St. Louis Symphony Extra - November 29, 2014

8/10/2019 St. Louis Symphony Extra - November 29, 2014

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CONCERT PROGRAMNovember 28-30, 2014

David Robertson, conductorKirill Gerstein, pianoAndrew Cuneo, bassoonAndrew Gott, bassoonFelicia Foland, bassoon,Gregg Henegar, contrabassoonS. Katy Tucker, visual design

MICHAEL DAUGHERTY Hells Angels (1999) (b. 1954)

Andrew Cuneo, bassoon Andrew Gott, bassoon Felicia Foland, bassoon Gregg Henegar, contrabassoon

BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances fromWest Side Story (1960) (1918-1990)

Prologue (Allegro moderato) Somewhere (Adagio) Scherzo (Vivace leggiero) Mambo (Presto) Cha-Cha (Andantino con grazia) Meeting Scene (Meno messo) Cool Fugue (Allegretto) Rumble (Molto allegro) Finale (Adagio)

Performed without pause

INTERMISSION

ANDREW NORMAN Try (2011) (b. 1979)

Kirill Gerstein, piano

Performed without pause into Gershwin

GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue (Original Jazz Band Version) (1924) (1898-1937) Kirill Gerstein, piano


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors series.

David Robertson is the Beofor Music Director and Conductor.

Kirill Gerstein is the Graybar Electric Company, Inc. Guest Artist.

Visual enhancements during these concerts are underwritten in part by a RACInnovation Fund Grant from the Regional Arts Commission.

The concert of Friday, November 28, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom Mary Strauss.

The concert of Saturday, November 29, is underwritten in part by a generousgift from Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth S. Kranzberg.

The concert of Sunday, November 30, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom Ms. Jo Ann T. Kindle.

Pre-Concert Conversations are sponsored by Washington University Physicians.

Large print program notes are available through the generosity of the DelmarGardens Family and are located at the Customer Service table in the foyer.


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FROM THE STAGEDavid Robertson on party crashing: There is a theme running through these

concerts that has to do with crashing the party. Gershwin crashed the party ofclassical music with Rhapsody in Blue. We play the original version performedby Paul Whitemans small big band, so what you hear sounds more like ajazz band. Bernstein also broke in with West Side Story. Andrew Normans Trytakes a more philosophical and historical approach, as the orchestra refusesto allow the solo piano to nd the melody. The orchestra is crashing the virtu-osity. Hells Angels are some of the most notorious party crashers ever. Ourbassoons may outdo them.

David Robertson


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The question, What is American music?

was asked in a 1924 New York Tribune articleannouncing an experimental music concert byPaul Whiteman and his Orchestra that wouldattempt to broaden the denition of so-calledserious music. Its a question still worth beingasked today. One possible answer being offeredby the four pieces on the program tonight isthat American music is inherently revolution-

ary, whether its combining jazz and classical,as Gershwin did, defying the conventions ofBroadway like Bernstein, striving toward theunknown like Norman, or using it to perform awheelie at 80 m.p.h., like Daugherty. Americanmusic breaks rules.

MICHAEL DAUGHERTY

Hells Angels

REBEL YELLS Get yer motor runninHead out onthe highway. With a repertoire that includes Steppen-wolfs Born to Be Wild, the Shangri-LassLeader of the Pack, Meat Loafs Bat Out ofHell, and Montroses Bad Motor Scooter, youmight think that rock n roll pretty much has thegenre of motorcycle epics sewn up.

Not so, thanks to Michael Daughertys HellsAngels, a roaring, chaotic mini-concerto based onthe titular outlaw biker gang. The piece substi-tutes long, tubular bassoons for the unmufeddrag-pipes of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, cre-ating a commotion sure to upset the neighbor-hood. Somebody call the authorities!

