilgefort, ConnieJoy, Shelley E.Kraft, Lisa D.Nova, Ilene L.

Nyholm, Christine M.O’Nan, Jeannette R.Rae, Donneve S.Rattray, REbeccaRider, Shirley J.Snyer, Lynne M.Von Roedern, Susan K.Walker, Marcia L.Weinstein, Sherry L.Wells, KirstenWoodrow, Sandy

ALTO IAdams, Priscilla P.Berlin, Myrna G.Boothe, Kay A.Brady, Lois F.Branam, Emily M.Brown, KimberlyBuesing, AmyConrad, Jayne M.Costain, Jane A.Daniel, Sheri L.Dunkin, Aubri K.Earhart, Jamie L.Franz, Kirsten D.Gayley, Sharon R.Groom, Gabriella D.Guittar, PatHolst, Melissa J.Hoopes, Kaia M.Horle, Carol E.Kolstad, AnnieKraft, DeannaMcWaters, SusanMeromy, LeahMurray, Cassandra M.Passoth, GinnyThayer, Mary BVirtue, PatWise, SaraWood, HeatherWyatt, Judith M.

ALTO IICox, Martha E.Deck, Barbara R.Dominguez, JoyceEslick, Carol A.Golden, DanielaHoskins, Hansi

Isaac, OliviaJackson, Brandy H.Janasko, Ellen D.London, Carole A.Maltzahn, Joanna K.Marchbank, Barbara J.Mendicello, Beverly D.Mieger, Marge A.Millar, Kelly T.Nittoli, Leslie M.Norris, Deborah R.Rust, Carol L.Scooros, Pamela R.Trierweiler, Ginny

TENOR IDougan, DustinGewecke, Joel C.Gordon, Jr., FrankGuittar, Jr., Forrest E.Hodel, David K.Moraskie, Richard A.Muesing, Garvis J.Nicholas, Timothy W.Reiley, William G.Snook, DavidVan Milligan, John P.Waller, RyanZimmerman, Kenneth A.

TENOR IIBabcock, Gary E.Bradley, MacDavies, Dusty R.Fuehrer, Roger A.Gale, John H.Kolm, Kenneth E.Martin, Taylor S.Mason, Brandt J.Milligan, Tom A.Ruth, Ronald L.Sims, Jerry E.Struthers, David R.Wolf, JeffreyWyatt, Daniel L.

BASS IAdams, John G.Branam, Travis D.Carlton, Grant H.Cowen, GeorgeDrickey, Robert E.Eickhoff, BenjaminGray, MatthewHesse, Douglas D.Hume, DonaldJirak, Thomas J.Mehta, Nalin J.Parce, Frank Y.Rutkowski, Trevor B.Williams, Benjamin M.Wood, Brian W.

BASS IIFletcher, Jonathan S.Friedlander, BobGallagher, John A.Gibbons, DanIsraelson, Eric W.Jackson, Terry L.Kent, Roy A.Kraft, Mike A.Millar, Jr., Robert F.Moncrieff, KennethMorrison, Greg A.Nelson, ChuckNuccio, Eugene J.Phillips, John R.Skillings, Russell R.Swanson, Wil W.Virtue, Tom G.Williams, Miles D.

Duain Wolfe, Chorus Founder and Director; Mary Louise Burke, Associate Chorus Director; Eric Israelson, Chorus Manager; Barbara Porter, Assistant Chorus Manager; Laurie Kahler, Principal Accompanist


MASTERWORKS PROGRAM NOTESLudwig van Beethoven: Choral Fantasy in C minor for Piano, Chorus, and Orchestra, Op. 80 Scored for solo piano, pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets, plus timpani and strings. Duration is 18 minutes. Last performed by the Colorado Symphony on June 9 and 10, 2007, with Jeffrey Kahane serving as both conductor and piano soloist.

The signal crisis of Beethoven’s life, in 1802, was the deep depression wrought by the stark reality of his increasing deafness. In his famous “Heiligenstadt Testament” from that year he articulated his resolve to live, work, and overcome this crushing development. There ensued the remarkable production of his artistic maturity—but it did not ease his lifelong quest for financial security. In a city where Mozart had almost starved to death only a decade before, Beethoven cobbled together a livelihood comprised of constant wheeling and dealing with music publishers in several countries, the occasional subvention from the wealthy to whom compositions were dedicated, and personal performance fees. None of these were certain, and the constant need to attend to from his efforts—but the need for income loomed ever present. [J: does this sentence make sense? Not to me…] One favored source of income was “benefit concerts,” wherein a composer would wangle from the authorities the use of one of the municipal theatres during a rare off night in their busy schedules. Public concerts were not the usual affairs then that they are now, and official productions dominated the public theatres, so opportunities for alternate use were not common. Exceptions, however, were made for public charity concerts, which were somewhat frequent. And, in that regard, Beethoven was generous in donating his time and talent to these concerts, and that willingness finally brought him the use of the Theater an der Wien for a personal benefit concert on the fateful night of 22 December 1808.

