Energy · 5 | Sydney Symphony INTRODUCTION Rachmaninov – Finale Here in an English-speaking...

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to tonight’s concert in whichwe celebrate the work of the great Russian pianist and composer, Sergei Rachmaninov.

In this final festival in the Sydney Symphony’s 75th anniversaryseason it is fitting that we will hear the orchestra perform under the baton of Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy, who is regarded as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the music of Rachmaninov. During the festival we will be privileged to hear some of Rachmaninov’s major symphonic works and his brilliant music for piano and orchestra.

EnergyAustralia is one of Australia’s leading energy companies, with more than 1.4 million energy customers in NSW, the ACT and Queensland.

With one of the most recognised brands in the energy industry, we are proud to be associated with the Sydney Symphony, and we’re very excited to be linked to the Orchestra’s flagship Master Series.

I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance and will join us again for the final concerts in the EnergyAustralia Master Series this year.

George MaltabarowManaging Director

SEASON 2007

ENERGYAUSTRALIA MASTER SERIES

RACHMANINOV’S SYMPHONIC DANCES AND THETHIRD PIANO CONCERTO

Friday 16 November | 8pm

Saturday 17 November | 8pm

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Garrick Ohlsson piano

SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873–1943)

Vocalise

arranged for orchestra by the composer

Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30

Allegro ma non tantoIntermezzo (Adagio) –Finale (Alla breve)

INTERVAL

Symphonic Dances, Op.45

Non AllegroAndante con moto (Tempo di valse)Lento assai – Allegro vivace

Friday night’s performance will be broadcast live across Australiaon ABC Classic FM 92.9.

Pre-concert talk by Phillip Sametzat 7.15pm in the Northern Foyer.

Visit www.sydneysymphony.com/talk-bios for biographies of pre-concert speakers.

Estimated timings:6 minutes, 39 minutes, 20-minute interval, 35 minutes.The performance will conclude atapproximately 9.55pm.

Cover images: see page 30 forcaptions

Program notes begin on page 5

Artist biographies begin on page 20

PRESENTING PARTNER

5 | Sydney Symphony

INTRODUCTION

Rachmaninov – Finale

Here in an English-speaking country we are at adisadvantage: much of Rachmaninov’s vocal music –operas, choral works, and songs – is rarely heard. Lastyear, when Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted the ThreeRussian Songs here in Sydney, it was the Orchestra’s firstperformance of the work; in the same program was thechoral ‘symphony’ The Bells, which we’d performed onlyonce before.

But there is one song of Rachmaninov’s that does notdepend on words: his Vocalise. In tonight’s concert weperform it in Rachmaninov’s orchestration – a reminderthat ultimately all instruments aspire to the singingexpression of the human voice.

A few years before he composed the Vocalise,Rachmaninov completed his Third Piano Concerto totake on tour with him to America. He hated the tour,but it allowed him to buy the automobile that he dearlywanted. As for the concerto, for its first twenty years itseemed that only its composer dared play it. But since the1930s it has become a repertoire staple: still formidable,but a favourite with performers and audiences.

Fortunes change, and Rachmaninov’s critical receptionhas followed an erratic path. In his lifetime his workswere both hailed and decried. Maestro Ashkenazy recalls,as recently as the late 1980s, seeing a German headlinedismissing Rachmaninov as ‘Dr Zhivago Music’. Morerecently critics have come to understand what audienceshave – for the most part – always known. (On page 19 you can read some of the views, past and present, thathighlight this shift.)

The final work on this program and in this festival,is a work that Maestro Ashkenazy considers one ofRachmaninov’s greatest, and which Rachmaninovdescribed as his ‘last spark’. And what a spark! In a festivalthat has celebrated piano virtuosity with the concertosand the Paganini Rhapsody, the Symphonic Dances offersa showpiece for the orchestra itself. The work also showsthe late Rachmaninov at his best and in characteristicmood: deeply felt passions, often melancholy, but alwaystinged with faith and hope.

7 | Sydney Symphony

Sergei Rachmaninov

Vocalise

from 14 Songs, Op.34arranged for orchestra by the composer

‘I understand now why God allowed me to live to the age of 70: it was so that I should have the chance to hearHis greatest creation – Nezhdanova.’ Such was GeorgeBernard Shaw’s praise for the soprano AntoninaNezhdanova (1873–1950), renowned for the beauty andclarity of her voice. ‘Her coloratura technique,’ said oneSoviet music historian, ‘was of dazzling lightness andbrilliance; her performances were unselfconscious andheartfelt, and she was a subtle and dramatic actress.’

Perhaps an even more eloquent tribute to Nezhdanovais the music created for her by contemporary composers:operatic roles such as Parasya in Mussorgsky’s SorochintskyFair or the title character in Rachmaninov’s Francesca daRimini, not to mention his most famous song, theVocalise.

Fans of Rachmaninov’s instrumental music may notrealise his considerable achievements in composingoperas, choral music, and more than 70 songs. These were overshadowed by his solo piano pieces andorchestral works. It is not surprising that the mostpopular song he ever wrote was essentially instrumental.His Vocalise is the last in a set of 14 songs, Opus 34,from 1912, the other 13 being settings of Russian texts bypoets such as Pushkin and Balmont. Despite his elegantand affective responses to these texts, the final ‘songwithout words’ has eclipsed them all with its enduringappeal. Without syllabic constraints, Rachmaninov’sconsiderable melodic imagination is free to roam whereit will.

By the early 20th century, the vocalise had become aform suitable for concert performance in its own right,particularly in France, growing out of two traditions of19th-century vocal training. The first of these traditionswas that of performing existing songs without theirwords – using only a vowel sound or humming – in order to deal with the technical problems offered bythe melodic line. The second tradition involved writingpiano accompaniments to vocal exercises in the hope ofproducing more artistically minded practice in thestudent.

ABOUT THE MUSIC

Keynotes

RACHMANINOV

Born Oneg (Novgorod region), 1873Died Beverly Hills CA, 1943

Most of Rachmaninov’s major

compositions date from before

1917, the year in which he

fled Russia. As well as two

symphonies, these include

his first three piano concertos.

After leaving Russia

Rachmaninov composed much

less – most of his time was spent

as a touring concert pianist.

But he did complete another

two works for piano and

orchestra, including the brilliant

Rhapsody on a Theme of

Paganini, and his Third

Symphony. His last original

orchestral work was the

Symphonic Dances, completed

in 1940, just three years before

his death.

VOCALISE

A vocalise is a song without

words. It can be a concert

piece, but the genre belongs

to a long tradition of technical

training for singers: words

are replaced by pure vowels

in order to concentrate on

vocal production. It is an

exercise in melody, and the

focus is on the voice as an

instrument. The most admired

soprano ‘instrument’ in

Rachmaninov’s Russia was

Nezhdanova, and she provided

the inspiration for one of

Rachmaninov’s most admired

songs, the Vocalise, composed

in 1912. His Vocalise is so

admired, in fact, that it has

been arranged and transcribed

for countless instrumental

combinations. It’s a case of

glorious music for a vocal

‘instrument’ being transferred

to instruments who long to ‘sing’.

8 | Sydney Symphony

Rachmaninov’s wordless song represents the peak of this peculiar hybrid genre. By the time he came tocompose the Op.34 songs, he was well into his maturecreative period, producing vocal music of a particularbeauty, with simple yet striking accompaniments for the piano. The Vocalise is no exception, as the melody,emerging from a small and easily-identified motif,spins itself out in endless variation over the course ofthe piece.

The orchestration presented in tonight’s concert waswritten in 1917 at the suggestion of Nikolay Struve, thedilettante who had previously encouraged Rachmaninovto use Böcklin’s painting The Isle of the Dead as a subjectfor composition. This was after Rachmaninov hadaccompanied Nezhdanova in the premiere of the Vocaliseat one of Serge Koussevitsky’s concerts in 1916.