Time and again, Daugherty has made it hismission to disrupt the often staid world of theconcert hall. The Grammy-winning composer (in2011, for Deus ex machina) draws frequently fromAmerican pop culture and has written piecesbased on Vegas lounge music (Le Tombeau de Lib-erace), Superman comics (Metropolis Symphony),and the King of Rock and Roll (the notedandnotoriousDead Elvis, written for chamber

REBELS WITH A CAUSEBY DANIEL DURCHHOLZ

TIMELINKS

1924GERSHWINRhapsody in Blue

(Original Jazz BandVersion)First coast-to-coast radiobroadcast

1960BERNSTEINSymphonic Dances fromWest Side StoryPsychopremieres

1999MICHAEL DAUGHERTYHells AngelsThe Sopranosdebuts onHBO

2011ANDREW NORMANTry

Osama bin Laden killedby U.S. special forces inPakistan


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BornApril 28, 1954, Cedar Rapids,Iowa

First Performance

March 1999, PhilharmoniaOrchestra conducted byDavid Zinman, at RoyalFestival Hall, London

STL Symphony PremiereThis week

Scoring3 solo bassoonssolo contrabassoon

2 flutespiccolo4 horns4 trumpets3 trombonestubatimpanipercussionharpceleste

stringsPerformance Timeapproximately 15 minutes

ensemble and a solo bassoonist dressed as anElvis impersonator).

Hells Angels, a rare piece written for bassoonquartetthree bassoons and a contrabassoondeals with something beyond the mundane

rumble of motorcycles. Indeed, the very conceptsof Heaven and Hell are introduced.

First, Hell. The piece opens with a lowfugue of bassoons, soon joined by cacopho-nous, polyrhythmic percussion and the boom,rattle, and clash of a bass drum, metal chains,and a thundersheet. Later, Heaven is introducedas the bassoonists strain to play in the highest

register the instrument will allow, accompaniedby harp and celeste.Eventually, variations on the themes overlap

and race toward the nish at breakneck speed,and the piece plunges headlong into the abyss.

Heady stuff, for sure. But Hells Angels isstill more about motorcycles than metaphysics.As Daugherty has said, its the musical tale ofa gang of hot-rodding motorcycling bassoonists

who ride into town and take over a concert hall.Does all of this make Daugherty a rebel? And

if so, what is he rebelling against?As Marlon Brando said in The Wild One,

Whattya got?

LEONARD BERNSTEINSymphonic Dances from West Side Story

STAR CROSSED The history of American musicaltheater might have been entirely different hadWest Side Story gone forward with the unfortu-nate title it wore not long before its August 1957tryout run in Washington D.C. It was at thatpoint called Gang Way!

That sounds a little less like a version of

Romeo and Julietupdated by such distinguishedtalents as composer Leonard Bernstein, chore-ographer Jerome Robbins, and librettist ArthurLaurents, and more like a raucous revue stagedby the Marx Brothers.

Luckily, things righted themselves before thepremiere.

During its composition, however, the piecehad gone through a radical transformation in


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gangs face off in a competitive dance. In Cha-Cha,which contains the hit song Maria, the star-crossed lovers meet and dance, followed by Meet-ing Scene, which features the music accompany-ing their rst spoken words. In Cool Fugue, the

gangs attempt to control their hostility, but fail,resulting in the violence of Rumble, in which thegang leaders are killed. The Finale reprises theidealism of Somewhere, set against the tragicreality of what has taken place.

ANDREW NORMAN

Try

TRIAL AND ERROR A composers pursuit of per-fection is the subject of Andrew Normans Try,and in fact it was the impetus behind the piece.Resulting from a commission by the Los AngelesPhilharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philhar-monic, Norman was intimidated by and over-whelmed with the desire to live up to a task given

him by such prestigious organizations. He onlyhad one chance to get it right, he reasoned, butNorman considers himself a trial-and-error com-poser and incurable reviser. According to Norman, The best thing Icould do was to try as many new things as Icould, to embrace the risk and failure and seren-dipitous discovery implicit in the word try.

As such, the piece throws out a number ofideas, discarding them and circling back on itselfin search of one worth pursuing to a satisfyingconclusion. Two thirds of the way through, thatidea is found. An unlikely bit of musical material[the composeror perhaps the piece itself?] likesenough, Norman comments, to repeat andpolish and hone until it nally (ngers crossed)gets it right.

