Jeffrey Thomas Artistic Director
July 12 through 22, 2012 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
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Join us for the December Holidays! Gloria! A Baroque Christmas with ABS with soprano Mary Wilson San Francisco Girls Chorus • American Bach Choir Vivaldi: Gloria ~ Handel: Laudate pueri Dominum Corelli: “Christmas Concerto” ~ Charpentier: In Nativitatem Saturday December 15 2012 8:00 pm St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE • The beautiful, candle-lit venue of St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere—home to ABS for more than two decades and known for its clear and rich acoustics—will resonate with the voices of the five-time Grammy Awardwinning San Francisco Girls Chorus and the acclaimed American Bach Choir in a program of Christmas treasures from the Baroque. Vivaldi’s inimitable Gloria and Handel’s joyful setting of the psalm Laudate pueri Dominum, composed during Handel’s early years in Rome, will compliment the holiday-favorite “Christmas Concerto” by Arcangelo Corelli, the most famous and successful violinistcomposer of 18th-century Italy. A set of charming French noels and a pastorale about the shepherds at the Nativity by the Parisian composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier make this a wonderful program for the whole family. Always a sell-out, year after year, ABS’s performances of Handel’s enduring masterwork are celebrated as one of Northern California’s most treasured holiday traditions. A superb quartet of vocal soloists and the American Bach Choir, which “sets the standard in choral singing” (San Francisco Classical Voice) will join the period instrument specialists of American Bach Soloists under the masterful direction of Jeffrey Thomas in the breathtaking setting of Grace Cathedral. 2
Handel’s Messiah
Mary Wilson • Ian Howell Wesley Rogers • Jesse Blumberg Three Performances in GRACE CATHEDRAL, SAN FRANCISCO Thursday December 20 2012 7:30 pm Friday December 21 2012 7:30 pm Saturday December 22 2012 7:30 pm
Contents
San Francisco’s Summer Bach Festival Welcome to the Festival & Academy Schedule of Events Our 2012/13 Season Academy Founders & Sponsors About American Bach Soloists Board of Directors, Founders, Staff, & Advisory Council American Bach Soloists & American Bach Choir Rosters Academy Participants Artist Biographies ABS Merchandise American Bach Soloists Discography 2012 Annual Gala: An Olympian Feast Support the American Bach Soloists Contributors & Acknowledgments
5 7 9 11 12 13 15 16 17 22 35 38 51 52
• Concert Programs • Chamber Series: Music by Johann Sebastian Bach 23 Chamber Series: Parisian Baroque 26 Masterworks Series: The Leipzig Masters 29 Masterworks Series: Mass in B Minor 33 Academy-in-Action Series I 39 Academy-in-Action Series II 40 Academy-in-Action Series III 41 Masterworks Series: Pigmalion & Dido and Aeneas 42 Distinguished Artist Series: Ian Howell ~ Voice & Viols 45
• Festival Sponsors • Anonymous Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund Mechanics Bank The Bernard Osher Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation
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Welcome to the American Bach Soloists Festival & Academy
DON SCOTT CARPENTER Executive Director American Bach Soloists
The AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS 2012 FESTIVAL & ACADEMY offers an extraordinary array of performances, recitals, lectures, master classes, and colloquia, all held at the elegant and spacious San Francisco Conservatory of Music. As one of the world’s newest Bach festivals and the first of its kind in San Francisco, the American Bach Soloists Festival & Academy has become a major attraction on the summer music calendar, joining America’s other great Bach Festivals in Carmel CA, Eugene OR, and Bethlehem PA.
The Festival kicks off on July 12 with an Opening Night Dinner at Dobbs Ferry and an all-Bach program that includes sonatas for violin with harpsichord and viola da gamba with harpsichord, the famous cantata Ich habe genug, BWV 82, and the Brandenburg Concerto VI in B-flat Major. This is the first concert in the Festival’s Chamber Series: virtuoso performances by the American Bach Soloists of masterpieces by Bach and his contemporaries. On July 13, ABS offers another Chamber Series concert titled “Parisian Baroque,” an evening showcasing works by French masters, including François Couperin’s evocative sonata “La Sultane” and La Paix du Parnasse (The Peace of Parnassus) in which the composer depicts Corelli and Lully, two great 17thcentury composers, literally joining forces to create a new, international language of music. Leclair’s Flute Sonata No. 2 in E Minor with Sandra Miller as soloist, Clérambault’s Chaconne in D Major, a trio of French arias, and Rameau’s IIIe Pièce de Clavecin en Concert complete this intimate program of Parisian elegance and sophistication. Masterworks Series concerts punctuate both weeks of the Festival with ABS Music Director Jeffrey Thomas at the helm, leading the American Bach Soloists, the Academy Orchestra and soloists, and the American Bach Choir in performances of large-scale masterpieces from the Baroque era. Performances of Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor are an annual tradition of the Festival and anchor each weekend on the two Sundays, July 15 and 22. Concert performances of Baroque oratorio and opera are another feature of the Masterworks Series and on July 20 a double-bill of Rameau’s rarely performed Pigmalion and Purcell’s perennial classic Dido and Aeneas will be presented with casts drawn from the ABS Academy, the education component of the Festival. On July 14, a program titled “The Leipzig Masters” will feature works by four composers who held or were considered for the position of Cantor of the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig: Johann Kuhnau, Christoph Graupner, Georg Philipp Telemann, and, of course, J. S. Bach. In an all-out celebration of the German Baroque, the program will feature Kuhnau’s cantata Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben; Telemann’s imaginative overture about a stock exchange; the grand Magnificat in C Major by
Graupner; and J. S. Bach’s exquisite Orchestral Suite III in D Major, which includes the famous “Air on the G string.” New in 2012 is the Distinguished Artist Series, a performance by an acclaimed early music specialist within the framework of an intimate recital in programs built around themes of cultures, places, or historical events. On July 21 the inaugural event in this series will feature acclaimed countertenor Ian Howell accompanied by a consort of violas da gamba in a program titled “Ian Howell – Voice & Viols.” Howell, last heard by ABS audiences at our acclaimed performance at the Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, will bring his expressive voice and artistry to songs and consort music by William Byrd and Henry Purcell, works by J.C. Bach and Hoffmann, and J. S. Bach’s magnificent solo cantata, Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, BWV 169. Running parallel with the Festival is the ABS Academy, North America’s newest professional training program in historically informed performance practice. Now in its third season, the ABS Academy offers advanced conservatory-level students and emerging professionals the unique opportunity to study and perform Baroque music in a multi-disciplinary learning environment with a faculty made up of members of ABS. Academy participants—the next generation of early music virtuosi—enjoy the spotlight during the second week of the Festival when they are featured in three Academy-in-Action performances of Bach Cantatas and works by Baroque masters on July 16, 17, and 18. Along with performances called “moments of sheer magic” by the Orlando Sentinel, the ABS Festival & Academy calendar is packed with free lectures, master classes, and special events. On July 14, Academy faculty and participants will explore the dances that provide the foundation and framework of Baroque music in the Public Colloquium “Invitation to the Dance.” During the second week of the Festival, the ABS Academy opens its doors so the public may witness the artistic transformations that make Master Classes so tremendously exciting. Lectures by Jeffrey Thomas, keyboardist Corey Jamason, violone player Steven Lehning, oboist Debra Nagy, and violinist Robert Mealy will cover a fascinating range of topics related to composers Bach, Purcell, and Rameau. On July 21, Robert Commanday, celebrated music critic, conductor, and founding editor of San Francisco Classical Voice, will give a lecture titled “A Millennium in 50 Years… The Discovery of Early Music,” about the rich history of the early music movement in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We thank you—our audiences —and the countless musicians, collaborators, colloquia presenters, staff members, and volunteers for the support that makes San Francisco’s very own Summer Bach Festival an exciting reality. The sponsorship of our contributors and supporting foundations and agencies brings this great music and these great performances to you. Please become a part of our future, a part of the fabric of the Festival, by showing your support for ABS and the brilliant young musicians of the Academy. It will make a difference! Enjoy the Festival! 5
Join us — Audition for our 77th season of great music!