Since the tremendous success of that premiere, theVocalise’s smooth, unbroken melodic line has attractedinstrumentalists of all kinds: violins, violas, cellos,flutes, trumpets, solo pianists, clarinets, trombones and saxophones, accompanied by pianos, organs, andorchestras of many different sizes. Arrangements forpiano trios, cello ensembles, octets and nonets abound,and the music has crossed stylistic boundaries withinterpretations by classical, jazz and pop artists. (BobbyMcFerrin collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in onerecording.) It may well be the ‘Yesterday’ of classicalmusic.

This should not surprise us: inspired by a magicalvoice and written by a composer whose melodies never cease to find new admirers, the Vocalise gives aninstrument the chance to truly sing. In tonight’s case itis perhaps the greatest instrument of all: the symphonyorchestra.

ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY DREW CRAWFORDSYMPHONY AUSTRALIA ©1998

Rachmaninov’s orchestration of the Vocalise calls for two flutes,two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns andstrings. Sixteen or so violins take the solo line, accompanied by the rest of the ensemble.

The Sydney Symphony first performed the Vocalise in its orchestralform in 1985 with David Measham; and the version for voice andorchestra in a 1996 Swoon concert with Richard Mills and sopranoArax Mansourian. Mstislav Rostropovich performed a cello andpiano version in one of his Sydney recitals in 1960.

…the melody, emerging

from a small and easily-

identified motif, spins

itself out in endless

variation over the course

of the piece.

Antonina Nezhdanova in costume

for the role of Lyudmila in Glinka’s

opera Ruslan and Lyudmila (Bolshoi

Theatre, Moscow, 1911)

LEC

REC

HT

MU

SIC

& A

RTS

9 | Sydney Symphony

Keynotes

PIANO CONCERTO NO.3

Having been persuaded to

embark on his first American

tour, Rachmaninov needed

a new piano concerto and

the Third was completed

shortly before his departure

at the end of 1909. It has

since become one of

Rachmaninov’s best-loved

concertos, rivalling even the

all-popular Second Piano

Concerto, although there

was a time when its physical

demands elicited more awe

than fondness. (In the past

ten years the Third

Concerto’s popularity has

been further enhanced by

its central role in the movie

Shine.)

The concerto’s most striking

feature is its concision and

the way in the musical ideas

grow organically through

the entire work – it’s a

natural extension of the

structural and thematic

strategies that Rachmaninov

had been exploring as early

as his First Symphony.

Rachmaninov

Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30

Allegro ma non tanto Intermezzo (Adagio) – Finale (Alla breve)

Garrick Ohlsson piano

Rachmaninov completed his Third Piano Concerto athis summer estate at Ivanovka in September or October1909, intending it for his forthcoming American concerttour. This was a busy period in Rachmaninov’s life, and he was unable to spend much time practising prior todeparture. At one point he wrote to a friend:

It would not be bad at all for me to get a secretary, if onlythe amount of business correspondence I have would correspondto the amount of my material means. But before getting asecretary I would like to buy an automobile! I want one somuch, I just cannot tell you! All I need is a secretary and anautomobile! Otherwise I have everything I need.

It is extraordinary, therefore, considering thedifficulties in the solo part, that Rachmaninov practisedmuch of the piano part on a dumb keyboard aboard ship.(But not so extraordinary that he did in fact acquire anautomobile with the proceeds of the tour.)

Rachmaninov in 1910, driving his new car, a four-cylinder Loreley

LEC

REC

HT

MU

SIC

& A

RTS

The concerto was first performed in New York City underWalter Damrosch in November 1909; followed, in January1910, by a third New York performance under GustavMahler, of which Rachmaninov recalled: ‘He touched my composer’s heart straight away by devoting himselfto my concerto until the accompaniment, which is rathercomplicated, had been practised to the point of perfection…’

Listening Guide

This concerto has been described by critic JohnCulshaw as ‘a masterpiece of conciseness’. There arethematic ties between the first and third movements,which may explain why the second movement is labelled‘intermezzo’. Much of the melodic material is derivedfrom the opening rhythm (a trochaic pattern: long–short,long–short), played by clarinet and bassoon, though theconcerto lacks none of Rachmaninov’s typical lyricism.

The piano enters with a simple melody similar to achant sung at the Monastery of the Cross at Kiev, althoughRachmaninov himself denied any connection, saying thetheme was ‘borrowed neither from folk song forms norfrom church sources. It simply wrote itself !’ The structuralsubtlety of the work is soon apparent. After a short pianocadenza, a variant of the piano’s opening theme is playedon bassoons and lower strings. The woodwinds lead in a new direction and the music builds to a big new theme.This, however, is not the second subject, as we mightexpect; merely a ‘premonition’ of future themes, whichgradually, building bit by bit, add meaning to the work.

The true second subject soon appears, a characteristicallyromantic Rachmaninov melody, emerging as a variation ofthe trochaic rhythm of the opening. The piano hasbecome more and more dominant and the culmination ofthe movement is actually to be found in the impressivecadenza. Then, after another straightforward statement ofthe simple opening piano theme, a sudden ending, almostbreathless, promises more.

The second movement begins with some of the mostmelancholy music ever to come from the composer whosecharacteristic mood, at the best of times, was gloomy.(Stravinsky had described Rachmaninov as ‘six-and-a-halffeet of Russian scowl’ and his favourite expression markwas lugubre, lugubriously.) When the piano enters, it givestwo versions of its opening theme. The first section buildsto an impassioned climax and then slips smoothly into

10 | Sydney Symphony

‘…It simply wrote itself!’

In this performanceGarrick Ohlsson performsthe second ofRachmaninov’s twoalternative cadenzas for the first movement. It is longer and moredemanding than the more playful first cadenza(which Rachmaninovalways played), andgained real popularityafter Van Cliburnperformed it in theInternational TchaikovskyPiano Competition in1958.


the scherzo middle section. This fast section – a recastingof the first subject of the first movement – provides some relief from the gloom, but the tragic atmospheresoon returns.

The finale breaks in with great urgency. The piano’sopening tattoo is derived from the theme of the veryopening of the concerto, and Culshaw sees in the linkingof the second and third movements further evidence of the tight binding of the concerto. The ‘long-short’feel underlies the second subject, which in its melodicshape recalls the second subject of the first movement.The largely episodic nature of the musical developmentgives the movement a rhapsodic, formless impression.The piano presents two light-hearted versions of itsopening melody which strike the listener as diversionsfrom the main thrust of the movement.

Eventually, however, we are shepherded back on trackwith the return of the opening material from the firstmovement in the lower strings, joined by a hint of thefirst movement’s second subject. The urgent material and the main tempo of the movement returns, picking up hints of the second subject of this and the firstmovement in its momentum. The concerto’s signaturerhythm sounds from the depths of the orchestra, andleads us to a coda in which the ‘mystery’ theme planted in the first movement finally blooms into a broadromantic statement.

Much is made of the difficulties of this concerto. ‘Oh, the Rach Three!’, gasps Sir John Gielgud in the movie Shine; but the greatness of the concerto lies notmerely in its technical hurdles. It lies in the way thematerial organically grows – and in the way the immensetechnical challenges never swamp the lyrical purposes of the work.

ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY GORDON KALTON WILLIAMSSYMPHONY AUSTRALIA © 1998/2001

The orchestra for the Third Piano Concerto calls for pairs of flutes,oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets, threetrombones and tuba; timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals,snare drum) and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed this concerto in 1941 withPercy Code conducting and soloist Alexander Sverjensky, and mostrecently in the 2003 Master Series with Alexander Lazarev andSimon Trpceski. Since then the Orchestra has also accompanied the concerto in the 2004 Sydney International Piano Competition,with conductor János Fürst and soloist John Chen.