BornOctober 31, 1979First PerformanceMay 24, 2011, John Adamsconducted the Los AngelesPhilharmonic at DisneyConcert Hall

STL Symphony PremiereThis week

Scoringfluteoboeclarinetbassoonhorntrumpettrombonepercussionpiano

string quintetPerformance Timeapproximately 14 minutes


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GEORGE GERSHWINRhapsody in Blue(Original Jazz Band Version)

METROPOLITAN MADNESSGeorge Gershwin andhis brother Ira, along with songwriter Buddy De

Sylva, were shooting pool on January 3 when Iraread in the New York Tribunethat bandleader PaulWhiteman was going to present a concert in NewYork that would bridge the worlds of popular andserious music, blurring the deep-set distinctionsbetween the two.

The article claimed that George Gershwin isat work on a jazz concerto, Irving Berlin is writ-ing a syncopated tone poem, and Victor Herbertis working on an American suite. But Gershwinwas doing no such thing. Gershwin phonedWhiteman for an explanation and was told thathe was asked for such a piece some 18 monthsprior, when the two worked together on theBroadway revue George Whites Scandals of 1922. Whiteman persuaded Gershwin to go aheadand write the piece. Gershwin set to work, con-

ceiving the general theme of the piece on a train.I heard it as a sort of musical kaleidoscope ofAmerica, of our vast melting pot, of our undu-plicated national pep, of our metropolitan mad-ness, he told biographer Isaac Goldberg.

One element of jazz that the Rhapsody cer-tainly containsat least in spiritis improvisa-tion. In the sections of the piece meant for Ger-shwins own solo piano performances, the score

was simply left blank. The indication for White-mans orchestra to play again was Gershwin nod-ding his head.

Another indication that Gershwin was will-ing to play somewhat fast and loose with hismusic came during rehearsals. Whitemans clari-netist, Ross Gorman, unexpectedly turned a lowtrill followed by some rising notes in the score

into the ascending glissando that opens the pieceand has become one of its signature moments.Gershwin heard the bluesy slide and kept it in.

Program notes 2014 by Daniel Durchholz

BornSeptember 26, 1898, inBrooklyn, New York

Died

July 11, 1937, Hollywood, California

First PerformanceFebruary 12, 1924, in New York,Gershwin played the piano part,and Paul Whiteman directedthe Palais Royal Orchestra

STL Symphony PremiereFebruary 2, 1946, JessMaria Sanroma was soloist,

with Vladimir Golschmannconducting

Most Recent STL SymphonyPerformanceJune 26, 1998, ChristopherORiley was soloist, withDavid Loebel conducting

Scoringsolo piano

oboeclarinetE-flat clarinetbass clarinet2 horns2 trumpets2 trombonestubatimpanipercussion

pianocelestebanjo2 alto saxophones2 soprano saxophonestenor saxbaritione saxstrings

Performance Timeapproximately 16 minutes


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DAVID ROBERTSONBEOFOR MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR

A passionate and compelling communicator withan extensive orchestral and operatic repertoire,

American conductor David Robertson has forgedclose relationships with major orchestras aroundthe world. In fall 2014, Robertson launches his 10thseason as Music Director of the 135-year-old St. LouisSymphony. In January 2014, Robertson assumedthe post of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director ofthe Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia.

To celebrate his decade-long tenure with theSt. Louis Symphony in 2014-15, David Robertson

will showcase 50 of the orchestras musicians insolo or solo ensemble performances through-out the season. Other highlights include a con-cert performance of VerdisAdafeaturing videoenhancements by S. Katy Tucker (one of a seriesof such collaborations during the season), and areturn to Carnegie Hall with a program featuringthe music of Meredith Monk.

KIRILL GERSTEINGRAYBAR ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC. GUEST ARTIST

Kirill Gerstein is the sixth recipient of the presti-gious Gilmore Artist Award, presented every fouryears to an exceptional pianist who, regardless ofage or nationality, possesses broad and profoundmusicianship and charisma and who desires

and can sustain a career as a major internationalconcert artist. Since receiving the award in 2010,Gerstein has shared his prize through the com-missioning of boundary-crossing new works byOliver Knussen, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau,Timothy Andres, and Alexander Goehr.