Young Mozart: Rarely heard masterpieces from Salzburg OctOber 27/28, 2012
PSaLLItE! A Candlelight Christmas Works by Gallus, Praetorius and others —with traditional carols in the round December 1/2, 2012
J.S. Bach: The Complete Motets Stunning masterworks for single and double choir march 16/17, 2013
www.sfbach.org 855- 4sf-bach (855-473-2224)
Songs of San Francisco Gold Rush to Golden Gate—songs from the 1840’s to 1930’s—with special guests from Bay Area children’s choirs may 18/19, 2013
415-262-0272 · www.calbach.org
CALIFORNIA BACH SOCIETY Mass in B Minor
Johann Sebastian Bach Oct 12–14, 2012
ChristMas in antwerp & aMsterdaM
Sweelinck and traditional carols NOv 30–Dec 2, 2012
die FaMilie BaCh
JS Bach and Family FeB 22–24, 2013
syMphoniae saCrae
Heinrich Schütz Apr 26–28, 2013 Fridays at 8 pm — San Francisco · Saturdays at 8 pm — Palo Alto · Sundays at 4 pm — Berkeley 6
Schedule of Events Masterworks Series Annual performances of Bach’s Mass in B Minor, large-scale instrumental and vocal works, and concert performances of Baroque oratorio and opera. Jeffrey Thomas conducts the American Bach Soloists Academy Orchestra and soloists, joined by the American Bach Choir and Festival Chorus.
Chamber Series Virtuoso performances by the American Bach Soloists of both favorite and lesserknown masterpieces by Bach and his contemporaries.
Distinguished Artist Series Virtuoso performances by the American Bach Soloists of both favorite and lesserknown masterpieces by Bach and his contemporaries.
Academy-in-Action Series These performances feature ABS Academy participants—the next generation of early music virtuosi—as they perform Bach cantatas conducted by Academy co-director Corey Jamason and chamber music by masters of the Baroque.
Public Colloquia Engaging forums for performers, presenters, and audience members alike explore a variety of topics including arts collaborations, education, community outreach, and trends in arts programming. (Free)
Lecture Series Join the students of the American Bach Soloists Academy for a series of enlightening and informative public lectures presented by the Academy faculty and guest speakers. (Free)
Master Class Series The ABS Academy opens its doors to the public to witness the artistic transformations that make Master Classes so tremendously exciting. You’ll take with you knowledge and insights usually known only to performers and their master teachers. (Free)
THURSDAY JULY 12 5:00 p.m. Opening Night Gala Dinner 8:00 p.m. Chamber Series: Music by J. S. Bach • Sonata in A Major for Violin & Harpsichord • Ich habe genug, cantata 82 • Sonata in D Major for Viola da gamba & Harpsichord • Brandenburg Concerto VI in B-flat Major FRIDAY JULY 13 8:00 p.m. Chamber Series: Parisian Baroque • Couperin: Sonata “La Sultane” & La Paix du Parnasse • Leclair: Flute Sonata No. 2 in E Minor • Clérambault: Chaconne in D Major • Rameau: IIIe Pièce de Clavecin en Concert SATURDAY JULY 14 2:30 p.m. Public Colloquium: “Invitation to the Dance” 8:00 p.m. Masterworks Series: The Leipzig Masters • Kuhnau: Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben • Graupner: Magnificat in C Major • Telemann: La Bourse (The Stock Exchange) • Bach: Orchestral Suite III in D Major SUNDAY JULY 15 2:00 p.m. Masterworks Series: Mass in B Minor MONDAY JULY 16 3:00 p.m. Master Class: Harpsichord 5:00 p.m. Lecture: Jeffrey Thomas - The Evolution of Bach’s Cantatas 8:00 p.m. Academy-in-Action • Bach Cantatas and works by Baroque masters TUESDAY JULY 17 3:00 p.m. Master Class: Violin & Viola 5:00 p.m. Lecture: Corey Jamason - A Day in the Life of a Parisian Musician 8:00 p.m. Academy-in-Action • Bach Cantatas and works by Baroque masters WEDNESDAY JULY 18 3:00 p.m. Master Class: Voice 5:00 p.m. Lecture: Steven Lehning - Purcell’s Orchestra 8:00 p.m. Academy-in-Action • Bach Cantatas and works by Baroque masters THURSDAY JULY 19 3:00 p.m. Master Class: ‘Cello/Viola da gamba/Violone 5:00 p.m. Lecture: Debra Nagy - Rameau the Revolutionary FRIDAY JULY 20 3:00 p.m. Master Class: Winds & Brass 5:00 p.m. Lecture: Robert Mealy - Rameau & the Metamorphosis of the Baroque 8:00 p.m. Masterworks Series: Pigmalion & Dido and Aeneas SATURDAY JULY 21 4:30 p.m. Lecture: Robert Commanday A Millennium in 50 Years...The Discovery of Early Music 8:00 p.m. Distinguished Artist Series: Ian Howell - Voice & Viols • Songs and Consort Music by William Byrd and Henry Purcell • J. C. Bach: Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte • Hoffmann: Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde • J. S. Bach: Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, cantata 169 SUNDAY JULY 22 2:00 p.m. Masterworks Series: Mass in B Minor 7
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A Member Of Real Living
Our 2012/13 Season October 2012
Annual Gala - An Olympian Feast
Saturday October 6 2012 5:00 pm - St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE December 2012
Gloria! - A Baroque Christmas with ABS
with the San Francisco Girls Chorus & American Bach Choir Vivaldi: Gloria ~ Handel: Laudate pueri Dominum Corelli: “Christmas Concerto” ~ Charpentier: In Nativitatem Saturday December 15 2012 8:00 pm - St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE Sunday December 16 2012 4:00 pm - Mondavi Center, DAVIS
Handel’s Messiah
Mary Wilson • Ian Howell • Wesley Rogers • Jesse Blumberg Thursday December 20 2012 7:30 pm - Grace Cathedral, SAN FRANCISCO Friday December 21 2012 7:30 pm - Grace Cathedral, SAN FRANCISCO Saturday December 22 2012 7:30 pm - Grace Cathedral, SAN FRANCISCO January 2013