Rachmaninov

Symphonic Dances, Op.45

Non AllegroAndante con moto (Tempo di valse)Lento assai – Allegro vivace

Conductor, pianist and composer, Rachmaninov oftencomplained that he could never maintain all threeactivities in his life simultaneously. After he movedhimself and his family from Russia in 1917, the seizure ofhis Russian assets by the new Soviet government meantthat Rachmaninov had to earn a living as a performingmusician. He did not want to become an orchestra’smusical director, so, outstanding pianist that he was, he set about establishing his career as a concert pianist.

Although famous for interpreting his own music, hehad rarely been called upon to perform music by othercomposers in public, and now, at the age of 44, he beganbuilding up a soloist’s repertoire. This left little time forcomposition, and he wrote no original work for anothernine years. Then, much to Rachmaninov’s surprise, theurge to compose began to re-assert itself. A fitfulprocession of ‘Indian summer’ pieces emerged between1926 and 1940, many of which are now regarded as among his finest compositions. But at the time most ofthese works met with indifference from audiences andhostility from critics. His success as a pianist – and he was regarded as among the greatest in the world at thistime – far outstripped that of his music.

Leaving Russia also meant exile from the culture thathad nurtured his musical style; in spirit, Rachmaninovremained an exile from his homeland for the rest of hislife, and to his friend Medtner’s question, ‘Why do you no longer compose?’, there is Rachmaninov’s oft-quotedreply: ‘How can I compose without melody?’ But to usethis typically self-deprecating remark as a stick with which to beat the composer’s later music – and manycritics have done so – is to ignore the vigour with whichRachmaninov sought to re-shape his compositional stylein these final years.

Among the first fruits of his period in the West were theFourth Piano Concerto (which made its first appearance in 1926) and the Variations on a Theme of Corelli (1931).Neither was successful. So unsure was Rachmaninov ofthe Corelli Variations’ intrinsic value that, when he played

Keynotes

SYMPHONIC DANCES

Completed in 1940, the

Symphonic Dances is

Rachmaninov’s last

orchestral work (although

the final revision of the

Fourth Piano Concerto dates

from 1941). It represents

the peak of his late style:

leaner and more ‘modern’

than such works as the

Second Symphony but still

containing his trademark

melodic gift and passionate

expression.

The three movements of

the Symphonic Dances were

originally conceived with

the idea of a ballet in mind –

Rachmaninov hoped Fokine

would choreograph the

music. But in the end he

dropped the descriptive

titles and it became a

concert work. Even so, the

music retains a rhythmic

vigour that reveals its

origins.

The ‘Dies irae’ chant from

the mass for the dead

pervades the music, and

there are macabre moments,

even in the swirling waltz

(second movement).

But it ends with a sense

of thanksgiving and the

ringing of ‘Alleluias’.


the work in recital, he would listen for signs of restivenessin the audience – coughing, shuffling of programs – and delete variations accordingly. In this way, on someoccasions, he shortened the work by half its publishedlength.

The public and critical acclaim for his Rhapsody on aTheme of Paganini (1934) gave him the confidence to writehis Third Symphony (1936), to which, in the composer’swords, ‘audiences and critics responded sourly.’ In a letterto a friend he added: ‘Personally, I’m convinced that it is a good work. But…sometimes composers are mistakentoo! Be that as it may, I am holding to my opinion so far.’The gigantic indifference to his music sapped hisconfidence once again.

The orchestral style Rachmaninov cultivated in his later years was marked by great clarity of texture, a freer and more independent approach to brass andwoodwind writing, and a tendency to express his ideasmore concisely than in his earlier large-scale pieces.Harmonically and rhythmically, he had been attentive to the work of Prokofiev and Stravinsky, and his music of the 1930s bears unmistakable traces of contemporarytrends, but very much on Rachmaninov’s own terms. His melodies still move, on the whole, in stepwise fashion,in the manner of Russian Orthodox chant, and althoughhe clothes his passionate melodies in lighter textures thanof old, he is not ashamed to write tunes that could becalled ‘vintage Rachmaninov’.

The result was too ‘modern’ and lean-sounding foraudiences, who wanted him to keep re-writing the SecondPiano Concerto, and too conservative for the critics, whosetwin gods at this time were Stravinsky and Schoenberg.

The Symphonic Dances represents perhaps the richestresults of Rachmaninov’s new approach to the orchestra. It was also his last original composition.

‘I don’t know how it happened. It must have been mylast spark,’ is how Rachmaninov described the work’sorigins. Yet the idea of a score for a programmatic ballethad been at the back of his mind since 1915, and whenMichel Fokine successfully choreographed the Rhapsodyfor a ballet called Paganini in 1939 the opportunitypresented itself to Rachmaninov’s imagination again. He wrote the Dances the following year, giving the three movements the titles Midday, Twilight and Midnightrespectively. At this point the work was called ‘Fantastic

‘I don’t know how it

happened. It must have

been my last spark.’

RACHMANINOV


Dances’, and Rachmaninov played it, in short score, toFokine, who was enthusiastic about the music but non-committal about its balletic possibilities. In any case,Fokine’s death a short time later cooled Rachmaninov’sinterest in the ballet idea altogether. He deleted hisdescriptive titles and substituted the word Symphonic forFantastic. In this new guise he dedicated the triptych to hisfavourite orchestra, the Philadelphia, and its chiefconductor, Eugene Ormandy.

It is a work full of enigmas, which Rachmaninov, surelyone of the most secretive of composers, does nothing toclarify. In the first movement, there is a transformationfrom minor to major of a prominent theme from his first symphony, which at that time Rachmaninov thoughtwas lost. (The score was lost, but the symphony was re-constructed from the orchestral parts after his death.) Thepremiere of that work in 1897 had been such a fiasco thatRachmaninov could not compose at all for another threeyears. The reference to the work in this new piece had ameaning that was entirely private.

There is also the curious paradox that the word ‘dance’,with its suggestion of life-enhancing, joyous activity, ishere put at the service of a work that is essentiallyconcerned – for all its vigour and sinew – with endings,with a chromaticism that darkens the colour of everymusical step. The sense of foreboding and finality isparticularly strong in the second movement, with itsevocations of a spectral ballroom, and in the bell-tollingand chant-intoning that pervade what was to be the lastmovement of any work by this composer.

Listening Guide

The first movement, with its unusual tempo markingNon Allegro (what could he have meant?) begins hesitantly,before a bold, staccato statement of a theme that soundsvery much like the plainchant for the dead, ‘Dies irae’, indisguise. It will reappear in different guises throughout thework. This leads us to the main part of the movement.From this point on, most of the major musical ideas areintroduced by the woodwinds, including the leaping maintheme, given to flutes, oboes and clarinets. The majorlyrical theme is then given to that infrequent orchestralvisitor, the alto saxophone, making its solo appearancewith delicately scored accompaniment for winds only. (The saxophone has no other music to play in the work.)

Rachmaninov’s music

of the 1930s was too

‘modern’ and lean-

sounding for

audiences, who

wanted him to keep

re-writing the Second

Piano Concerto, and

too conservative for

the critics…


Rachmaninov’s use of the ‘Dies irae’ motif in the third dance suggestsa danse macabre, and one early reviewer evencompared it to Saint-Saëns – perhapsresponding to the strikinguse of piccolo andxylophone a few minutesinto the movement. Thetwelve chimes of midnightin the introduction onlyenhance the effect. ButRachmaninov goes wellbeyond the premise of adanse macabre, and oneof his first steps is to takethat ‘Dies irae’ figure andtransform it into musicreminiscent of Orthodoxchant. This is the samekind of music heard inRachmaninov’s amazingchoral work, the All-NightVigil. Indeed, he makesthe connection clear, byquoting the alleluias fromthe Vigil and marking his score ‘Alliluya’. In this dance life, and faith,triumph over death.

Rachmaninov also employs orchestral piano, and when thelyrical theme is given its second statement by the strings,in an impassioned unison, the piano traces a filigreeaccompaniment, creating an overall effect of shiningbrightness. In the coda of this movement, harp and pianotogether create a glistening, shimmering counterpoint tothe plush, chorale-like statement of the motif pluckedfrom the first symphony.