Highlights of his 2014-15 season in NorthAmerica include performances of RachmaninoffsRhapsody on a Theme of Paganiniwith the BostonSymphony Orchestra and Charles Dutoit, Shosta-kovichs Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Philadel-phia Orchestra and Yannick Nzet-Sguin, andThomas Ads In Seven Dayswith the San Fran-cisco Symphony under the baton of the composer.Kirill Gerstein plays a recital as part of CarnegieHalls Keyboard Virtuosos series in Zankel Hall,performing works by Bartk, Bach, and Liszt.

David Robertson recentlyconducted the Met Operadebut of John Adamss The

Death of Klinghoffer

Kirill Gerstein mostrecently performed withthe St. Louis Symphony inSeptember 2013.


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ANDREW CUNEO

Andrew Cuneo is the Principal Bassoon with theSt. Louis Symphony. Prior to his appointment inSt. Louis, he was Principal Bassoon of the Louis-

ville Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera. In addi-tion, he has performed with the PhiladelphiaOrchestra, the Milwaukee, Boston, and Houstonsymphonies, as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicagoand the Houston Grand Opera. He has playedwith the Sun Valley Summer Symphony since2011, and has been a fellow at several summerfestivals, including Tanglewood, the Music Acad-emy of the West, and the Youth Orchestra of the

Americas. Andrew Cuneo is a former student ofBernard Gareld and Daniel Matsukawa at theCurtis Institute of Music and Benjamin Kaminsat Rice University.

ANDREW GOTT

Prior to taking the position of Associate Princi-pal Bassoon of the St. Louis Symphony in 2006,Andrew Gott was Principal Bassoon of the Vir-

ginia Symphony Orchestra under the baton ofJoAnn Falletta. He has also played Principal Bas-soon with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestraand the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra. Hehas attended numerous music festivals both hereand abroad and as an active chamber musician,Gott has played in the Innsbrook Institute MusicFestival, Norfolk Chamber Consort, and the Vir-ginia Arts Festival. He has served on the faculty at

the Governors School for the Arts, Old Domin-ion University, Christopher Newport University,and Ball State Bassoon Camp. Gott received hisBachelor of Music from Ball State University andhis Master of Music from the Shepherd School ofMusic at Rice University, where he studied withBen Kamins. Andrew Gott was born and raisedin Bolivar, Missouri.

Andrew Cuneos firstconcert with the St. LouisSymphony included the

opening bassoon solo inStravinskys The Rite ofSpring.

Andrew Gott is a Missourinative.


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S. KATY TUCKER

Katy Tucker is a video and projections designerbased in New York City. Tucker began her careeras a painter and installation artist, exhibiting her

work at a variety of galleries, such as the Corco-ran Museum in Washington, D.C. and ArtistsSpace in New York City. In 2003, as her videoinstallations became more theatrical, Tuckershifted her focus to video and projection designfor the stage.

Since 2003, Tucker has worked all over theU.S. and world including Broadway, off-Broad-way, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City

Ballet, Carnegie Hall, Park Avenue Armory, BAM,Disney World, Kennedy Center, San FranciscoOpera, and more.

Upcoming productions include: Two Womenwith Francesca Zambello at San Francisco Operaand Teatro Regio di Torino, Carmenat Wolf TrapOpera, and Dream Seminarwith Pat Diamond.S. Katy Tucker creates visual

enhancements to fourSymphony programs this

season.


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ON MUSIC AND THE VISUAL:DAVID ROBERTSON, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Video projections are used throughoutthe concerts this week. The visuals are,

in part, about entertaining the audiencethroughout the concert, so were notignoring the audience every time thestagehands move chairs.

Katy Tucker knows when to letvisuals step back and allow the musicto speak. From Opening Weekend,to this weekend, to Christine Brewersinging Wagner with us in March, to

Adain May, youll see a gentle progres-sion in the effects Katy brings to theperformance experience.

A BRIEF EXPLANATIONYou dont need to know what andante means or what a glockenspiel is to enjoya St. Louis Symphony concert, but its always fun to know stuff. For example,

what do those long dashes mean after the West Side Storymovement titles?

Attacca: in Italian it means attack, but dont be wary; its the composersdirective telling the conductor and musicians that the movements need tobe performed without pause from one to the next; in this concert Try isperformed attacca right into Rhapsody in Blue

David Robertson


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YOU TAKE IT FROM HEREIf these concerts have inspired you to learn more, here are suggested sourcematerials with which to continue your explorations.

