Cambridge Philharmonic Society

Sunday 9 May 2010 � West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

Curran Majestic Momentum Brahms Violin Concerto Elgar Symphony No. 1

Steve Bingham

Leader

Ruth Palmer Violin Timothy Redmond

Conductor

Photo © 2010 Andre Powell

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Programme

TOM CURRAN Majestic Momentum

(First Performance)

BRAHMS Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.77

I. Allegro non troppo II. Adagio

III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo � Vivace, poco piu presto

Interval

ELGAR Symphony No.1 in A flat, Op. 55

I. Andante, nobilmente e semplice � Allegro II. Allegro molto

III. Adagio IV. Lento � Allegro

Majestic Momentum Tom Curran (b. 1991)

Majestic Momentum was commissioned by the Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra to open this concert. It is scored for Woodwind, Brass and Percussion. The piece is built in sections and makes use of harmonic and rhythmic motifs which can be heard throughout. Some of the sections are more lyrical to give contrast to the more energetic and rhythmically charged themes found in the music. I have made use of irregular time signatures and frequent modulation of keys to give the music momentum and forward drive, keeping the listener on their toes. There are many climactic moments and these are balanced with calmer sections of music with more delicate instrumentation.

Tom Curran

Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 77 Johannes Brahms

(1833-1897)

Brahms venerated the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and in his own music sought to maintain the classical sense of structure and order that had been developed by his illustrious predecessors. His espousal of the classical style, and his lack of enthusiasm for the �new� music of Liszt and Wagner, was however something of a mixed blessing as he struggled to find his own distinctive style, and in his early years he was regarded by many as something of a reactionary.

Brahms did however have his supporters, most notably the virtuoso Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim. Brahms and Joachim had first met in 1853 when Brahms was touring as accompanist to another Hungarian violinist, Eduard Reményi. Brahms found a kindred spirit in Joachim, and it was through Joachim that he met Robert and Clara Schumann, who also became enthusiastic supporters.

After the success of the long planned first Symphony, completed in 1876, and the second Symphony, composed in 1877, it was perhaps natural that Brahms�s thoughts would turn to the composition of a concerto to be written for, and dedicated to, Brahms�s long-time friend and musical ally. Thus in 1878 he returned to Pörtschach in southern Austria, where the year before he had composed the 2nd Symphony, to start on the new work.

From the outset Brahms seems to have envisaged a symphonic style for the concerto, and he originally wrote it in the standard four movement symphonic format, only later discarding the middle two movements in favour of the now famous Adagio. Brahms, himself a pianist rather than a string player, also relied on Joachim for comments and suggestions, and included many of these in the final score, including a cadenza that Joachim wrote for the first movement.

The finished work was given its premiere in Leipzig on New Year�s Day 1879, with Joachim playing the solo part. Joachim had insisted on starting the concert with the Beethoven violin concerto, as if to emphasise the fact that Brahms�s composition could

stand on its own alongside what was then regarded as perhaps the greatest of classical violin concerti. However the reaction to the new work was mixed at best, largely because the symphonic style did not fit with expectations, and it was only gradually, and thanks in no small measure to Joachim�s continued enthusiastic support, that the work came to be appreciated as a masterpiece in its own right.

The Brahms concerto is now itself regarded as one of the great violin concerti. It is also, despite Brahms�s intention that it should not merely be a showcase for the violin, one of the most technically demanding in the repertoire. The Three Movements:

1st Movement (Allegro non troppo)

The long first movement begins with the orchestra setting out the main themes. The last of these, a dramatic, dotted figure, is followed by soloist entering with a restless passage that eventually settles as the orchestra repeats the main theme underneath. The violin then sets out the second theme as both soloist and orchestra take the movement forward, until eventually we reach the recapitulation and the reappearance of the main themes. The solo violin cadenza then takes us into the coda, as the violin and orchestra continue together to bring the movement to a close.

2nd Movement (Adagio)

The elegiac Adagio is in effect a theme and variations, a format that Brahms was especially fond of, though here the variations are based more on the melodic line than on the melody itself. The theme, said to be based on a Bohemian folk song, is introduced by the woodwind, after which the violin enters, developing the thematic material in a slowly unfolding tapestry. There is a darker, more insistent section in the middle of the movement, and then the oboe returns with the original melody, the violin continuing above, before the movement ends on a final shimmering chord.

