BYU-IDAHODEPARTMENTOFMUSICPRESENTS

SYMPHONYORCHESTRADr.RobertTueller,Director

PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky1840-1893

FeaturingDr.DavidOlsen

MARCH30,2017,7:30PMBARRUSCONCERTHALL

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alsomarkedthebeginningofaveryunusualrelationshipwiththeimmenselywealthywidowNadezhdaFilaretovnavonMeck.TheyearpriorsheluredhimwithacommissionforhisfriendandviolinistYosifYosifovichKotek.ThenasecondcorrespondencefromvonMeckarrived:“Ishouldlikeverymuchtotellyouatlengthofmyfanciesandthoughtsaboutyou,”shewrote,“butIfeartotakeupyourtime,ofwhichyouhavesolittletospare.Letmesayonlythatmyfeelingforyouisathingofthespiritandverydeartome.”Tchaikovskyrespondedthenextday:“Whydoyouhesitatetotellmeallyourthoughts?...PerhapsIknowyoubetterthanyouimagine.”Forthenextthirteenyearstheyexchangedstreamsofcorrespondencebutnevermetinperson.Shedeposited500rublesinTchaikovsky’sbankaccounteverymonth,whichallowedhimtocomposeatwill.However,therewasapricetopayasvonMeckwasconsideredneuroticandoftendifficulttomanage,butTchaikovskyhandledhispatroncarefullyuntilshefinallyendedtheirrelationshipin1890.ThefourthsymphonyandhisinvolvementwithvonMeckbeganatthesametime,andthetwoweretightlyconnected.InhisletterstovonMeckheoftenreferredtoitas“oursymphony,”sometimesevenas“yoursymphony.”ByMayhecompletedmostofthepiece.“Ishouldliketodedicateittoyou,”hewrote,“becauseIbelieveyouwouldfindinitanechoofyourmostintimatethoughtsandemotions.”OftheSymphony,Tchaikovskyexplained:Theintroductionistheseedofthewholesymphony,undoubtedlythecentraltheme.ThisisFate,i.e.,thatfatefulforcewhichpreventstheimpulsetowardshappinessfromentirelyachievingitsgoal,foreveronjealousguardlestpeaceandwell-beingshouldeverbeattainedincompleteanduncloudedform,hangingaboveusliketheSwordofDamocles,constantlyandunremittinglypoisoningthesoul.Itsforceisinvisible,andcanneverbeovercome.Ouronlychoiceistosurrendertoit,andtolanguishfruitlessly.Hewentontosuggestthatonatechnicallevel,“myworkisareflectionofBeethoven’sFifthSymphony.Ihavenot,ofcourse,copiedBeethoven’smusicalcontent,onlyborrowedthecentralidea”referringtothesimilarityoftheopeningmotivewhichbindstheentireworktogether.

Dr.Tueller

BYU-IDAHOSYMPHONYDr.RobertTueller,Director

ElizabethCrawford,WoodwindSpecialistDr.MatthewMoore,BrassSpecialist

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FluteMaddieChildsStephanieMerrickClarissaTracy,piccoloOboeLizzyHendersonAanjaStringhamHannahWallis,englishhornClarinetBrennanJesseeDavidTorresEthanTufts,bassclarinetBassoonAliciaFalconburyElizabethCrawfordTerryJordan,contraHornLizzShillHeidiRichardsonJeffreyHadfieldAdamHeyenTrumpetKatherineHarveyConnerPackTylerMcTavishTromboneRandallSmithJosephPughTomFrancis

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TubaIanWatsonTimpaniAdrianRosalesPercussionJackEnsignBrennanLovelessEllieSieberHarpMatalynNelsonCelesteEdwardPostonViolinIRebeccaFagerstenCristaGuthrieDavidTruscottMattGardnerSarahBagleyMcKenzieZengerMcKennaMottoSamShumwayAnnieSmithHaileyHinnenViolinIIKarlyLayAndreGasparGretaHansenAnnaRasmussen