Bach’s St. John Passion
Clara Rottsolk • Derek Chester • Aaron Sheehan • Joshua Copeland • William Sharp Friday January 25 2013 7:30 pm - St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE Saturday January 26 2013 7:30 pm - First Congregational Church, BERKELEY Sunday January 27 2013 4:00 pm - St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, SAN FRANCISCO Monday January 28 2013 7:00 pm - Davis Community Church, DAVIS March 2013
Bach, Handel, & Vivaldi
Handel: Dixit Dominus ~ Vivaldi: Beatus vir Bach: Concerto for Oboe d’amore ~ Vivaldi: Concerto for Viola d’amore Debra Nagy • Elizabeth Blumenstock • Kathryn Mueller Danielle Reutter-Harrah • Robert Stafford Friday March 1 2013 8:00 pm - St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE Saturday March 2 2013 8:00 pm - First Congregational Church, BERKELEY Sunday March 3 2013 4:00 pm - St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, SAN FRANCISCO Monday March 4 2013 7:00 pm - Davis Community Church, DAVIS May 2013
Handel’s Apollo & Dafne
Bach: Arias for Bass ~ Handel: Silete venti Mary Wilson • Mischa Bouvier Friday May 3 2013 8:00 pm - St. Stephen’s Church, BELVEDERE Saturday May 4 2013 8:00 pm - First Congregational Church, BERKELEY Sunday May 5 2013 4:00 pm - St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, SAN FRANCISCO Monday May 6 2013 7:00 pm - Davis Community Church, DAVIS
SUBSCRIPTIONS & SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW
americanbach.org • (415) 621-7900 9
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Academy Founders & Sponsors 2012 ACADEMY SPONSORS Jose & Carol Alonso Richard & Sharon Boyer Peter Brodigan Lisa Capaldini Don Scott Carpenter John & Lois Crowe David Davies & Ama Torrance Hugh Davies & Kaneez Munjee Richard G. Fabian Tom Flesher & Adam Verret Judith Flynn Richard Forde Jan Goldberg Connie Harden Angela Hilt & Blake Reinhardt Marie Hogan & Doug Lutgen Milton & Carol Hollenberg James & Joan Kelly John Lee Steven Lehning Blair Martin James Meehan Fraser & Helen Muirhead Paul & Sandra Ogden John & Dale Reed Peter & Asiye Sonnen Jim & Jennifer Steelquist Jeffrey Thomas Kwei & Michele Ü ACADEMY FOUNDERS Jose & Carol Alonso Richard & Sharon Boyer Lisa Capaldini David Cates J.P. Crametz & Tamar Ravid John & Lois Crowe Silvia Davidson Hugh Davies & Kaneez Munjee Tom Driscoll & Nancy Quinn Richard G. Fabian Tom Flesher & Adam Verret Judith Flynn Richard Forde Jan Goldberg Benjamin & Lynette Hart James & Joan Kelly James Meehan Fraser & Helen Muirhead Paul & Sandra Ogden Virginia Patterson Peter & Asiye Sonnen Fred Stark & Roman Shi Jim & Jennifer Steelquist Jeffrey Thomas Kwei & Michele Ü
The American Bach Soloists ACADEMY FOUNDERS and SPONSORS represent the San Francisco Bay Area arts community’s most culturally responsible patrons who are excited to provide uniquely challenging and artistically productive educational experiences to the world’s next generation of professional musicians specializing in the timeless repertoire of the Baroque era and, in particular, the music of Bach and his contemporaries. We are exceedingly grateful for their support and commitment to the Academy.
SUPPORT THE ACADEMY Whether your passion is for the Arts, Education, or Early Music in particular, your investment in the careers of the most promising young artists from conservatories and professional studios around the globe will help ensure the future of great music from the Baroque that has inspired generations from all walks of life. You can help us welcome next year’s roster of Academy students by becoming an Academy Sponsor through your commitment of $1,000 in support. You can help us further—and bring muchneeded scholarship funds to the program—by engaging your colleagues, associates, and friends to join you as Academy Sponsors. American Bach Soloists Academy Sponsors will be acknowledged in Academy program booklets and enjoy the same perks and benefits as our annual donors. As a member of this essential and prestigious society, you will be invited to a special opening reception on the first day of the Academy to meet our students and faculty, and you will have first access to Priority Ticketing for all events. Please call Don Scott Carpenter, ABS Executive Director, for information about how to become an Academy Sponsor: (415) 621-7900 extension 203.
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About American Bach Soloists
“The orchestra is first-class, playing with spirit, superb ensemble … and virtuoso flair in the solos.” “The professional American Bach Choir sets the standard in choral singing.” — San Francisco Classical Voice “Superbly musical … wonderfully suave … fresh, different” — Gramophone “ABS is a rare, perhaps unique, organization that does something highly specialized and quite esoteric that still involves (and delights) a general audience … the houses were full and the concerts were rich, rewarding, and well-received.” — Marin Independent Journal “Thomas’ Bach orchestra is superb!” — Goldberg Magazine The AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS (“ABS”) were founded in 1989 with the mission of introducing contemporary audiences to the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach through historically informed performances. Under the leadership of co-founder and Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, the ensemble has achieved its vision of assembling the world’s finest vocalists and periodinstrument performers to bring this brilliant music to life.