3rd Movement (Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo � Vivace, poco piu presto)

The finale is based on Hungarian-style dance themes, and is the only one of the three movements in which the violinist is set free on a genuine virtuoso display. This was also Brahms paying homage to the debt he owed to Joachim, and perhaps also to Eduard Reményi, the Hungarian violinist who had taken on the young Brahms as an accompanist back in the 1850s.

The movement is set in Rondo form, the main theme being introduced by the violin before being echoed by the orchestra. The violin then takes over, driving the music forward with bravura scales and runs, with the orchestra joining in as the theme is developed and repeated. There is then a quieter, more lyrical, passage, but it is not long until it is forward again with repeats of the main theme, and then into the dramatic coda, which ends with a slowing of the music before three final chords bring the concerto to a close.

Chris Fisher

Symphony No. 1in A flat, Opus 55 Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

I. Andante, nobilmente e semplice � Allegro II. Allegro molto III. Adagio IV. Lento � Allegro In 1904, four years before the première of Elgar�s first symphony, the German journalist Oskar Schmitz published Das Land ohne Musik, a disparaging account of English culture reflecting a Germanic view of England as a land without music which had been current for at least 50 years. This persistent stereotype could be dismissed as the chauvinistic needling of a rival nation, but more specific claims that England was a land without symphonies would have been harder to refute. Whilst cases could be made for individual compositions from Samuel Wesley to Parry, nineteenth century England offered no plausible competition to the symphonic products of continental Europe. The extraordinary reception given to Elgar�s work at its first two performances in Manchester and London in December 1908 marked a dramatic shift in England�s standing in the symphonic league. This was not a parochial reaction alone; in little over a year, more than one hundred performances had been given from St Petersburg to Sydney. The 51-year-old composer, who had made the transition from a reputation based on choral composition to major acclaim - for orchestral writing as recently as 1899 with the Enigma Variations - was moreover tackling the challenge of symphonic form head on. Soon after the battle of Obdurman in 1898, when Kitchener regained Khartoum and reawakened memories of the death of General Gordon there in 1885, Elgar had begun talking about a proposed �Gordon symphony� to commemorate the qualities of this �hero among heroes� (in Gladstone�s words). He sketched a theme of descending notes but then became preoccupied with Enigma and introduced this theme into the last variation, a self-portrait. It reappears as the motto theme that opens his eventual first symphony, but he was emphatic that this was not his Gordon symphony and was devoid of any programmatic intent. Rather it was abstract music, if inevitably imbued with the personality of its creator. To the composer Walford Davies, Elgar wrote, �There is no programme beyond a wide experience of human life with a great charity (love) & a massive hope in the future�. To Ernest Newman, who was preparing an analysis of the work for the first performance, he admitted, �I feel that unless a man sets out to depict or illustrate some definite thing, all music � absolute music, I think it is called � must be (even if he does not know it himself) a reflex, or picture, or elucidation of his own life, or, at the least, the music is necessarily coloured by the life.� He goes on, in a warning to all writers of programme notes, to say, �As to the phases of pride, despair, anger, peace & the thousand & one things that occur between the first page & the last, I prefer the listener to draw what he can from the sounds he hears.� In deference to this, one should perhaps resist emphasising parallels between the known contrasts of the composer�s character and the music�s contrasts between nobility, pathos and grandeur on the one hand, and passion, struggle and instability on the other,

reflected by the interplay between the remote keys of A flat and D minor (a relationship the composer described as �something more plagal than usual�). In allowing the listener to draw what he (and she) can from the sounds, it is perhaps only necessary to give a few pointers. The opening motto theme recurs throughout, as spectral echo, menacing march or resplendent climax. The scurrying scherzo, with its pastoral trio (�something you hear down by the river� according to Elgar) leads magically into the slow movement whose opening melody uses the identical notes to the scherzo, greatly slowed down. �Since Beethoven no such Adagio has been written for an orchestra� was the opinion of Walter Damrosch, who conducted the first American performances. The finale presents a hard won struggle from darkness to the final apotheosis of the motto theme, including passages (also found in the first movement) where Elgar employs only the back desks of the strings, a �soft diffused sound� completely different from the �first desk soli�, in his words. Some more explicit, and amusing, light is shed on Elgar�s personality by a letter he wrote on Christmas Day, 1908, a few weeks after the triumphant first performance: �I am still disappointed that you have not heard the Symphony: it is making a very wild career & I receive heaps of letters from persons known & unknown telling me how it uplifts them. I wish it uplifted me � I have just paid rent, land tax, income tax & a variety of other things due to-day & there are children yapping at the door, �Christians awake! Salute the yappy morn.��

Stephen Hills

TIMOTHY REDMOND Conductor

Timothy Redmond has been principal conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic since 2006. He conducts concerts with many of the UK's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ulster and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras, Northern Sinfonia and the Orchestra of Opera North.

His 2009/10 season includes the world premiere of Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock�s The Golden

Ticket with Opera Theatre St Louis, concerts in Finland with the Oulu Symphony Orchestra and Slovenia with the Maribor Symphony Orchestra as well as regular appearances in this country with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester Camerata. He returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for the revival of Thomas Adès' Powder Her Face and releases three new recordings with the Philharmonia, RPO and Northern Sinfonia.

Recently he made his debut at St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, conducting the Russian premiere of Powder Her Face, and was immediately invited back to conduct at Gergiev�s Stars of the White Nights festival. Other recent operatic engagements include Kurt Weill's Der Silbersee in Wexford, Richard Ayres' The Cricket Recovers in Bregenz and the world premiere of Raymond Yiu�s The Original Chinese Conjuror for Almeida Opera and the Aldeburgh Festival. He has also conducted opera for Opera North, English Touring Opera, Tenerife Opera, Glyndebourne, Strasbourg and in New York.

Engagements in 2010/11 include concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, Hallé and Sinfonia Viva, his debut with Italy�s Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, and returns to Finland, Slovenia and Wexford.

STEVE BINGHAM Leader

Steve Bingham studied violin with Emmanuel Hurwitz, Sidney Griller and the Amadeus Quartet at the Royal Academy of Music from 1981 to 1985, where he won prizes for orchestral leading and string quartet playing. In 1985 he formed the Bingham String Quartet, an ensemble which has become one of the foremost in the UK, with an enviable reputation for both classical and contemporary repertoire. The Quartet has recorded numerous CDs and has worked for

radio and television both in the UK and as far afield as Australia. The Quartet has worked with distinguished musicians such as Jack Brymer, Raphael Wallfisch, Michael Collins and David Campbell.

Steve has appeared as guest leader with many orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English National Ballet and English Sinfonia. He has given solo recitals both in the UK and America and his concerto performances include works by Bach, Vivaldi, Bruch, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn and Sibelius, given in venues as prestigious as St John�s, Smith Square and the Royal Albert Hall. Steve is also Artistic Director of Ely Sinfonia.

In recent years Steve has developed his interest in improvisation, electronics and World music, collaborating with several notable musicians including guitarist Jason Carter and players such as Sanju Vishnu Sahai (tabla), Baluji Shivastrav (sitar) and Abdullah Ibrahim (piano). Steve�s debut solo CD Duplicity was released in November 2005, and has been played on several radio stations including BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. The Independent gave it a 4-star review. Steve released his second solo CD, Ascension, in November 2008. You can find out more about Steve on his web site at www.stevebingham.co.uk.

TOM CURRAN Composer

Tom trained as a Chorister at St John�s College Cambridge under the direction of Christopher Robinson and Dr David Hill. He then moved on to Sawston Village College Cambridge before attending Hills Road Sixth Form College Cambridge where he is currently studying for his A levels. As well as a composer, Tom is also an accomplished pianist and percussionist. In 2006 Tom reached the final of the EPTA Piano Competition held in London. He has played percussion for the Cambridge Youth Wind Orchestra, touring Ireland in 2006, and is also a member of the Cambridge Youth Percussion Ensemble, touring