The waltz movement begins with muted trumpet fanfaresthat have a sinister fairy-tale quality to them. Woodwindarabesques swirl around them, until a solo violin passagegives way to the main waltz theme, introduced by the oboeand cor anglais before being taken up by the strings. Theghostly woodwind arabesques continue to decorate thistheme until the winds themselves announce the liveliersecond melody. Although the atmosphere becomes warmerand more passionate at times, it does not lighten, andsometimes becomes quite macabre. It is as if we areexperiencing a memory of a ballroom rather than a ball itself.

The finale is the work’s most complex movement. Theextensive use of the ‘Dies irae’ (a regular source of materialfor Rachmaninov) and the curious inscription ‘Alliluya’,written in the score above the last motif in the work to bederived from Orthodox chant, suggest the most final ofendings mingled with a sense of thanksgiving. The tollingof the midnight bell that prefaces the movement’svigorous main section reinforces the view that the workmight, after all, be a parable on the three ages of man.

Much of the main Allegro vivace material here is derivedfrom chant, as is the motif that eventually drives the ‘Dies irae’ away and dominates the work’s forthrightconclusion. But this is also the movement in whichRachmaninov takes time out from the dance, in an extensivecentral section in which morbidity, regret, passion andtears commingle in a complex and beautifully scoredmusical design.

PHILLIP SAMETZ ©1999

The orchestra for Symphonic Dances comprises two flutes andpiccolo, two oboes and cor anglais, two clarinets and bass clarinet,two bassoons and contrabassoon, and alto saxophone; four horns,three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion(bass drum, cymbals, side drum, triangle, tambourine, tam-tam,glockenspiel, xylophone, chimes); harp and piano; and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed the Symphonic Dances in1977 with Denis Vaughan, and most recently in a 2006 gala concertwith Charles Dutoit.

… morbidity, regret,

passion and tears

commingle in a

complex and

beautifully scored

musical design.


GLOSSARY

ALLA BREVE – a designation applied tomusic ostensibly written with four beats to the bar, but intended to be played soquickly that it is necessary to count andconduct it with two beats to the bar.

CADENZA – a virtuoso passage, traditionallyinserted towards the end of a sonata-formconcerto movement and marking the final‘cadence’.

CODA – literally ‘tail’, a small section at theend of a movement or work that ‘roundsoff ’ the music.

DIES IRAE – (Latin for ‘Day of wrath’) aliturgical poem forming part of the RomanCatholic Mass for the Dead. The distinctiveplainchant melody associated with the Dies irae is often quoted in other musicalworks, especially since the 19th century:Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, Liszt’sTotentanz, numerous works byRachmaninov including the PaganiniRhapsody and Symphonic Dances, andmost famously in Berlioz’ Symphoniefantastique.

DUMB KEYBOARD – a portable pianokeyboard without an attached mechanismof hammers and strings. Used for practicewhen travelling or in situations when noisewould be an issue.

INTERMEZZO – ‘in the middle’; originallyan operatic term, in the 19th-centuryan intermezzo was an independentinstrumental work of lyrical character. In symphonic music, it can refer to asection or movement within a larger work.

SCHERZO – literally, a joke; generallyreferring to a movement in a fast, lighttriple time, with whimsical, startling orplayful elements and a contrasting centralsection called a trio.

STACCATO – a style of musical articulationin which the notes of a phrase are playedshorter than their notated duration and are detached from each other.

In much of the classical repertoire, movementtitles are taken from the Italian words thatindicate the tempo and mood. A selection ofterms from this program is included here.

Adagio – slowAllegro ma non tanto – fast but not so

muchAllegro vivace – fast and livelyAndante con moto – at a walking pace,

with motionLento assai – very slowNon allegro – an idiosyncratic instruction,

literally ‘not fast’Tempo di valse – in the tempo of a

waltz

This glossary is intended only as a quick and easyguide, not as a set of comprehensive and absolutedefinitions. Most of these terms have many subtleshades of meaning which cannot be included forreasons of space.


75 YEARS: HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT

The Arts Club in Pitt Street was big enough to accommodate the 70-piece orchestra for

Sir Hamilton Harty, which was the ABC’s first major orchestral venture, in 1934.

Australian Chamber Orchestra). Too smalland in insalubrious surroundings, it was also no good for television, so in 1964 the SSO moved to a converted cinema inChatswood, the Arcadia. Still further fromthe Town Hall, but close to a railway station,shopping and (desideratum of increasinglyaffluent musicians) on-site parking, this wasto be the orchestra’s rehearsal home until1989. Many of the musicians bought homesin nearby suburbs.

In 1973 the Opera House opened and the orchestra moved in, rehearsing in theRecording Hall (now The Studio), which hadsimilar problems to those later experiencedin Ultimo. By 1974 the SSO was back inChatswood, but by 1989 the Arcadia had been sold and demolished. While waiting for the ABC Ultimo Centre to be finished,the orchestra spent a couple of years at theSydney Town Hall, ironically long after ithad ceased being their main performancevenue.

Spare a thought, as you grumble about thetraffic and the parking on your way to andfrom the concert, for the musicians of theSydney Symphony, who often do it twice, ona performance day! But they can hear thepoint, that this Concert Hall is where theyshould be for rehearsal and performance –and you’re hearing the benefits of theirhaving found, at last, the right home.

David Garrett, a historian and former programmerfor Australia’s symphony orchestras, is studying the history of the ABC as a musical organisation.

At Home

The Sydney Symphony spends more of itstime than any other Australian orchestra inthe public eye, giving concerts, but this is still only a fraction of its time together, thebulk of which is spent rehearsing. Where?Edo de Waart insisted, early in his time as theorchestra’s chief conductor, that more thanjust the final rehearsal should be in the ConcertHall. The SSO’s management persuaded theNSW Government and the Sydney OperaHouse Trust that the Sydney Opera Houseshould truly become – as Eugene Goossenshad imagined – the orchestra’s home, and soit has been since 1995.

Immediately before, the SSO had rehearsedin the purpose-built Eugene Goossens Hallin the ABC’s new Ultimo Centre, but spent onlya few years there – the over-generous acousticand the players’ difficulty in hearing eachother were problems obvious from the first.

As a broadcasting organisation growinglike topsy, the ABC had trouble over the yearsfinding where best to put its orchestra. Thefirst venue, in 1932, was in the now demolishedArts Club, in Pitt Street. It was small, butclose to ABC management, and to the SydneyTown Hall, where the orchestra performed.War anxiety about central Sydney prompted amove in late 1941 to another Arts Club building,in Burwood. It was too far from the TownHall, uncomfortable, and not designed forbroadcasts. So in 1946 the SSO took upresidence in a studio in Darlinghurst Rd,Kings Cross (occupied years later by the

MORE MUSIC

Selected Discography

VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY

Ashkenazy’s Rachmaninov discography is extensive and includes recordings of the symphonies and otherorchestral works with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra,and The Bells with the Concertgebouw Orchestra andChorus. He has recorded the piano concertos and theRhapsody of a Theme of Paganini with the LondonSymphony Orchestra and André Previn.These performances are available on a variety of Deccareleases, including a souvenir 6-CD set with all thesymphonies, the concertos, Symphonic Variations, theRhapsody, The Bells and the Isle of the Dead, togetherwith two solo piano works: the Corelli Variations andPiano Sonata No.2DECCA 480 0197

For smaller selections of the repertoire:Rachmaninov: Symphonies 1–3DECCA DOUBLE DECKER 448116

Rachmaninov: The Symphonies

With the Symphonic Dances, Isle of the Dead and The Bells in a 3-CD set.DECCA 455798

Rachmaninov: The Piano ConcertosDECCA 455234

GARRICK OHLSSON

Garrick Ohlsson’s recording of Rachmaninov’s SecondPiano Concerto with Neville Marriner and the Academyof St Martin in the Fields is paired with Tchaikovsky’sFirst Piano Concerto.HÄNSSLER CLASSIC 98932

