"Future Stars"
November 18, 2012
Program Notes

Overture to "Candide"

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

Last SEKSO Performance: Nov. 18th, 2007
First Performed: 1957, New York Philharmonic, Bernstein, cond.

For anyone asking "how did I get myself into this?", consider yourself in good company. In the early 50's, Bernstein on the urging of playwright Lillian Hellman, began collaborating on an adaption of Voltaire's short novel "Candide" for the musical theatre. Over the next several years, sketches were made, lyricists came and went, and finally in the fall of 1956 the operetta was ready for performances in Boston. The work was premiered in New York in December 1956 at the Martin Beck Theater.

Voltaire's 1759 novella was a satire on the social and religious philosophies of the day - quite harsh in some circles. Hellman recognized a number of similarities in the "Washington Witch Trials" and its resulting paranoia and blacklisting that affected her and many of Bernstein's friends. Between conception and its 1956 premiere, Hellman was called upon to testify in the McCarthy hearings and later witnessed the humiliation of Senator McCarthy. Bernstein turned his sharpest eye to the political characters in the operetta.

Although there were good reviews, the premiere itself was not received well by critics and closed in February of the next year. Bernstein continued to work on the piece with at least 5 revisions over the next 2 decades.

The Overture itself is a wild ride. Presenting melodies of the operetta in traditional fashion, it's perhaps more of a "good old days" reverie of Candide, before his calamities begin. Using a variety of musical twists, turns, and jokes somewhat similar to the musical humor displayed by Prokofiev in his "Classical Symphony", Bernstein hot-foots his way quickly through the overture so he can throw in one last musical joke before dealing with Voltaire.

Scored for: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, E♭ clarinet, bass clarinet 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, timpani, harp, and strings.
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Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.2 Op.36 (1992)

Lowell Liebermann (1961- )

Written In: 1992
First Performed: 11 June, 1992; Kennedy Center, Washington; DC Stephen Hough, piano; The National Symphony, Mstislav Rostropovich, cond.
Dedicated to: Stephen Hough

The Piano Concerto No. 2 by Lowell Liebermann was commissioned by the Steinway Foundation. It was premiered by the National Symphony, with Stephen Hough on piano and Mstislav Rostropovich, conductor; on June 11, 1992, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC.

The concerto has four movements: Allegro Moderato, Presto, Adagio and Allegro. The movement to be performed today is the second movement (Presto). There is tremendous interaction between soloist and orchestra as a dialogue between the two parts is clearly exposed. Also evident are consistent changes of meter, starting on 6/8, and switching to 4/4 and 5/8. Additional musical devices utilized include: chromatic mediant modulation, major chords over diminished scales, rapid whole tone and artificial scales, chromatic scales and glissandos. There are constant changes of tempo. The last section, in a minor mode, finishes off the movement with a prestissimo variation of the main theme.

- Dani Ayala

Scored for: 3 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, celeste, and strings.
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Daniel Ayala, piano

Dani Ayala started piano studies at the age of 5 in his native Asuncion with Jose Luis Miranda, graduating in 2006 from the "Escuela Musical Miranda" (Miranda Music School) with honors in piano and theory. From 2007 to 2008 he continued his piano studies with Pablo Yegros and Valentina Diaz-Frenot. He participated in many master classes and workshops such as: chamber music for piano duets with Florencia Ansaldo and Pablo Yegros (Argentina); technique and pianistic interpretation with Gaston Corazzini (Argentina); "Young Pianists Workshop" with David Fray (France), Mamorei Musical Camp with Valentina Diaz-Frenot (Argentina), Norberto Garcia (Argentina), Gotz Bernau (Germany) and Alceu Reis (Brazil); chamber music interpretation with Dr. Jocelyn Swigger (USA) and master classes with Miguel Baselga (Spain). Since his arrival to Pittsburg, Dani participated in master classes with Michael Kirkendoll, Nicholas Phillips, Robert Saterlee, Washington Garcia and Peter Collins.

A student of Dr. Reena Natenberg since 2009, Dani has won awards in his native Paraguay and in the United States, including first prize at the 2011 KMTA Piano Collegiate Competition (Junior/Senior Division). Consequently, he was selected to perform at the KMEA conference held in Wichita in 2012. He was winner of the PSU Concerto/Aria Competition in 2012 and received the 2012 award for Excellence in Keyboard Studies from the PSU Music Department.

Ayala is also an active jazz musician. He has performed with the PSU jazz ensembles since his freshman year and participated in many jazz festivals throughout the state of Kansas. He played in the master classes of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in the spring of 2012.

Romeo and Juliet overture-fantasy

Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Last SEKSO Performance: Dec 2nd, 1990
Written In: 1869-1880

Romeo and Juliet is a concert overture by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The tragic love story of Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet has served of inspiration to many composers. The story takes place in the Italian city of Verona. Romeo attends a ball in which he meets Juliet. They fall in love with each other, but their families, the Montague and Capulet have an ongoing feud and thus Romeo and Juliet must keep their love secret. Friar Lawrence, who is Romeo's confessor, agrees to secretly marry the young couple in the hope that their union reconciles their two families. Juliet's father has promised his daughter to another man and wants a wedding to take place soon. Juliet asks Friar Lawrence for help. He gives her a sleeping concoction that will make her appear dead. He sends a message to Romeo explaining the plan that when Juliet is placed in the family crypt and wakes up Romeo must be there to take her away. But Romeo never gets the message; instead he learns that Juliet is dead, goes to the crypt and decides to kill himself instead of living without her. When Juliet wakes up and realizes that Romeo is dead she kills herself with his dagger. Their tragic deaths make their families end their feud.

Tchaikovsky started writing Romeo and Juliet in the spring of 1869 at the suggestion of his friend and fellow composer Mily Balakirev, who also suggested a structure outline for the piece and also a key scheme that could be used in each section of the structure. The first version was composed in 1869 and was dedicated to Balakirev. The premiere was in March 16, 1870 in Moscow under Rubinstein's direction. This first version was ruthlessly criticized by Balakirev. After accepting some of his mentor's criticism, Tchaikovsky reworked the piece and sent it to his friend for approval. Once again Balakirev criticized the piece saying that the end was not powerful enough. Tchaikovsky resisted Balakirev's additional suggestions and published this second version in 1871. This revised version was premiered in St. Petersburg in Feb 17 1872. However, after a decade had passed, Tchaikovsky now a more matured and experienced composer, revised the piece a second time with a better portraying of the play's drama. He also added the title Overture-fantasy to encourage the audience to listen for the characters of the play in the music. The third version was finished in 1880, published in 1881, and played for the first time in 1886. This third and final version is the one now universally performed.

The overture begins with the bassoons and clarinets playing a solemn choral which represents Friar Lawrence. This liturgical mood gives way to the first main theme played by frantic woodwinds and strings accompanied by brass and percussion clearly depicting the warring Capulets and Montagues. This action slows down and the famous Romeo and Juliet love theme enters, first played by the cor anglais and then by flutes and oboes. Then the feuding music returns and again is followed by the love theme. Later the love theme is distorted to symbolize the death of the young lovers. In the coda a somber funeral march marked by the timpani's slowing heartbeat is heard. Friar Lawrence chorale is played by the winds as if meditating in the tragedy. But then the love theme is heard once again, triumphant in death, just before the final chords are played.

- Denissa Rivas de Munguía

Scored for: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp, and strings.
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