The events of that evening were sufficiently vivid that they are famously chronicled in the recollections and memoires of Beethoven’s acquaintances who attended. Zealous in his determination to make the best possible impression with the audience, Beethoven programmed an impossibly long concert—almost four hours! The chief works on the program included the Vienna premières of both his fifth and sixth symphonies, his fourth piano concerto—with him as soloist, of course, parts of the C major Mass, solo vocal works, and the composer, featured in his signature solo piano improvisations. Then there was the complication of a heating system that malfunctioned—it was bitter cold in the hall. The orchestra was under rehearsed, and in a surly and foul mood, owing to some bitter experiences with Beethoven in a recent concert.

Thinking that all of these important compositions were still not enough, Beethoven, at the last minute, decided that what was needed as a grand finale was some sort of work that would bring all of the musical forces together at the end. The Choral Fantasy was the result. His idea was simple enough, begin the piece with a solo piano improvisation, joined by the orchestra for some variations on a previously-composed song, and at the end bring in the chorus for a dynamic conclusion with all participating together. And so it was. Of course, the composer’s improvisations were not written down, and the orchestra was not only spectacularly under rehearsed, but actually sight-read some of the work. Moreover, not untypical of Beethoven, as one wag put it, the chorus was given parts with the ink still wet. One could have predicted the unfortunate travesty that ensued. Some in the orchestra repeated a section while others went on—shouted instructions kept it going. The clarinets started their variation before waiting for the oboes to finish theirs. At one point, the performance halted for regrouping before resuming. It really couldn’t have gone worse. Withal, posterity has deemed the Choral Fantasy an important work, elements of which clearly presage the finale of the composer’s Symphony No. 9, more than fifteen years later.

Beethoven finally got around the next year to actually writing out the solo piano part


MASTERWORKS PROGRAM NOTES

that opens the Fantasy. It is somewhat instructive to observe that the original notice in the newspaper referred to the work not as the Choral Fantasy, but as a “Fantasia for the Pianoforte which ends with the gradual entrance of the entire orchestra and the introduction of the choruses [sic] as a finale.” Just how reflective of his improvisations from the opening night is the published, notated version, is of course subject to speculation. But, it is safe to say it certainly is in the pianistic style of the Beethoven that we know so well from his sonatas and concertos. The opening “fantasia” by the solo piano is a technically challenging adagio, rather like a cadenza, but without the usual working through of important thematic ideas. Dazzling arpeggios and chromatic scales carry the primarily harmonic focus along—Beethoven’s familiar scurrying, almost frenetic, chromatic bass lines will be familiar to many. After suitably dramatic trills and roulades, the stage is set for the entrance of the orchestra with the main theme of the next section.

That theme—from his solo song, Gegenliebe--had been composed over a decade before, and now makes its appearance after a soft introduction in the ‘cellos and basses, answered by the piano. Gradually, the theme is picked up by the rest of the orchestra, alternating with the soloist. A pause brings on the horns and oboes, which herald the entrance of the piano with the theme that will carry us through to the end. If it seems vaguely familiar then it should—for in various melodic and harmonic ways, it clearly is the antecedent of the famous “Ode to Joy” theme of the last movement of the Ninth Symphony. Clever variations ensue that feature a solo flute, pairs of oboes, and then a pair of clarinets with a bassoon. A solo string quartet then takes it up, followed by the full orchestra. A “fantasy” on the theme with the soloist and orchestra ensues, in various tempos and keys, ending in a brave little march. Beethoven was quite adept at the style, having written more than a few marches for the small wind marching bands used by the military at the time. It doesn’t last very long before a few measures of reminiscence intrude, with the soft, marching basses from way back at the entrance of the orchestra leading right into the entrance of the chorus.

Beethoven is known to have worried about how to bring such a new element into the work, and toyed with the idea later used in the Ninth Symphony: a few words in the poem, justifying the entrance of the voices. But not here, and the women’s voices enter straightaway with the quasi-familiar theme. The men then follow, all the while with arabesques in the piano. There’s no solo vocal quartet out front here, but from time to time, in the chorus some get the call. If some dramatic harmonic moves out of the key sound familiar, they should, for they parallel the same stentorian utterances in the Ninth Symphony. Authorship of the text in the Choral Fantasy is still a bit ambiguous—the words of the original song had to do with speculative joy found in requited love. But here, as in the text of the Ninth Symphony, the words idealistically aspire to a higher joy and bliss, as humankind, united, luxuriates in nature’s blessings.