PERFORMANCES
For more than two decades, Jeffrey Thomas has brought thoughtful, meaningful, and informed perspectives to his performances as Artistic and Music Director of the American Bach Soloists. Recognized worldwide as one of the foremost interpreters of the music of Bach and the Baroque, he continues to inspire audiences and performers alike through his keen insights into the passions behind musical expression. Fanfare Magazine proclaimed that “Thomas’ direction seems just right, capturing the humanity of the music…there is no higher praise for Bach performance.”
The American Bach Soloists present an annual Subscription Series with performances in Belvedere, Berkeley, Davis, and San Francisco. Their annual holiday performances of Handel’s Messiah—presented each December before capacity audiences since 1992—have become a Bay Area tradition. Each season culminates with the American Bach Soloists Festival, held every summer in July in the spectacular facilities of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Components of the annual summer Bach Festival include the Masterworks Series, Chamber Music Series, Distinguished Artist Series, Academy-in-Action Series, free Lecture and Master Class Series, and public Colloquia on a variety of topics. In addition to their regular subscription season, the American Bach Soloists have been presented at some of the world’s leading early music and chamber music festivals, and have appeared worldwide from Santa Fe to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Critical acclaim has been extensive: The Wall Street Journal named ABS “the best American specialists in early music…a flawless ensemble…a level of musical finesse one rarely encounters.” San Francisco Classical Voice declared “there is nothing routine or settled about their work. Jeffrey Thomas is still pushing the musical Baroque envelope.” And the San Francisco Chronicle recently extolled the ensemble’s “divinely inspired singing.”
ABS has been a leader throughout the Bay Area in its commitment to artistic collaborations. Some examples include a collaboration with two San Francisco dance organizations, Xeno and Ultra Gypsy, at The Crucible in Oakland in 2004 and collaborations with the wellknown Mark Morris Dance Group in 2004 and 1999. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary Season, ABS presented a spectacular laser show featuring Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks in Grace Cathedral.
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About American Bach Soloists HISTORY
RECORDINGS
The first public concerts were given in February 1990 at St. Stephen’s Church in Belvedere, where the ensemble serves as Artists-in-Residence. The debut of ABS’s first annual summer festival in Tiburon/Belvedere took place in 1993. By the fifth season, regular performances had been inaugurated in San Francisco and Berkeley, and as a result of highly successful collaborations with the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, ABS’s full concert seasons expanded to the Davis/Sacramento region in 2005. As the audience increased, so the artistic direction of the ensemble expanded to include Bach’s purely instrumental and larger choral masterpieces, as well as music of his contemporaries and that of the early Classical era.
The American Bach Soloists have a discography of nineteen titles on the Koch International Classics, Delos International, and American Bach Soloists labels, including six volumes of Bach cantatas, many performed one on a part. The ensemble’s critically acclaimed disc of Bach’s Mass in B Minor has been called a benchmark recording and a “joyous new performance” (The Washington Post).
In 1998, in conjunction with the Fifth Biennial Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, ABS established the American Bach Soloists & Henry I. Goldberg International Young Artists Competition as a way to foster emerging musicians who wish to pursue a career in early music.
In 2007, ABS’s entire catalogue—Bach’s Mass in B Minor, cantatas, and transcriptions of Italian music, Haydn Masses, choral and vocal works by Schütz, and other works—was rereleased on iTunes, Magnatune.com, Amazon, CDBaby, and ABS’s own excellent and resourceful website, which features free streaming audio of most titles. The same year brought two new and much-anticipated releases: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. The most recent release, 1685 & The Art of Ian Howell, features the remarkable countertenor (and winner of the ABS Young Artist Competition) in works by Bach, Handel, and Domenico Scarlatti.
The Chorus of the American Bach Soloists has shone in repertoire from the Baroque and early Classical eras. With the inception of a Choral Series in 2004, these fine singers have been featured on programs exploring over five centuries of choral music. To acknowledge this splendid work, the American Bach Soloists announced in 2006 a new name for their choral ensemble: American Bach Choir. Critics have acclaimed their “sounds of remarkable transparency and body.” In July 2010, the American Bach Soloists inaugurated North America’s newest annual professional training program in Historically Informed Performance Practice. Drawing on their distinguished roster of performers, the AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS ACADEMY offers unique opportunities to advanced conservatorylevel students and emerging professionals to study and perform Baroque music in a multi-disciplinary learning environment. The Academy is held in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s exquisite new facilities in the heart of the city’s arts district.
One of their most popular offerings is an historically significant version of Handel’s Messiah, recorded live during performances in 2004 at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis, and released in November 2005 on the Delos International label.
The American Bach Soloists have been recipients of major grants from Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, The Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation, The Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, The Bernard Osher Foundation, The Wallis Foundation, The AT&T Foundation Matching Gifts Program, The AXA Foundation Matching Gifts Program, Clorox Foundation, County of Marin, and The San Francisco Foundation. An administrative staff and Board of Directors support ABS’s activities as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
Board of Directors, Founders, Staff, & Advisory Council BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FOUNDERS
STAFF
Hugh Davies, President Marie Hogan, Vice President Jose Alonso, Treasurer Angela Hilt, Secretary Richard J. Boyer David Cates Cindy Cooper John H. Crowe * Judith Flynn Jan Goldberg Greg Madsen Blake Reinhardt
Jeffrey Thomas Jonathan Dimmock Richard H. Graff The Rev. & Mrs. Alvin S. Haag Mr. & Mrs. Robert V. Kane Dr. & Mrs. Paul C. Ogden
Jeffrey Thomas Artistic & Music Director
* on Sabbatical
Don Scott Carpenter Executive Director Steven Lehning Music Administrator Jeff McMillan Executive Administrator
Heli Roiha Bookkeeper Philip Daley Stage Manager E. J. Chavez Production Crew Katherine Roberts Perl Harpsichord Tuning
Elfrieda Langemann William Langley Katherine McKee Leonore Levit Development Associate Wendy Brewster Moseley Lisa May Sam Price Box Office & House Manager Office Volunteers Leontyne Mbele-Mbong Box Office
ADVISORY COUNCIL The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus Irving Broido Karen Broido Corty Fengler Tom Flesher John Karl Hirten Corey Jamason Harvey Molloy Sandra M. Ogden Don Roth Peter Sonnen Kwei Ü Charles E. Wilts Elizabeth F. Wilts
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JOIN US FOR OUR 2012–2013 SUBSCRIPTION SEASON
Alasdair Neale, Music Director
1 Quartet San Francisco
Viva Italia! October 28 & 30, 2012 Rossini, Mendelssohn, Respighi
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60th inspired season
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Nigel Armstrong
Axel Strauss
Marin Symphony
Violin
Violin
Chorus
Romantic Grandeur January 20 & 22, 2013 Bruch, Elgar
Of Heroes and Angels March 10 & 12, 2013 Kernis, Mozart, Beethoven
Joyce Yang Piano
Remembrance and Consolation Vive la France! April 14 & 16, 2013 May 5 & 7, 2013 Clyne, Brahms Requiem Debussy/Matthews, Ravel
Renew or subscribe: 415.479.8100 • marinsymphony.org 14
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American Bach Soloists & Their Instruments FLUTE
TRUMPET
Sandra Miller
John Thiessen
Roderick Cameron, Mendocino, CA, 1986; after Thomas Cahusac, London, 1740. Martin Wenner, Singen, Germany 2011; after Carlo Palanca, Turin, 1760.