Germany in 2007. In 2008 he was one of the winners of the BBC Proms Young Composers Competition and was subsequently commissioned to write music for the 2009 Proms. Tom has been recognised for his continuing contribution to the Arts in Cambridgeshire and received an award for the most Outstanding Young Artist by South Cambridgeshire District Council. He has worked with many professionals from both the film and theatre industries, composing, playing and producing music for many projects and shows. He is a member of the National Youth Theatre. Tom has written music for various projects at Sawston Village College including the incidental music for a production of Twelfth Night in 2007 and the soundtrack for a documentary about Sawston Cinema which was released on

DVD in 2009. Last year Tom toured the UK with Cambridge Touring Theatre playing keyboards for their production of Alice�s Adventures in Wonderland, and is touring again this year with their production of Robin Hood. Currently, Tom is appearing in this year�s series of Britain�s Got Talent with his band The Arrangement. For more information please visit www.tomcurran.co.uk

RUTH PALMER Violin

One of the most dynamic performers of our time, violinist Ruth Palmer has garnered international recognition, including a Classical BRIT award for her debut

recording of Shostakovich with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Ruth�s next recording features Bartok and Bach and she has recorded Tavener's Mahashakti with the RLPO, released on EMI in May 2009.

Recent performances include appearances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster, English Chamber, Sinfonia Viva, Opera North, London Chamber, and Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields orchestras with conductors including Andre de Ridder, Vasily Petrenko, Mischa Damev, Carlo Rizzi, David Hill, Benjamin Wallfisch and Christopher Warren Green. She has performed at the Bath, Mozart, Cheltenham, Ravinia and Edinburgh festivals; other past performances include the LSO/BBC Radio 3 violinists series, performances at the South Bank Centre, Munich Opera House, Royal Albert Hall, World Economic Forum Davos, and regular performances at the Wigmore Hall. Ruth collaborates with other artists of international standing including giving UK and World premieres of two pieces by Sir John Tavener, performing with Sir Richard Rodney Bennett as well as giving World premieres of Sir Richard�s music, and working with choreographer Rafael Bonachela, Rambert Dance Company, and film-maker Tim Meara. She appears regularly on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, Classic FM, Classic FM TV, Discovery Italy and other international broadcasters. Ruth plays the Yfrah Neaman Stradivari kindly loaned to her by his family. For further information, please see www.ruthpalmer.com.

ORCHESTRA 1st Violins Steve Bingham (leader) Kate Clow (co leader) Graham Bush Ros Chalmers Maydo Pitt Merial Rhodes John Richards Sarah Ridley Sean Rock Nichola Roe Pat Welch Gerry Wimpenny 2nd Violins Naomi Hilton Jenny Barna Joanna Baxter Vincent Bourret Leila Coupe Rebecca Forster Emma Lawrence Araine Leroy Anne McCleer Edna Murphy Katrin Ottersbach Clare Simmons Violas Ruth Donnelly Dominic de Cogan Alex Cook Jeremy Harmer Robert Heap Jo Holland Emma McCaughan Janet O�Boyle Maureen Magnay Robyn Sorenson

Cellos Vivian Williams Sarah Bendall Angela Bennett Helen Davies Melissa Fu Clare Gilmour Helen Hills Lucy O�Brien Amy Shipley Double Bass Sarah Sharrock Stephen Beaumont Elspeth Cape Joel Humann Susan Sparrow Flute Cynthia Lalli Sally Landymore Alison Townend Oboe Jenny Sewell Rachel Dunlop Cor Anglais Gareth Stainer Clarinet Graham Dolby Jocelyn Howell Sarah Whitworth Bass Clarinet Sarah Whitworth Bassoon Neil Greenham

Contra bassoon Phil Evans Horn Carole Lewis Guy Llewellyn Steven Orriss Martin Childs Trumpet Andy Powlson Mike Ball Naomi Wrycroft Trombones Denise Hayles Sarah Minchin David Minchin Tuba Christopher Lawrence Timpani Dave Ellis Percussion Derek Scurll Zoe-Laura Bridel James Shires Harp Rhian Hanson

www.cam-phil.org.uk

Cambridge Philharmonic Society 2009 � 2010 Season Programme

10 July 2010 Ely Cathedral Verdi Overture: I Vespri Siciliani (Sicilian Vespers): Te Deum Stabat Mater

Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis

Dona Nobis Pacem; with soprano Joan Rodgers and baritone Roderick Williams

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