Beethoven may have ground out the Choral Fantasy in haste at the last minute, to serve the dubious function as a concert-ending flag waver, but the audience that night got much more than it expected. Not only is the Choral Fantasy an invaluable document of the gestation of the last movement of the Ninth Symphony, but it’s also a diverting and satisfying work on its own terms. And it’s yet another window into the mind of a man who aspired to humanity’s highest ideals, but whose own persona famously failed in social intercourse.


MASTERWORKSMASTERWORKS PROGRAM NOTES

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 Scored for soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone soloists, chorus, 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, timpani, percussion, and strings. Duration is 67 minutes. Last performance by the Colorado Symphony was on May 28-30, 2010, with Jeffrey Kahane on the podium.

In the decade leading up to about 1812 Beethoven had enjoyed the most productive period of his life. He not only had composed well over two dozen major works—works that stand in the highest ranks of Western music—and many more other compositions in various genres, but he had also changed the game of musical composition in lasting ways. Building upon the work of Haydn and Mozart, he crafted a musical language that would forever set the mark for those who aspire to a musical style that is founded in an unprecedented internal coherence, a logical extension of tonality, and a remarkable economy of means. Moreover, he did so within a relentless exploration of formal, architectural structure, as well as development of deep, expressive, lyrical and dramatic content. In essence—he had become the Beethoven who has hence stood in the exalted ranks of classical composers.

It was not without its personal price, however. In addition to the intensity of his busy life as a composer of works that constantly evolved in content and complexity, he faced unremitting pressures in coping with his loss of hearing, his wrangles with his family, his disappointments in personal relationships, and the never-ending hassles with publishers and impresarios. In short, by about 1812 there began a period of less productivity, of reconsiderations of the path forward in musical style--and just plain mental and physical fatigue. It was the beginning of a time that eventually led to what musical scholars have commonly referred to as his last, and third, stylistic period. While the works from this period are universally hailed by musicians as works of genius and unparalleled in their advanced style, it must be admitted that much of the concert-going public still has difficulty appreciating the spare, often obscure, and abstract nature of many of these compositions. And yet, there is the Ninth Symphony, standing apparently forevermore in the smallest circle of almost everyone’s most beloved works of Beethoven. How is this possible? Is the Ninth Symphony not characteristic of the other works from this late, difficult period? Wherein lies the almost universal appeal?

Development of the symphony from the models left by the mature Haydn and Mozart to its position of central importance in the musical world was one of Beethoven’s greatest achievements. Discounting the derivative first two symphonies—as good as they are—the core of his symphonic achievements lies in the six symphonies of the aforementioned decade. He finished the eighth symphony in 1812 and about that time began a few sketches for the ninth. It is clear that at that juncture he did not envision the special place that the ninth would take in his oeuvre, but rather, it was just the next one-- number nine. Work went more slowly, however, and even after the Philharmonic Society of London formally commissioned the Ninth Symphony in 1817, serious efforts did not begin until around 1822, with completion only in 1824, about three years before his death. A major element in the work, the novel and unprecedented incorporation of a choral setting of Schiller’s Ode to Joy poem, had actually been in the back of his mind since way back in 1793, but had not yet found its ultimate musical use for Beethoven. And, of course, he had composed the Choral Fantasy, some fifteen years previous, with the common elements that have always been clear to all--the composer, himself, having acknowledged the kinship. So, all in all, there were lots of elements stewing in the pot during the long time devoted to composing this major work of his last years.

These elements came together in a work that was significantly different from the great six symphonies that preceded it. To be sure, the novelty of the choral finale, with four vocal



soloists, was sufficiently path breaking. There was a logical extension and development of technical elements in form and texture, as well. But even lay audiences immediately sensed a more abstract, elevated, and deeper sense of spiritual “mission” from the outset.