OBOE Debra Nagy
Randall Cook, Basel, 2004; after Jonathan Bradbury, London, circa 1720.
Stephen Bard
Joel Robinson, New York, New York, 2003; after Saxon Models.
RECORDER Debra Nagy
von Huene Workshop, Boston, Massachusetts, 2002; after Thomas Stanesby, Jr., London, circa 1725.
Stephen Bard
Adrian Brown, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2000; after Jacob Denner, Nuremberg, circa 1720.
BASSOON Kate van Orden
Peter de Koningh, The Netherlands, 1986; copy of Thierriot Prudent, Paris, circa 1770.
HORN Paul Avril
Richard Seraphinoff, Indiana, 1997; copy of J. W. Haas, Nürnberg, early 18th century.
David Wilson
Rainer Egger, Basel, 2004; after Leonhard Ehe III, Nuremburg, 1748.
Kathryn James Adduci
Rainer Egger, Basel, 2005; after Leonhard Ehe III, Nuremburg, 1748.
William Harvey
Keavy Vanryne, London, 2003; after Johann Wilhelm Haas, Nuremberg, circa 1710-1720.
TIMPANI
Timothy Johnson, Hewitt, Texas, 2007; after Stradivari, Cremona, 18th century.
VIOLA Elizabeth Blumenstock
Werner Voigt, Berlin, 1975; after 17th-century models.
Tekla Cunningham
Gary Vessel, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1996; after Nicolaus Gagliano Filius, Naples, 1756.
Katherine Kyme
Kent Reed
Anonymous, England, circa 1840.
VIOLIN
Anonymous, Germany, 18th century.
Jason Pyszkowski
Elizabeth Blumenstock
Andrea Guarneri, Cremona, 1660.
The 1660 Andrea Guarneri violin played by Elizabeth Blumenstock is made available to her though the generosity of the Philharmonia Baroque Period Instrument Trust.
Tyler Lewis
Timothy Johnson, Hewitt, Texas, 2009; after Stradivari, Cremona, 18th century.
Robert Mealy
Jason Viseltear, New York, New York, 2009; after Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù, Cremona, circa 1735.
Janet Worsley Strauss
Matthias Joannes Koldiz, Munich, 1733.
Noah Strick
Celia Bridges, Cologne, 1988; after Nicolo Amati, Cremona, circa 1650.
Jay Haide, El Cerrito, California, 2008; after Giovanni Paolo Maggini, Brescia, circa 1580.
VIOLONE / CONTRABASS Steven Lehning
8’ Violone: John Pringle, North Carolina, 1992; after Ernst Busch, Nürnberg, circa 1640. 16’ Violone: Hammond Ashley Luthiers, Washington, 1977; after 17th-century European models. Contrabass: Anonymous, Austria, circa 1830.
ORGAN Corey Jamason
John Brombaugh & Associates, Oregon, 1980.
HARPSICHORD Corey Jamason
Kevin Fryer, San Francisco, California, 2011; after “Colmar” Ruckers, Antwerp, 1624.
VIOLA DA GAMBA Elisabeth Reed
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Steven Lehning
The Academy thanks the following institutions and individuals for generously loaning keyboard instruments:
Mark Norfleet, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1983; after William Addison, London, 1670. Marcelo Ardizzone, Paris, 1992; after Edward Lewis, England, circa 1700.
VIOLONCELLO Elisabeth Reed
Anonymous, Italy, 1685.
Tanya Tomkins
Lockey Hill, London, 1780.