Three volumes of Beethoven piano sonatas are availableon Bridge Records’ Garrick Ohlsson Edition.BRIDGE 9198; 9201; 9207

Ohlsson has recorded Chopin’s works for piano andorchestra, including the two concertos, with JerzyMaksymiuk and the Warsaw Polish Radio/TV SymphonyOrchestra.EMI CLASSICS 71472

Other recent releases in his extensive discographyinclude Bach’s Goldberg Variations.BRIDGE 9193

SERGEI RACHMANINOV

Those interested in hearing Rachmaninov’s owninterpretations should seek out:

Rachmaninoff Plays Rachmaninoff – the fourpiano concertos and the Rhapsody with thePhiladelphia Orchestra and conductors EugeneOrmandy and Leopold Stokowski.RCA VICTOR GOLD SEAL 61658

These performances are also available on the excellentNaxos Historical label:Piano Concertos No.2 (1929) and 3 (1940)NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110601

Piano Concertos No.1 (1939–40) and 4 (1941), and the Rhapsody (1934)NAXOS HISTORICAL 8.110602

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

26 November, 8pmNOBODY KNOWS DE TROUBLE I SEE

Hugh Wolff conductorHåkan Hardenberger trumpetHaydn, Zimmermann, Sibelius

7 December, 8pmSCHUBERT’S GREAT SYMPHONY

Gianluigi Gelmetti conductorFrank Peter Zimmermann violinWagner, Berg, Schubert

10 December, 1pmELGAR SYMPHONY NO.1 (2002)

Edo de Waart conductorELGAR CELLO CONCERTO (2005)

Truls Mørk celloJeffrey Tate conductor

14 December, 11amSERENADE FOR STRINGS

Louis Lortie piano/directorMozart, Tchaikovsky

14 December, 8pmTCHAIKOVSKY FANTASY

Gianluigi Gelmetti conductorLouis Lortie piano

19 December, 1.05pmIMAGES FOR ORCHESTRA

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conductorHaydn, Meale, Debussy

Broadcast Diary

Selected Sydney Symphony concerts are recorded forwebcast by BigPond. Visit: www.sydneysymphony.bigpondmusic.comNovember webcast:RACHMANINOV RHAPSODY

On Demand from late November

sydneysymphony.com

Visit the Sydney Symphony online for concertinformation, podcasts, and to read the program book inadvance of the concert.

2MBS-FM 102.5SYDNEY SYMPHONY 2008

Tue 8 January, 6pmWhat’s on in concerts, with interviews and music.

Webcast Diary



Rachmaninov – changing perceptions

In the early decades of the 20th century, many opinionsregarding Russian music in the West echoed the views ofVladimir Stasov and César Cui, the notoriously one-sidedpropagandists of St Petersburg’s ‘nationalist’ school. Earlydisciples, such as Rosa Newmarch, repeated a familiar rant:Moscow composers were talentless hacks, while St Petersburg’skuchka composers represented the only authentic Russianvoice. As a result, composers such as Tchaikovsky andTaneev were regularly derided. However, Rachmaninov,who was educated in Moscow, came in for special criticism.Perhaps due also to his enormous (and enviable) successin later years as a pianist in the West, few composers havesuffered such sustained assaults of negativity.

For many years, an entry for Rachmaninov by Eric Blom appeared in the authoritative music resource Grove,updating a previous entry by Rosa Newmarch. Among themany factual errors, it famously stated that ‘technically hewas highly gifted, but also severely limited’. Caustically, itopined that ‘his music was well constructed and effective,but monotonous in texture, which consists in essencemainly of artificial and gushing tunes accompanied bya variety of figures derived from arpeggios’. It predicted‘the enormous popular success some few of [his] workshad in his lifetime is not likely to last’ and closed by sayingthat ‘musicians never regarded it with much favour’.

Chief criticisms were levelled at works such as theSecond Piano Concerto, labelling them anachronistic. In truth, the early works – dating from the 1900s – aretypical of their time, and later works – such as the ThirdSymphony – are comparatively ‘modern’. Interestingly,other composers of the 20th century who worked in tonalidioms – such as Richard Strauss, Sibelius, and VaughanWilliams – were not similarly condemned.

Since Rachmaninov’s centenary in 1973, renewed interesthas led to more sympathetic, and better informed,appraisals of his works. Detailed analytical study of hisscores has revealed compositions of extraordinaryintegrity, and the self-indulgent interpretations thatcheapened a good few of his compositions now usuallygive way to insightful, multi-layered readings. Clearly,Rachmaninov’s music has outlasted those early critics,while his popularity with audiences has never been indoubt.

SCOTT DAVIE ©2007

Sergei Rachmaninoff –Russian composer, pianistand conductor. He was oneof the finest pianists of hisday and, as a composer, thelast great representative ofRussian late Romanticism.The influences of Tchaikovsky,Rimsky-Korsakov and otherRussian composers soongave way to a thoroughlypersonal idiom, with apronounced lyrical quality,expressive breadth, structuralingenuity and a palette ofrich, distinctive orchestralcolours.

GEOFFREY NORRIS, writing in thecurrent version of the New GroveDictionary of Music and Musicians(2nd edition)


ABOUT THE ARTISTS

In the years since Vladimir Ashkenazy first came toprominence on the world stage in the 1955 ChopinCompetition in Warsaw, he has built an extraordinarycareer not only as one of the most renowned and reveredpianists of our times, but as an inspiring artist whosecreative life encompasses a vast range of activities.

Conducting has formed the largest part of his music-making for the past 20 years. He was Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic from 1998 to 2003, and tookup the position of Music Director of the NHK SymphonyOrchestra in Tokyo in 2004. He will take up the newposition of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor tothe Sydney Symphony in 2009.

Alongside these roles, Vladimir Ashkenazy is alsoConductor Laureate of the Philharmonia Orchestra,with whom he has developed landmark projects such asProkofiev and Shostakovich Under Stalin (a project which healso took to Cologne, New York, Vienna and Moscow andlater developed into a TV documentary) and RachmaninoffRevisited at the Lincoln Center, New York.

He also holds the positions of Music Director of theEuropean Union Youth Orchestra and Conductor Laureateof the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and he maintainsstrong links with a number of other major orchestras,including the Cleveland Orchestra (of whom he is aformer Principal Guest Conductor), San FranciscoSymphony, and Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin(Chief Conductor and Music Director 1988–96).

He continues to devote himself to the piano, buildinghis comprehensive recording catalogue with releases such as the 1999 Grammy award-winning ShostakovichPreludes and Fugues, Rautavaara’s Piano Concerto No.3 (which he commissioned), and Rachmaninovtranscriptions. His latest releases are recordings ofBach’s Wohltemperierte Klavier and Beethoven’s DiabelliVariations.

A regular visitor to Sydney over many years, VladimirAshkenazy’s most recent appearances with the SydneySymphony were in 2006, when he conducted an all-Rachmaninov concert featuring The Bells. His futureartistic role with the Orchestra will include collaborationson composer festivals, major recording projects andinternational touring activities.

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Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor


Since winning the Gold Medal in the 1970 ChopinInternational Piano Competition, Garrick Ohlsson has established himself as a musician of magisterialinterpretive and technical prowess. Although regarded as one of the leading exponents of the music of Chopin,he commands an enormous repertoire, ranging fromHaydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century.

He appears regularly in recital and with orchestrasthroughout North America, as well as in Europe.Highlights of the current season include performances in the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Mozart Dances;performances in California and New York with theRussian National Orchestra; and a recital projectfocusing on the music of Scriabin and his Russiancontemporaries. Last year he opened the Mostly MozartFestival in New York, and performed at the BBC Promswith the Budapest Festival Orchestra. In recent seasons he has also toured with the Takács Quartet, appeared atthe Bonn Beethovenfest, and presented complete cycles of Beethoven piano sonatas for Switzerland’s VerbierFestival and for the Ravinia and Tanglewood festivals. A prolific recording artist, he is currently recording theBeethoven sonatas.