Laslo Benedek, director, The Wild OneDVDMarlon Brando looks great on a motorcycle inthis 1953 classic

Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, directors,West Side StoryDVD

Another cinema classic, with Bernsteinsdriving score

andrewnormanmusic.comLearn about the young composer via hiswebsite

Howard Pollack, George Gershwin: His Lifeand WorkUniversity of California PressA large scale biography that encompassesGershwins brief yet full life

Read the program notes online. Go tostlsymphony.org. Click Connect, thenProgram Notes. Also learn more about this season of anniversaries withvideos and podcasts. Click Connect, then 10-50-135.

Keep up with the backstage life of the St. Louis Symphony, as chronicled bySymphony staffer Eddie Silva, via stlsymphony.org/blog

Download our NEW APP! Buy tickets to concerts anywhere, anytime. Exploreupcoming performances, listen to podcasts, watch video, and share up-to-the-minute information about concerts, programs, and promotions.The new STLSymphony app is available for iPhone and Android. Search STL Symphony inyour app store.

The St. Louis Symphony is on


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AUDIENCE INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm;closed Sunday. Concert Hours: Friday

morning Coffee Concerts open 9am;all other concerts open 2 hours prior toconcert through intermission.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Box Ofce: 314-534-1700Toll Free: 1-800-232-1880

Online: stlsymphony.orgFax: 314-286-4111

A service charge is added to alltelephone and online orders.

SEASON TICKET EXCHANGE POLICIES

If you cant use your season tickets,

simply exchange them for anotherWells Fargo Advisors subscriptionconcert up to one hour prior to yourconcert date. To exchange your tickets,please call the Box Ofce at 314-534-1700 and be sure to have your tickets

with you when calling.

GROUP AND DISCOUNT TICKETS314-286-4155 or 1-800-232-1880

Any group of 20 is eligible fora discount on tickets for selectOrchestral, Holiday, or Live at PowellHall concerts. Call for pricing.

Special discount ticket programs areavailable for students, seniors, and

police and public-safety employees.Visit stlsymphony.org for moreinformation.

POLICIES

You may store your personalbelongings in lockers located on the

Orchestra and Grand Tier Levels at acost of 25 cents.

FM radio headsets are available atCustomer Service.

Cameras and recording devices aredistracting for the performers andaudience members. Audio and videorecording and photography are strictly

prohibited during the concert. Patronsare welcome to take photos before theconcert, during intermission, and afterthe concert.

Please turn off all watch alarms, cellphones, pagers, and other electronicdevices before the start of the concert.

All those arriving after the start of the

concert will be seated at the discretionof the House Manager.

Age for admission to STL Symphonyand Live at Powell Hall concerts

varies, however, for most events therequired age is ve or older. All patrons,regardless of age, must have their owntickets and be seated for all concerts.

All children must be seated with anadult. Admission to concerts is at thediscretion of the House Manager.

Outside food and drink are notpermitted in Powell Hall. No food ordrink is allowed inside the auditorium,except for select concerts.

Powell Hall is not responsible for

the loss or theft of personal property.To inquire about lost items, call314-286-4166.

POWELL HALL RENTALS

Select elegant Powell Hall for your nextspecial occasion. Visit: stlsymphony.org.Click About Us, then Hall Rental formore information.


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BOUTIQUE

WHEELCHAIR LIFT

BALCONY LEVEL(TERRACE CIRCLE, GRAND CIRCLE)

GRAND TIER LEVEL

(DRESS CIRCLE, DRESS CIRCLE BOXES,GRAND TIER BOXES & LOGE)

MET BAR

TAXI PICK UPDELMAR

ORCHESTRA LEVEL(PARQUET, ORCHESTRA RIGHT & LEFT)

WIGHTMAN

GRAND

FOYERTICKET LOBBY

CUSTOMER

SERVICE

POWELL HALL

LOCKERS

WOMENS RESTROOM

MENS RESTROOM

ELEVATOR

BAR SERVICES

HANDICAPPED-ACCESSIBLE

FAMILY RESTROOM

Please make note of the EXIT signs in the auditorium. In the case of an emergency,proceed to the nearest EXIT near you.

St. Louis Symphony Extra - November 29, 2014

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