First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto San Francisco Conservatory University of California at Davis Katherine Roberts Perl John Phillips Lynn Robbie Jonathan Salzedo
American Bach Choir THE LEIPZIG MASTERS
MASS IN B MINOR / PIGMALION / DIDO AND AENEAS
SOPRANO Tonia D’Amelio Julia Earl Rita Lilly Allison Zelles Lloyd
SOPRANO Jennifer Brody Janet Campbell Tonia D’Amelio Julia Earl Susan Judy Rita Lilly Diana Pray Cheryl Sumsion Helene Zindarsian
ALTO Jesse Antin James Apgar TENOR Edward Betts Colby Roberts BASS Hugh Davies Thomas Hart
TENOR Edward Betts Mark Mueller Colby Roberts John Rouse Sigmund Siegel
ALTO James Apgar Dan Cromeenes Katherine E. McKee Danielle Reutter-Harrah Amelia Triest Celeste Winant BASS John Kendall Bailey Thomas Hart Bryan Jolly Chad Runyon Jere Torkelsen
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Jeffrey Thomas & Corey Jamason, co-directors
Instrumentalists VIOLIN Lindsey Bordner - Ann Arbor, Michigan Emily Botel-Barnard - San Francisco, California Natalie Carducci - San Francisco, California Edmond Chan - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rebecca Cole - Fairview, Tennessee NoĂŠmy Gagnon-Lafrenais - San Francisco, California Amber McPherson - Leipzig, Germany Maureen Murchie - Urbana, Illinois Jude Ziliak - New York, New York VIOLA Addi Liu - South San Francisco, California Clio Tilton - San Francisco, California VIOLA DA GAMBA Richard Jones - Salt Lake City, Utah Adaiha MacAdam-Somer - San Francisco, California Hallie Pridham - San Francisco, California VIOLONCELLO Gretchen Claassen - San Francisco, California Wade Davis - Baltimore, Maryland Marina Hasselberg - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Joanna Neuschatz - San Rafael, California James Williamson - Somerville, Massachusetts CONTRABASS Wen Yang - New York, New York FLUTE Jo Brand - New York, New York Leighann Daihl - Bloomington, Indiana Christopher Matthews - New York, New York Vicki Melin - San Francisco, California OBOE Johannes Knoll - Basel, Switzerland Kristin Olson - New York, New York Maria Raffaele - Arlington, Virginia Adam Shapiro - Seattle, Washington TRUMPET Justin Bland - Las Vegas, Nevada James Leach - Holland, Michigan Andreas Stoltzfus - Denton, Texas HORN Ben Anderson - Evanston, Illinois BASSOON Georgeanne Banker - San Francisco, California Tom Hill - San Francisco, California Kelsey Schilling - Bloomington, Indiana 16
HARPSICHORD Joyce Chen - Sound Beach, New York Susie Fong - San Francisco, California Emma Gavenda - Cambridge, Massachusetts Ho Man Lam - San Francisco, California Arthur Omura - Los Angeles, California Derek Tam - South San Francisco, California LUTE Adam Cockerham - San Francisco, California
Vocalists SOPRANO Julianna Emanski - Denton, Texas Nola Richardson - Baltimore, Maryland MEZZO-SOPRANO Johanna Bronk - San Francisco, California Margaret Fox - Sycamore, Illinois Nani Fueting - New York, New York COUNTERTENOR Brennan Hall - Bloomington, Indiana TENOR Gene Stenger - Fort Collins, Colorado Brian Thorsett - El Granada, California BARITONE Ryan Bradford - Walnut Creek, California Aaron Harp - Denton, Texas
Conducting Fellow Brett Karlin - Tampa, Florida
Faculty Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin & viola Corey Jamason, harpsichord Steven Lehning, violone & contrabass Judith Malafronte, voice Robert Mealy, violin & viola Sandra Miller, flute Debra Nagy, oboe & recorder Elisabeth Reed, viola da gamba & violoncello William Sharp, voice John Thiessen, trumpet Jeffrey Thomas, conductor Tanya Tomkins, violoncello Max van Egmond, voice (on leave 2012) Kate van Orden, bassoon
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies More biographies are available online at: americanbach.org/bios. KATHRYN JAMES ADDUCI (trumpet) has performed and taught throughout the world, including in Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America. She has appeared as a soloist with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with professional orchestras in Australia, Malaysia, Canada, and the United States. Dr. Adduci is also well-regarded for her work with historical instruments. She has performed with numerous period instrument groups in North America, including American Bach Soloists, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, Texas Camerata, and the Orchestra of New Spain. While a doctoral fellow at the University of North Texas studying under Keith Johnson, where she later received her DMA, she taught the baroque trumpet as well as the modern trumpet, and was the coordinator of early music brass ensembles and the director of the UNT Baroque Trumpet Ensemble. In 2005 Dr. Adduci joined the faculty at San José State University, where she serves as the Coordinator of Brass Studies for the School of Music and Dance. PAUL AVRIL (horn) has been performing on natural horn for twenty-five years. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a member of Amercian Bach Soloists and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. Mr. Avril also performs with Portland Baroque Orchestra and Mercury Orchestra of Houston. He performs on both the baroque and classical horns, as well as early valve horn, and is a founding member of the San Francisco Classical Woodwind Quintet. He studied horn at Boston University and later at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. while playing in the Marine Band. STEPHEN BARD (oboe & recorder) has performed internationally with period instrument orchestras and chamber ensembles including American Bach Soloists, Tafelmusik, Philharmonia Baroque, Portland Baroque, Arion, Le Concert d’Astrée, Tempesta di Mare, Washington Bach Consort, Folger Consort, Chicago Opera Theater, Les Boréades, REBEL, Musica Angelica, and Aradia Ensemble. He has appeared at the Oregon Bach Festival, Vancouver Early Music Festival, Mostly Mozart Festival, Klang & Raum Musikfestival, Festival Internacional de las Artes de Castilla y León, and the Huntsville Festival of the Arts (Ontario). His discography includes recordings on the Chandos, Naxos, CBC, and ATMA Classique labels. Stephen also teaches at the University of Delaware. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College. ELIZABETH BLUMENSTOCK (violin & viola) is widely admired as a performer of interpretive eloquence and technical sparkle. A frequent soloist, concertmaster, and leader with American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and the Italian ensemble Il Complesso Barocco, she is also a member of several of California’s finest period instrument ensembles, including Musica Pacifica, Ensemble Mirable, the Arcadian Academy, and Trio Galanterie. She has appeared with period orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout the United States and abroad, and has performed for the Boston and Berkeley Early Music Festivals, Germany’s Goettingen Handelfestspiel, Los Angeles Opera, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Oulunsalo Soi festival in Finland, and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, among many others. Ms. Blumenstock has recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Grammophon, Virgin Classics, Dorian, BMG, Reference Recordings, Koch International, and Sono Luminus. She is instructor of baroque violin at the University of Southern California, teaches regularly at the International Baroque Institute