Garrick Ohlsson is also an avid chamber musician andhas collaborated with the Cleveland, Emerson and Tokyostring quartets, among other ensembles. Together withviolinist Jorja Fleezanis and cellist Michael Grebanier,he is a founding member of the San Francisco-based FOG Trio.

A native of White Plains, New York, Garrick Ohlssonbegan his piano studies at the age of eight; at 13 heentered the Juilliard School in New York City. His musicaldevelopment has been influenced by a succession ofdistinguished teachers, most notably Claudio Arrau,Olga Barabini, Tom Lishman, Sascha Gorodnitzki, RosinaLhévinne and Irma Wolpe. Although he won first prizes at the 1966 Busoni Competition in Italy and 1968Montréal Piano Competition, it was his 1970 triumph at the Chopin Competition in Warsaw that broughthim worldwide recognition. In 1994 he was awarded theAvery Fisher Prize, and he received the 1998 UniversityMusical Society Distinguished Artist Award in Ann Arbor,Michigan. He makes his home in San Francisco.

Garrick Ohlsson piano


THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY

Founded in 1932, the Sydney Symphonyhas evolved into one of the world’s finestorchestras as Sydney has become one ofthe world’s great cities. Resident at theiconic Sydney Opera House where theSydney Symphony gives more than 100performances each year, the Orchestra alsoperforms concerts in a variety of venuesaround Sydney and regional New SouthWales. International tours to Europe, Asiaand the USA have earned the Orchestraworld-wide recognition for artisticexcellence.

Critical to the success of the SydneySymphony has been the leadership given by its former Chief Conductors including:Sir Eugene Goossens, Nicolai Malko,Dean Dixon, Willem van Otterloo, LouisFrémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Stuart

Challender and Edo de Waart. Alsocontributing to the outstanding success of the Orchestra have been collaborationswith legendary figures such as GeorgeSzell, Sir Thomas Beecham, OttoKlemperer and Igor Stravinsky.

Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti, whoseappointment followed a ten-yearrelationship with the Orchestra as GuestConductor, is now in his fourth year asChief Conductor and Artistic Director ofthe Sydney Symphony, a position he holdsin tandem with that of Music Director at the prestigious Rome Opera.

The Sydney Symphony is reaping therewards of Maestro Gelmetti’s directorshipthrough the quality of sound, intensityof playing and flexibility between styles. His particularly strong rapport withFrench and German repertoire iscomplemented by his innovativeprogramming in the Shock of the New concerts and performances ofcontemporary Australian music.

The Sydney Symphony’s award-winningEducation Program is central to theOrchestra’s commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developingaudiences and engaging the participationof young people. The Sydney Symphonymaintains an active commissioningprogram promoting the work of Australiancomposers and in 2005 Liza Lim wasappointed Composer-in-Residence forthree years.

In 2007, the Orchestra celebrates its 75th anniversary and the milestoneachievements during its distinguishedhistory.

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PATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales


MUSICIANS

01First Violins

02 03 04 05 06 07

08 09 10 11 12 13

01Second Violins

02 03 04 05 06 07

08 09 10 11 12 13

First Violins

01 Sun YiAssociate Concertmaster

02 Kirsten WilliamsAssociate ConcertmasterKirsty HiltonAssistant Concertmaster

03 Fiona ZieglerIan & Jennifer Burton Chair of Assistant Concertmaster

04 Julie Batty05 Gu Chen06 Amber Gunther07 Rosalind Horton08 Jennifer Hoy09 Jennifer Johnson10 Georges Lentz11 Nicola Lewis12 Alexandra Mitchell

Moon Design Chair of Violin13 Léone Ziegler

Sophie Cole

Second Violins

01 Marina MarsdenPrincipal

02 Susan DobbieAssociate Principal

03 Emma WestAssistant Principal

04 Pieter Bersée05 Maria Durek06 Emma Hayes07 Shuti Huang08 Stan Kornel09 Benjamin Li10 Nicole Masters11 Philippa Paige12 Biyana Rozenblit13 Maja Verunica

Guest Musicians

Carl Pini Principal First Violin

Emily Long First Violin#

Emily Qin First Violin#

Thomas Dethlefs First Violin†

Michelle O’Young First Violin

Alexandra D’Elia Second Violin#

Alexander Norton Second Violin#

Victoria Jacono Second Violin†

Jacqueline Cronin Viola#

Jennifer Curl Viola#

Joanna Tobin Viola†

Nicole Forsyth Viola

Shelley SorensenViola

Rowena Crouch Cello#

Martin Penicka Cello†

Jennifer Druery Double Bass#

Jill Griffiths Double Bass

Owen Torr Harp

James Nightingale Alto Saxophone

Casey Rippon Horn#

Joshua Davis Trombone#

Ian Cleworth Percussion

Brian Nixon Percussion

Key:

# Contract Musician† Sydney Symphony

Fellow

Gianluigi GelmettiChief Conductor andArtistic Director

Michael DauthChair of Concertmastersupported by the SydneySymphony Board and Council

Dene OldingChair of Concertmastersupported by the SydneySymphony Board and Council


08Cellos

09 10 11 01 02 03

01Violas

02 03 04 05 06 07

04 05 06 07 08 09

01Double Basses

02 03 04 05 06 07

08Harp

01Flutes

02 03Piccolo

MUSICIANS

Violas

01 Roger BenedictAndrew Turner and Vivian Chang Chair of Principal Viola

02 Anne Louise ComerfordAssociate Principal

03 Yvette GoodchildAssistant Principal

04 Robyn Brookfield05 Sandro Costantino06 Jane Hazelwood07 Graham Hennings08 Mary McVarish09 Justine Marsden10 Leonid Volovelsky11 Felicity Wyithe

Cellos

01 Catherine Hewgill Principal

02 Nathan Waks Principal

03 Leah LynnAssistant Principal

04 Kristy Conrau05 Fenella Gill06 Timothy Nankervis07 Elizabeth Neville08 Adrian Wallis09 David Wickham

Double Basses

01 Kees BoersmaBrian and Rosemary White Chair of Principal Double Bass

02 Alex HeneryPrincipal

03 Andrew RacitiAssociate Principal

04 Neil BrawleyPrincipal Emeritus

05 David Campbell06 Steven Larson07 Richard Lynn08 David Murray

Harp

Louise JohnsonMulpha Australia Chair of Principal Harp

Flutes

01 Janet Webb Principal

02 Emma ShollMr Harcourt Gough Chair of Associate Principal Flute

03 Carolyn Harris

Piccolo

Rosamund PlummerPrincipal


Cor Anglais Clarinets Bass Clarinet

Oboes

01 Diana Doherty Andrew Kaldor and Renata Kaldor AO Chair of Principal Oboe

02 Shefali PryorAssociate Principal

Cor Anglais

Alexandre OgueyPrincipal

Clarinets

01 Lawrence Dobell Principal

02 Francesco CelataAssociate Principal

03 Christopher Tingay

Bass Clarinet

Craig WernickePrincipal

Bassoons

01 Matthew WilkiePrincipal

02 Roger BrookeAssociate Principal

03 Fiona McNamara

Contrabassoon

01 Noriko ShimadaPrincipal

Horns

01 Robert JohnsonPrincipal

02 Ben JacksPrincipal

03 Geoff O’ReillyPrincipal 3rd

04 Lee Bracegirdle05 Marnie Sebire

Trumpets

01 Daniel Mendelow Principal

02 Paul Goodchild Associate Principal

03 John Foster04 Anthony Heinrichs

Trombone

01 Ronald PrussingNSW Department of State and Regional Development Chair of Principal Trombone

02 Scott KinmontAssociate Principal

03 Nick ByrneRogen International Chair of Trombone

Bass Trombone

Christopher Harris Trust Foundation Chair of Principal Bass Trombone

Tuba

Steve RosséPrincipal

Timpani

01 Richard MillerPrincipalAdam JeffreyAssistant Principal Timpani/Tutti Percussion

Percussion

01 Rebecca LagosPrincipal

02 Colin Piper

Piano

Josephine AllanPrincipal (contract)

01Bassoons Contrabassoon Horns

02 03 01 02 03

01Oboes

02 01 02 03

04 05 01Trumpets

02 03 04

01Trombones

02 03Bass Trombone Tuba

01Timpani

01Percussion

02Piano

MUSICIANS

The Company is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW

SALUTE


PRINCIPAL PARTNER

PLATINUM PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS


The Sydney Symphony applauds the leadership role our Partners play and their commitment to excellence,innovation and creativity.