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LeahJeppsonMikaylaSchmidtJuliannaOlsenNathanHooperMissyMcKennaAmiraJonesAubreyGainerMariahBozemanViolaCamilleNaillonJosephArnesenElizabethBairdDallinGreenSpencerHuntRebeccaIversonBonnieMcDougalMeliaYoungCurtisAndersonCelloTaylorRhodesSaraCerratoSebastianFraserCharlottePetersenJacobPulsipherJennaMedlynLeticiaWilsonBassNathanMayJessicaHarrisJosephMechamGabeDavis

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NOTESRememberedasDenmark’sgreatestcomposer,CarlNielsenwrotetheHelios(Greeksungod)Overturein1903whilelivinginGreecewithhiswifewhowasstudyingclassicalart.TheOverturewasinspiredbyasunrisevisittotheTempleofPoseidonatCapeSounion,adramaticpromontoryoverlookingthesouthofAthens.Inalettertoafriend,Nielsenbrieflyexplainedhisten-minutetonepoem:“MyOverturedescribesthemovementofthesunthroughtheheavensfrommorningtoevening...andnoexplanationisnecessary.”However,hedidincludeamorepoeticdescriptioninthescore:“Silenceanddarkness.Thesunriseswithajoyoussongofpraise.Itwandersonitsgoldenwayandsinksquietlyintothesea.”ThemusicofGustavMahlergainedpopularityafterahalfcenturyofneglectincludingabaninmostofEuropeduringtheNaziera.Rediscoveredinthesecondhalfofthecentury,hislargescale,romanticsymphoniesgainedwidespreadpopularity–rivalingBeethovenintheamountofperformancesbymodernorchestras.Perhaps,themostexpressiveandbeautifulcompositionsarehisorchestralsongcycles.Mahler’stragicKindertotenleider–SongsontheDeathofChildren–isdrawnfromasetofpoemsbyFriedrichRückert(1788–1866),whosufferedthelossoftwochildrentoscarletfever.WhenMahlerbegancomposingtheworkin1901hehadnotyetmethiswife.Bythetimehecompletedthecycle,in1904,hewasthefatheroftwoyoungdaughters.HiswifeAlmawashorrifiedthatGustavwouldchoosesuchasubject,asthecouple’ssecondchildMariawasbornduringthattime.Icanunderstandsettingsuchfrightfulwordstomusicifonehadnochildren,orhadlostthoseonehad.Moreover,FriedrichRueckertdidnotwritetheseharrowingelegiesoutofhisimagination:theyweredictatedbythecruellestlossofhiswholelife.WhatIcannotunderstandisbewailingthedeathsofchildren,whowereinthebestofhealthandspirits,hardlyanhourafterhavingkissedandhuggedthem.Iexclaimedatthetime,"Forheaven'ssake,don'ttemptProvidence!"GustavMahler'sfascinationwithRueckert'spoems,probablybeganmuchearlier,andmayhavehadsomethingtodowiththedeathofhisbelovedyoungerbrotherin1874whohadthesamenameasoneofRueckert'schildren,Ernst.However,afewyearslaterMahler’sdaughterMariawouldalsounfortunatelysuccumbtoscarletfever.AlreadyconsideredtheleadingRussiancomposerofhisgenerationPyotrIlyichTchaikovskybeganworkonhisfourthsymphonyin1877.Thatyear

PROGRAMHeliosOverture,Op.17.............................................................................CarlNielsen 1865–1931Kindertotenlieder...................................................................................GustavMahler

I.Nowthesunwillriseasbrightly 1860–1911II.NowIseewellwhywithsuchdarkflamesIII.WhenyourmotherstepsintothedoorwayIV.OftenIthinkthattheyhaveonlysteppedoutV.Inthisweather,inthiswindystorm

Dr.DavidOlsen,Baritone

Short,standingintermission

SymphonyNo.4inFminor,Op.36........................................PyotrIlyichTchaikovsky

I.Andantesostenuto-Moderatoconanima 1840–1893II.AndantinoinmododicanzonaIII.Scherzo:PizzicatoostinatoIV.Finale:Allegroconfuoco