The central idea of the symphony obviously stems from Schiller’s poem celebrating the universal brotherhood of mankind. But that celebration is not easily, nor quickly arrived at. Before the stirring words of the fourth movement, there is much psychological ground to be explored—and so the first three movements delve into darker reflections of the realities of existence. The first movement opens with a floating, ominous “cloud” of suspense whose exact tonality is fittingly indeterminate. But after sixteen bars, the main theme—a jagged and dynamic affair—appears in the central key of D minor. Other motives appear in constant parade—quite unlike many of his other works in which he literally works to death a single idea. This movement is rife with aphoristic, and eminently useful ideas, all contributing to a sense of unity, despite their multiplicity. The careful listener will find that, as the movement constantly explores the stress, uncertainty, and challenge of making sense of existence, these motives pervade the musical fabric and carry the whole along. A further sense of unrest is generated by Beethoven’s tendency—a common one in his late works—to avoid the structurally reassuring contrast of tonic and dominant keys. Here, the tonal polarity is between D minor and Bb major—one of the composer’s favorite juxtapositions of keys. While there are many quiet moments (even in “happy” keys), the dark uncertainly pounds along all the way to a forceful conclusion—in which it might be said that nothing is actually “concluded” with regard to higher matters.

Conventionally, the fast, dance-like (or in this case, scherzo) movement is the third one, but in this case Beethoven chose to put it second. Like the beloved last movement, it has garnered a secure place in popular culture, even serving some years ago as the theme for the evening television news. And, like the first movement, there is no joy in this one, either. It is a serious, hammering thing, driven by the timpani, which opens the movement with its signature rhythm. Usually, the formal structure of a scherzo is somewhat straight forward, but the composer chose here to employ the full sonata form, with its first and second theme groups, development section, and recapitulation—yet more evidence of the scale and importance that Beethoven imbued in the work. It is relatively easy to keep track of the main section and its repeats, for the composer has thoughtfully provided us with three bars of complete silence to mark them. The traditional middle section of a scherzo, the trio, here is unusual in that it is not only in duple meter (two to the bar), but is in the cheerful parallel major key—really, one of the first extended sections in the symphony thus far not in a minor key. After this diversion, the expected return to the first section occurs, but severely abbreviated, and following a quick allusion to the trio, a sudden ending surprises us.

The Adagio is a glorious example of Beethoven’s unequalled skill in evoking the transcendent. A leisurely exploration in anticipation of the “joy” of the last movement—and which has hitherto eluded us—it continues the delicious juxtaposition of the keys of Bb and D major/minor. After a brief introduction, the violins play the familiar theme in Bb, followed shortly by the other half of the main theme, but now in the other key. Two variations on these themes in various remote and refreshing keys constitute the body of the movement. A little fanfare-like figure introduces the coda, and after a bit more variation (Beethoven can never resist the procedure) this meditative episode is over.

The incorporation of a chorus in the last movement was simply unprecedented at the time, and still is remarkable. But then, a choral setting of Schiller’s poem is, of course, the raison d’être of the whole symphony. But how to transit into it after three such serious, long, and imposing movements? That it gave Beethoven fits is well documented. He labored at many solutions



before finding the way that seemed to make the whole affair a logical procession to the inevitable. And so the unique form of the last movement effects that end. The “roadmap” of the movement is varied and somewhat complex, but in the end, it all makes sense and informs the sense of inevitability as it proceeds.

The movement begins with a fiery storm of agitation, quickly followed by the solo basses literally singing like an operatic bass, in the best of vocal recitative style, obviously taking over the show. The orchestra presents a short review of snatches of the first three movements—with the basses seeming to “reject” them. The basses, which obviously have found the solution, present their idea, an intimation of the famous last movement’s tune. The real theme then appears several times, each with fuller harmony and orchestration. But, apparently, that’s not sufficient, and a human voice finally enters—to the tune of the original recitative by the basses and entreats all: “Oh, friends, not these tones!” More variations follow, this time in various combinations of vocal soloists and chorus, each one raising the emotional and musical stakes. At the climax it is all dramatically broken off at the words: “. . . before God!” What ensues is a kind of Turkish march—shades of the Choral Fantasy--that starts softly in the lower voices (including the distinctive contra-bassoon). This last variation gradually builds, helped by the interjections from the excited tenor and the men in the chorus. When the climax is reached, the voices drop out, and the orchestra zips into a double fugue in the same bustling march rhythm. After a short, quiet transition, the full orchestra and chorus blaze out with the main theme.

But, soon thereafter, all slows down and the chorus and trombones dramatically intone the directive for the “millions” to embrace the earth below of the “common Father.” A short hymn-like passage then earnestly and reverently changes its mind, and suggests that all should “look upward,” instead, to the Maker’s mansion in the starry pavilions. In joy at this new understanding of mankind’s salvation, soloists, chorus, and orchestra plunge into a general celebration of that fact. Dramatic variants of tempo, texture, and familiar themes drive us to a conclusion that has few equals in all of music—and we are reminded, yet again, of why Beethoven, notwithstanding the human faults that he shares with us all, had the inimitable gift to point the way to human transcendence.

© 2014 William E. Runyan

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 | Program Notes

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