SILVER PARTNERS

REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS

BRONZE PARTNERS MARKETING PARTNERS PATRONS

Australia Post

Beyond Technology Consulting

Bimbadgen Estate Wines

J. Boag & Son

Vittoria Coffee

Avant Card

Blue Arc Group

Lindsay Yates and Partners

2MBS 102.5 –Sydney’s Fine Music Station

The Sydney Symphony gratefullyacknowledges the many musiclovers who contribute to theOrchestra by becoming SymphonyPatrons. Every donation plays animportant part in the success of theSydney Symphony’s wide rangingprograms.

A leadership program which linksAustralia’s top performers in theexecutive and musical worlds.For information about the Directors’Chairs program, please contact Alan Watt on (02) 8215 4619.


01 02 03 04 05 06

07 08 09 10 11 12

DIRECTORS’ CHAIRS

01Mulpha Australia Chair ofPrincipal Harp, Louise Johnson

02Mr Harcourt Gough Chair ofAssociate Principal Flute, Emma Sholl

03Sandra and Paul Salteri Chair ofArtistic Director Education,Richard Gill OAM

04Jonathan Sweeney, Managing Director Trust withTrust Foundation Chair ofPrincipal Bass Trombone, Christopher Harris

05NSW Department of State and Regional Development Chair of Principal Trombone,Ronald Prussing

06Brian and Rosemary White Chair of Principal Double Bass,Kees Boersma

07Board and Council of theSydney Symphony supportsChairs of Concertmaster Michael Dauth and Dene Olding

08Gerald Tapper, Managing Director Rogen International withRogen International Chair of Trombone, Nick Byrne

09Stuart O’Brien, ManagingDirector Moon Design with Moon Design Chair of Violin,Alexandra Mitchell

10Ian and Jennifer Burton Chair of Assistant Concertmaster,Fiona Ziegler

11Andrew Kaldor and Renata Kaldor AO Chair ofPrincipal Oboe, Diana Doherty

12Andrew Turner and VivianChang Chair of Principal Violaand Artistic Director, FellowshipProgram, Roger Benedict

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Mr Steve GillettAnthony Gregg & Deanne

Whittleston ‡Dr & Mrs C GoldschmidtBeth Harpley *Rev H & Mrs M Herbert °*Ms Michelle Hilton-Vernon Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter §Mr Stephen Jenkins *Professor Faith M JonesMs Judy JoyeMr Noel Keen *Mrs Margaret Keogh °*Miss Anna-Lisa Klettenberg °§Iven & Sylvia Klineberg *Mrs Joan Langley °Mr & Mrs Pierre LastelleDr & Mrs Leo LeaderMs A Le Marchant *Mr & Mrs Ezzelino Leonardi §Barbara & Bernard Leser °Mrs Anita Levy °Erna & Gerry Levy AM §Mr & Mrs S C Lloyd °Mr James McCarthyMr Ian & Mrs Pam McGaw *Mr Matthew McInnes §Ms Julie Manfredi-HughesMs J Millard *‡Mr Andrew Nobbs Mr Graham NorthMr Stuart O’Brien Miss C O’Connor *Mrs Jill Pain °‡Dr Kevin PedemontMr Adrian & Mrs Dairneen

PittonMr & Mrs Michael Potts Mr L T & Mrs L M Priddle *Mrs B Raghavan °Mrs Caroline Ralphsmith Mr John Reid AO Mr John & Mrs Lynn Carol

Reid §Mr Brian Russell & Mrs Irina

SinglemanMr M D Salamon §In memory of H St P Scarlett °*Dr Agnes E SinclairDr John Sivewright & Ms

Kerrie Kemp ‡Dr Heng & Mrs Cilla Tey §Mrs Elizabeth F Tocque °*Mrs Merle Turkington °Ronald Walledge °Louise Walsh & David JordanDr Thomas Wenkart Dr Richard Wing §Mr Robert Woods *Mrs Lucille Wrath ‡Mrs R Yabsley °Anonymous (12)

PLAYING YOUR PART

Maestri

Brian Abel & the late Ben Gannon AO °

Geoff & Vicki Ainsworth *Mr Robert O Albert AO *‡Alan & Christine Bishop °§Sandra & Neil Burns *Mr Ian & Mrs Jennifer Burton Libby Christie & Peter James §The Clitheroe Foundation *Mr John C Conde AO §Mr John Curtis §Mr Greg Daniel AMPenny Edwards *Mr J O Fairfax AO *Dr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuffre*Mr Harcourt Gough §Mr David Greatorex AO &

Mrs Deirdre Greatorex §Mr Andrew Kaldor & Mrs

Renata Kaldor AO §H Kallinikos Pty Ltd §Mr B G O’Conor §The Paramor Family *The Ian Potter FoundationDr John Roarty in memory of

Mrs June RoartyMr Paul & Mrs Sandra Salteri°Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet

Cooke §Andrew Turner & Vivian ChangMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary White§Anonymous (1) *

Virtuosi

Mrs Antoinette Albert §Mr Roger Allen & Mrs Maggie

GrayMr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr §Mr & Mrs Paul Hoult Irwin Imhof in memory of

Herta Imhof °‡Mr Stephen Johns §Mr & Mrs Gilles T Kryger °§Ms Ann Lewis AM Mr E J Merewether & Mrs T

Merewether OAM *Mr & Mrs David MilmanMiss Rosemary Pryor *Bruce & Joy Reid Foundation*

Rodney Rosenblum AM & Sylvia Rosenblum *

Mrs Helen Selle §David Smithers AM & Family §Dr William & Mrs Helen Webb ‡Michael & Mary Whelan Trust §Anonymous (1) §

SoliMr Anthony Berg AMMs Jan Bowen §Mr Chum Darvall §Hilmer Family Trust Ms Ann Hoban °Mr Paul Hotz §Mr Rory Jeffes Mrs Joan MacKenzie §Mrs Judith McKernan °§Miss Margaret N MacLaren °*‡§Mr David Maloney §Mr James & Mrs Elsie Moore °Ms Elizabeth ProustMs Gabrielle Trainor Mr Geoff Wood & Ms Melissa

Waites Anonymous (4) §

Tutti

Mr Henri W Aram OAM §Mr Terrey & Mrs Anne Arcus §Mr David Barnes °Mrs Joan Barnes °Mr Stephen J BellMr Alexander & Mrs Vera

Boyarsky §Mr Maximo Buch *Mrs F M Buckle °Debby Cramer & Bill Caukill §Mr Bob & Mrs Julie Clampett °§Mr John Cunningham SCM &

Mrs Margaret Cunningham§Mr & Mrs J B Fairfax AM §Mr Russell Farr Mr & Mrs David Feetham Mr Ian Fenwicke & Prof Neville

Wills §Mrs Dorit & Mr William

Franken °§Mr & Mrs J R W Furber §Mr Arshak & Ms Sophie

Galstaun §In memory of Hetty Gordon §Mrs Akiko Gregory §Miss Janette Hamilton °‡Mr A & Mrs L Heyko-Porebski°Mr Philip Isaacs OAM §Ms Judy Joye Mr & Mrs E Katz §Mr Andrew Korda & Ms Susan