Dr.DavidOlsenteachesvoiceatBrighamYoungUniversity-Idaho,wherehealsoservesastheDirectorofVocalStudies.Anavidperformer,Dr.Olsenhasperformedinawidevarietyofstylesandvenues,frommusicaltheatretoopera,barbershoptoacapellajazz.SomeofhisrecentappearancesincludethetitleroleinJuliusCaesar,JavertinLesMisérables,PapagenoinTheMagicFlute,theFatherinHanselandGretel,andthebaritone/basssoloistinBrahms’sGermanRequiem,Mozart’sRequiem,andHandel’sMessiah.OtherprofessionalengagementsincludeseveralseasonswiththeUtahFestivalOperaYoungArtistprogram,appearingasfeaturedsoloistwiththeTulsaSignatureSymphony,andrecordingwiththeBoston-basedearlymusicensembleLaDonnaMusicale.HehasalsobeenfeaturedasasoloistinmultipleworksfromtheBYU-IdahoSacredMusicSeries,includingRobertCundick’sGod’sEverlastingLoveandTheRedeemer,aswellasNewellDayley’sBringForthMyZion.Dr.Olsenreceivedhisassociate’sdegreefromRicksCollege,hisbachelor’sdegreefromUtahStateUniversity,andhismaster’sanddoctoraldegreesfromtheUniversityofOklahoma.

TRANSLATIONI.Nowthesunwillriseasbrightlyasifnomisfortunehadoccurredinthenight.Themisfortunehasfallenonmealone.Thesun-itshinesforeveryone.Youmustnotkeepthenightinsideyou;youmustimmerseitineternallight.Alittlelighthasbeenextinguishedinmyhousehold;Lightofjoyintheworld,bewelcome.II.NowIseewellwhywithsuchdarkflamesyoureyessparkledsooften.Oeyes,itwasasifinonefullglanceyoucouldconcentrateyourentirepower.YetIdidnotrealize-becausemistsfloatedaboutme,wovenbyblindingfate-thatthisbeamoflightwasreadytobesenthometothatplacewhenceallbeamscome.Youwouldhavetoldmewithyourbrilliance:wewouldgladlyhavestayednearyou!ButitisrefusedbyFate.Justlookatus,forsoonwewillbefar!Whattoyouareonlyeyesinthesedays-infuturenightsshallbestarstous.III.WhenyourmotherstepsintothedoorwayandIturnmyheadtoseeher,mygazedoesnotalightfirstonherface,butontheplacenearertothethreshhold;there,whereyourdearfacewouldbewhenyouwouldstepinwithbrightjoy,asyouusedto,mylittledaughter.Whenyourmotherstepsintothedoorwaywiththegleamofacandle,italwaysseemstomeasifyoucameinaswell,slippinginbehindher,justasyouusedtocomeintotheroom!Oyou,afather'scell,alas!tooquicklyyouextinguishthegleamofjoy!IV.OftenIthinkthattheyhaveonlysteppedoutandthatsoontheywillreachhomeagain.Thedayisfair-Odon'tbeafraid-Theyareonlytakingalongwalk.Yes:theyhaveonlysteppedoutandwillnowreturnhome.Odon'tbeanxious-thedayisfair.Theyareonlytakingawalktothosehills.Theyhavesimplygoneonahead:theywillnotwishtoreturnhome.We'llcatchuptothemonthosehills.Inthesunshinethedayisfair.V.Inthisweather,inthiswindystorm,Iwouldneverhavesentthechildrenout;Theywerecarriedoutside-Icouldsaynothingaboutit!Inthisweather,inthisroaringstorm,Iwouldneverhaveletthechildrenout.Iwasafraidtheyhadfallenill,butthesethoughtsarenowidle.Inthisweather,inthiscruelstorm,Iwouldneverhaveletthechildrenout;Iwasworriedtheywoulddiethenextday-butthisisnownoconcern.Inthisweather,inthiscruelstorm,Iwouldneverhavesentthechildrenout;Theywerecarriedoutside-Icouldsaynothingaboutit!Inthisweather,inthisroaring,cruelstorm,theyrestastheydidintheirmother'shouse:theyarefrightenedbynostorm,andarecoveredbythehandofGod.

Translationcopyright©byEmilyEzust,fromtheLiederNetArchive--http://www.lieder.net/