Pearson Mr Justin Lam §Dr Paul A L Lancaster &

Dr Raema ProwseDr Barry LandaDr Garth Leslie °*

Mr Gary Linnane §Ms Karen Loblay §Mr Bob Longwell Mr Andrew & Mrs Amanda Love Mrs Carolyn A Lowry OAMMr & Mrs R Maple-Brown §Mr Robert & Mrs Renee

Markovic §Mrs Alexandra Martin & the

Late Mr Lloyd Martin AM §Justice Jane Mathews §Mrs Mora Maxwell °§Wendy McCarthy AO °Mrs Barbara McNulty OBE °§Ms Margaret Moore & Dr Paul

Hutchins *Mr R A Oppen §Mr Arti Ortis & Mrs Belinda

Lim §Timothy & Eva Pascoe §Ms Patricia Payn §Mr Adrian & Mrs Dairneen

Pilton Ms Robin Potter §Mr & Mrs Ernest Rapee §Dr K D Reeve AM °Mrs Patricia H Reid °Mr Brian Russell & Ms Irina

Singleman Ms Juliana Schaeffer §Derek & Patricia Smith §Catherine Stephen §Mr Fred & Mrs Dorothy Street ‡§Mr Georges & Mrs Marliese

Teitler §Mr Stephen Thatcher Ms Gabrielle TrainorMr Ken Tribe AC & Mrs Joan

Tribe §Mr John E Tuckey °Mrs Kathleen Tutton °Ms Mary Vallentine AO §Henry & Ruth Weinberg §Audrey & Michael Wilson °Jill Wran §Anonymous (8)

Supporters over $500

PTW ArchitectsMr C R Adamson °§Doug & Alison Battersby °Mr Phil Bennett Gabrielle Blackstock °‡Mr G D Bolton °Mr David S Brett *A I Butchart °*Mrs B E Cary §Mrs Catherine Gaskin

Cornberg§Mr Stan Costigan AO &

Mrs Mary Costigan *Mrs M A Coventry °Mr Michael Crouch AO *M Danos °Lisa & Miro Davis *Mrs Patricia Davis §

Patron Annual

Donations Levels

Maestri $10,000 and above Virtuosi $5000 to $9999 Soli $2500 to $4999 Tutti $1000 to $2499 Supporters $500 to $999

To discuss givingopportunities, please callAlan Watt on (02) 8215 4619.

° Allegro Program supporter* Emerging Artist Fund supporter‡ Stuart Challender Fund supporter§ Orchestra Fund supporter

The Sydney Symphony gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the Orchestra each year. Every gift plays an important part in ensuring ourcontinued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education andregional touring programs. Because we are now offering free programs andspace is limited we are unable to list donors who give between $100 and $499 –please visit sydneysymphony.com for a list of all our patrons.


Sydney Symphony Board

BEHIND THE SCENES

CHAIRMAN

John Conde AO

Libby Christie John CurtisStephen JohnsAndrew KaldorGoetz RichterDavid Smithers AM

Gabrielle Trainor

What’s on the cover?During the 2007 season Sydney Symphony program covers will feature photos that celebrate the Orchestra’s history over the past 75 years. The photographs on the covers will change approximately once a month, and if you subscribe to one of our concert series you will be able to collect a set over the course of the year.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHS (clockwise from top left): Ernest Llewellyn, former Concertmaster of the SSO, recording a half-hour recital for ABN-2in the early 1960s; piccolo part prepared for the first international tour in 1965; SSO PromConcert audience playing penny whistles in McCabe’s Mini Concerto for organ, orchestraand 485 penny whistles (17 February 1968); Principal Flute, Janet Webb with PrincipalOboe, Guy Henderson and second oboe, Carol Helmers; Vladimir Ashkenazy goes throughthe score with Principal Viola Roger Benedict (left) and Concertmaster Dene Olding (2004);Stravinsky, assisted by Robert Craft, rehearses for his concert with the SSO in 1961.


Sydney Symphony Staff

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Libby Christie

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Eva-Marie Alis

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

Wolfgang Fink

Artistic Administration

ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Raff Wilson

ARTIST LIAISON

Ilmar Leetberg

PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO THE

CHIEF CONDUCTOR

Lisa Davies-Galli

ADMINISTRATION ASSISTANT,

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

Catherine Wyburn

Education Programs

EDUCATION MANAGER

Margaret Moore

EDUCATION CO-ORDINATOR

Bernie Heard

Library

LIBRARIAN

Anna Cernik

LIBRARY ASSISTANT

Victoria Grant

LIBRARY ASSISTANT

Mary-Ann Mead

DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Rory Jeffes

CORPORATE RELATIONS MANAGER

Leann Meiers

CORPORATE RELATIONS EXECUTIVE

Julia Owens

CORPORATE RELATIONS EXECUTIVE

Seleena Semos

PHILANTHROPY MANAGER

Alan Watt

MARKETING AND

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Julian Boram

Publicity

PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

Yvonne Zammit

PUBLICIST

Stuart Fyfe

Customer Relationship

Management

MARKETING MANAGER – CRM

Rebecca MacFarling

ONLINE & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER

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DATABASE ANALYST

Marko Lång

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MULTICULTURAL MARKETING

MANAGER

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CONCERT PROGRAM EDITOR

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MARKETING COORDINATOR

Antonia Farrugia

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NETWORK GROUP–SALES MANAGER

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Box Office

BOX OFFICE MANAGER

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CUSTOMER SERVICE

REPRESENTATIVES

Wendy AugustineMichael Dowling

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA

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Aernout Kerbert

ACTING DEPUTY ORCHESTRA

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ORCHESTRAL ASSISTANT

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DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL

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Baz Archer

RECORDING ENTERPRISES

RECORDING ENTERPRISES MANAGER

Aimee Paret

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DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

David O’Kane

EXECUTIVE PROJECT MANAGER

Rachel Hadfield

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Samuel Li

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Shelley Salmon

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MANAGER

Tim Graham

PAYROLL AND ACCOUNTS

PAYABLE OFFICER

Caroline Hall

HUMAN RESOURCES

Ian Arnold

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SYMPHONY SERVICES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Suite 3, Level 2, 561 Harris Street, Ultimo NSW 2007GPO Box 9994, Sydney NSW 2001Telephone (02) 8333 1651Facsimile (02) 8333 1678

www.symphony.net.au

Level 9, 35 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000GPO Box 4972, Sydney NSW 2001Telephone (02) 8215 4644Facsimile (02) 8215 4646

Customer Services:GPO Box 4338, Sydney NSW 2001Telephone (02) 8215 4600Facsimile (02) 8215 4660

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All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing. The opinions expressed in thispublication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the editor, publisher or any distributor of the programs. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication, we cannot acceptresponsibility for any errors or omissions, or for matters arising fromclerical or printers’ errors. Every effort has been made to securepermission for copyright material prior to printing.

Please address all correspondence to the Concert Program Editor, Sydney Symphony, GPO Box 4972, Sydney NSW 2001. Fax (02) 8215 4660. Email [email protected]

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUST

Mr Kim Williams AM (Chair)Mr John BallardMr Wesley EnochMs Renata Kaldor AO

Ms Jacqueline Kott Mr Robert Leece AM RFD

Ms Sue Nattrass AO (leave)Mr Leo Schofield AM

Ms Barbara WardMr Evan Williams AM

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

ACTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sue Nattrass AO

DIRECTOR, FACILITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul AkhurstDIRECTOR, FINANCE & SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .David Antaw DIRECTOR, MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT . . . . . . . . . .Naomi GrabelDIRECTOR, PERFORMING ARTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rachel HealyDIRECTOR, PEOPLE & CULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rick BrowningDIRECTOR, INFORMATION SYSTEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Claire SwaffieldDIRECTOR, TOURISM & VISITOR OPERATIONS . . . . . .Maria Sykes

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Bennelong PointGPO Box 4274, Sydney NSW 2001Administration (02) 9250 7111Box Office (02) 9250 7777Facsimile (02) 9250 7666Website sydneyoperahouse.com

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