at Longy, has taught at the Austrian Baroque Academy, and has coached university Baroque ensembles at USC, Roosevelt University, the University of Virginia, and California Institute of the Arts. TEKLA CUNNINGHAM (viola) enjoys a varied and active musical life. She performs regulary with the American Bach Soloists and, at home in Seattle, she is concertmaster of Stephen Stubbs’ Pacific MusicWorks, and principal second violin with Seattle Baroque Orchestra & Soloists. Ms. Cunningham directs the Whidbey Island Music Festival, a summer concert series presenting vibrant period-instrument performances of repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Beethoven. She has appeared as concertmaster or soloist with the American Bach Soloists, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and Musica Angelica (Los Angeles). While living in California, she also played with Apollo’s Fire, Los Angeles Opera, Musica Angelica, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and at the Berkeley, Carmel, and San Luis Obispo festivals. An avid chamber musician, Ms. Cunningham enjoys exploring the string quartet repertoire of the 18th and early 19th century with the period-instrument Novello Quartet, whose abiding interest is the music of Haydn. She is also a member of La Monica, an ensemble dedicated to music of the 17th century, whose concerts have been reviewed as “sizzling”, and praised for their “irrepressible energy and pitch-perfect timing”. With Jillon Dupree and Vicki Boeckman, she plays in Ensemble Electra, known for its inventive programs and energetic performances. Ms. Cunningham can be heard on recordings with the American Bach Soloists, Apollo’s Fire, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Bach Choir, various movie soundtracks including Disney’s Casanova, as well as on La Monica’s recent release The Amorous Lyre, a recording of repertoire of Merula and his contemporaries. She received her musical training at Johns Hopkins University and Peabody Conservatory (where she studied History and German Literature in addition to violin with Violaine Melançon), Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria (where she studied with Josef Sivo and Ortwin Ottmaier) and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she completed a Master’s degree with Ian Swenson. A graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle, Tekla studied with Irv Eisenberg and had formative chamber music experiences at the Olympic Music Festival’s Chamber Music Institute. She teaches Suzuki violin in both German and English and is on the faculty of the Cornish College for the Arts. WILLIAM HARVEY (trumpet) is Principal Trumpet of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and Opera San José. He also holds positions with the California Symphony, Festival Opera, Lamplighters Musical Theatre, and the San Francisco Opera Center. In February 2012, he performed the Mieczyslaw Weinberg Trumpet Concerto with the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Formerly a member of the Epic Brass Quintet of Boston and the Cape Town Symphony in South Africa, Mr. Harvey performed numerous works of J. S. Bach and Handel on modern instruments with Emmanuel Music in Boston and at St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town. Upon returning to the Bay Area, he took up the baroque trumpet and has performed with numerous period-instrument ensembles including American Bach Soloists and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. A native of Berkeley, he learned trumpet in local public schools, studied music at San Francisco State University and holds a Bachelor of Music from Boston University. Mr. Harvey serves on the faculties of Santa Clara University and Patten University, and mentors young musicians in the Oakland Public Schools. 17
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies IAN HOWELL (countertenor) has been praised by The New York Times for his “clear voice and attractive timbre,” by San Francisco Classical Voice for the “heart at the core of his soulful sound,” and by Classical Voice of North Carolina for his “lovely, supple, and crystal clear” voice. A Grammy award winner, he sings with a warm and seamless tone rarely heard from countertenors. In 2006, Mr. Howell won First Prize at The American Bach Soloists International Solo Competition with an acclaimed performance of Bach’s cantata “Vergnügte Ruh,” BWV 170, and Third Prize at the Oratorio Society of New York’s Vocal Competition. Ian Howell’s debut solo CD, 1685 and the Art of Ian Howell with American Bach Soloists was released in March 2009 and features repertory by D. Scarlatti, J. S. Bach, and Handel. He can also be heard with Chanticleer on one DVD and eight CDs. Equally at home on opera and concert stages, Mr. Howell’s 2011-2012 season included performances of Messiah with both American Bach Soloists and the Choir of St Thomas Fifth Ave (NYC), and Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Tolomeo) with Florentine Opera. Previous seasons included debut performances with Florentine Opera of Blow’s Venus & Adonis (Cupid) and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Spirit), Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with Seattle Baroque, and Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium with the New Mexico Symphony. He returned for engagements with Chatham Baroque in Bach’s St. John Passion, New York’s St. Ignatius Loyola’s presentation of Handel’s Jephtha (Hamor), and the UC Davis University Chorus singing in Bernstein’s Missa Brevis and Chichester Psalms, and in a new work by Pablo Ortiz under the baton of Jeffrey Thomas. Mr. Howell holds a Master of Music Degree in Voice conferred jointly by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale School of Music. COREY JAMASON (harpsichord, organ, & Academy co-director) is a Grammynominated harpsichordist, active throughout the United States and Europe as a soloist and chamber music collaborator. About a recent performance the Los Angeles Times wrote, “Jamason’s clear-headed performance of the Italian Concerto rang in our ears, (he) navigated easily through the work’s contrapuntal maze and gave it the careful, due balance of objective detachment and lofty passion.” Jamason has appeared numerous times on NPR’s Performance Today and has performed the Goldberg Variations and the Well-Tempered Clavier throughout the United States. He is principal keyboardist with American Bach Soloists and has appeared with the San Francisco Symphony, LA Opera, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, El Mundo, Musica Pacifica, Camerata Pacifica, and Yale Spectrum. Festival appearances include performances at the Berkeley and Bloomington Early Music Festivals, Bach Aria Festival, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Whidbey Island Chamber Music Festival, Music in the Vineyards, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Mr. Jamason studied at SUNY College at Purchase, Yale University, where he was a student of Richard Rephann, and at Indiana University’s Early Music Institute, where he received a Doctor of Music degree. He is a contributing author to The Cambridge History of Musical Performance, published by Cambridge University Press in April 2012. He performs on the 2012 Grammynominated CD The Kingdoms of Castille with the ensemble El Mundo. Other recent recordings include performances with American Bach Soloists and with the violinist Gilles Apap. In the spring of 2007 he was appointed Artistic Director and conductor of the San Francisco Bach Choir. Since 2001 he has been a member of the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he is professor of harpsichord and director of the Historical Performance Program. 18
KATHERINE KYME (viola) received her musical training at the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied with Felix Khuner of the Kolisch Quartet, and at Yale University, where she studied with Broadus Erle of the Yale Quartet. For three years, she was a member of the Seattle Symphony, but after a year’s leave to study baroque violin in Vienna, she began to devote her energies to specializing in music before 1850. She is a founding member of the American Bach Soloists, the Arcadian Academy, the Streicher Trio, and the Artaria Quartet, and has been a member of and frequent soloist and concertmaster with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra since its debut season. In 2006, she founded the New Esterhazy Quartet with colleagues Lisa Weiss, Anthony Martin, and William Skeen, and they are currently in the midst of performing and recording all of the string quartets of Franz Joseph Haydn. In addition to her active performing schedule as a baroque and classical violinist and violist, she is an enthusiastic advocate and performer of music of the 20th Century. In that capacity, she has performed with Earplay, the Stanford New Music Ensemble, the Berkeley Contemporary Players, the Yale New Music Ensemble, the Steve Reich Ensemble, and the Cornish New Music Ensemble in Seattle. As a teacher, she is also energetically engaged in the training and education of young musicians through her work at Yale University, the University of Puget Sound, Cornish Institute of Allied Arts, Sonoma State University, and currently in her capacity as conductor of the Junior and Intermediate level orchestras of the California Youth Symphony. STEVEN LEHNING (violone, viola da gamba, & contrabass) is a remarkable and versatile musician who is equally at home with violas da gamba, violone, violone grosso, and historical keyboards. The founder of Stylvs Phantasticvs, he has worked with many of the luminaries of the early music world including Jeffrey Thomas, John Butt, Andrew Parrott, and Ton Koopman. Mr. Lehning has performed throughout the U.S. and in Europe, appearing with the American Bach Soloists (since their inaugural season), Taverner Consort, Philharmonia Baroque, San Francisco Bach Choir, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Concert Royale, to name a few. He has performed at the acclaimed Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, as well as the Early Music Festivals in Boston and Berkeley. In addition to his performing career, he is sought after for his informative lectures on issues of performance practice, organology, as well as the cultural contexts in which works were conceived and performed. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. in musicology at the University of California (Davis). Mr. Lehning has been recorded on the American Bach Soloists, Delos, EMI, Harmonia Mundi, and Koch labels. TYLER LEWIS (violin) has appeared with the American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Berkeley Opera, and Golden Gate Opera. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Tyler Lewis has studied under the instruction of Bettina Mussumeli, Nathan Rubin, and Eric Hansen, and has appeared in master classes with Robert Mann, James Greening-Valenzuela, and Zaven Melikian. He is an evaluator for the Music Teachers Association of California’s merit program. JUDITH MALAFRONTE (alto) has appeared with numerous orchestras and oratorio societies including the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the San Francisco Symphony, the St. Louis and Baltimore Symphonies, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and the Handel and Haydn Society. She has sung at the Tanglewood Festival, the Boston Early Music Festival, and the
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies Utrecht Early Music Festival, and is a frequent guest artist with the American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and The Harp Consort. Her operatic performances have included the title role in Handel’s Serse at the Göttingen Festival, Scarlatti’s L’Aldimiro at the Berkeley Festival, Dido and Aeneas with Mark Morris Dance Group (singing both Dido and the Sorceress), and Nero in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea for the Aston Magna Festival. She has also sung leading roles at the opera houses of Lyon, Liège, and Montpellier. Ms. Malafronte has won several top awards in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and the United States, including the Grand Prize at the International Vocal Competition in ‘s‑Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. She holds degrees with honors from Vassar College and Stanford University, and pursued post-graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, with Mlle. Nadia Boulanger in Paris, and with Giulietta Simionato in Milan as a Fulbright scholar. She has recorded a wide range of repertoire, from the twelfth century chant of Hildegard von Bingen to the Deutsche Motette of Richard Strauss, including Handel operas, Bach cantatas, and the St. Matthew Passion with American Bach Soloists, medieval music, and Spanish 17th-century music. Ms. Malafronte’s writings on music have appeared in Opera News, Early Music America, Stagebill, Schwann Inside, and Opus. She teaches on the faculty at Yale University. ROBERT MEALY (violin) is one of America’s leading historical string players. He has been praised for his “imagination, taste, subtlety, and daring” by The Boston Globe; The New Yorker called him “New York’s world-class early music violinist.” He has recorded and toured a wide variety of repertoire with many distinguished ensembles both here and in Europe, including Sequentia, Tragicomedia, Les Arts Florissants, and Tafelmusik; as a soloist and chamber musician, he has appeared at major early music festivals from Berkeley to Belgrade and from Melbourne to Bergen. A frequent leader and soloist in New York, Mr. Mealy is concertmaster at Trinity Wall Street, as they embark on a complete series of Bach cantata performances. Since 2004, he has led the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra, making three Grammy-nominated recordings with them and many festival concerts, including a special appearance at Versailles. He has also led the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble in performances in New York, New Haven, and Moscow, and accompanied Renée Fleming on the David Letterman Show. A devoted chamber musician, he directs the 17th century music ensemble Quicksilver, and is a member of the King’s Noyse and the Medieval quartet Fortune’s Wheel. Since 2009, Mr. Mealy has been a professor at Yale University, where he directs the postgraduate Yale Baroque Ensemble. Prior to teaching at Yale, he founded and directed the Harvard Baroque Chamber Orchestra for a decade. He was recently appointed Director of Juilliard’s Historical Performance Program. In 2004, he received EMA’s Binkley Award for outstanding teaching and scholarship. He has recorded over eighty CDs on most major labels. SANDRA MILLER (flute) had an early fascination with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach that ultimately led her to the baroque flauto traverso, upon which she is widely regarded to be one of the finest performers of her generation. Trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Curtis Institute of Music in the conservatory curriculum traditional for woodwind players, she chose—instead of the path leading to membership in a symphony orchestra—to settle in New York City, where she leads an active musical life, appearing in a variety of chamber music performances, solo recitals and orchestral
concerts. Ms. Miller was winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Erwin Bodky Competition for Early Music, and of a Solo Recitalist’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is frequently invited to perform and record with many wellknown period instrument ensembles, including the American Bach Soloists, American Classical Orchestra, Clarion Music Society, Sinfonia New York, New York Collegium, Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society, and Tafelmusik. As a founding member and Associate Director of the ensemble Concert Royal, she has toured throughout the United States and in Canada, England, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. For many years Professor (now Emerita) of Music at the Purchase College Conservatory of Music (SUNY), Ms. Miller has also taught at the Mannes College of Music, in CUNY’s doctoral program, at the New England Conservatory of Music, and as Kulas Visiting Artist at Case Western Reserve University. She is currently on the faculty of the Historical Performance Program at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. Her solo recordings include the complete Bach flute sonatas and, on six- and eight-keyed classical flutes, the three Mozart concertos. KATHRYN MUELLER (soprano) has been described by the Albuquerque Journal as a young singer ”who thoroughly captures the imagination,” and has also been praised by San Francisco Classical Voice for her “lovely tone and easy agility” and by the Miami Herald for her “charm [and] dizzying flights of coloratura.” Her frequent solo concert engagements across the United States include appearances with American Bach Soloists, the Washington Bach Consort, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Phoenix Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Miami’s Firebird Orchestra, Atlanta’s New Trinity Baroque, and Chicago’s Ars Antigua. Ms. Mueller has also sung the operatic roles of Amy in Little Women, Monica in The Medium, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief with companies including Arizona Opera and Bach Collegium San Diego. She recorded two Grammy-nominated albums with Seraphic Fire, and is featured as a soloist on recordings by New Trinity Baroque, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Tucson Chamber Artists, and Seraphic Fire, including Seraphic Fire’s best-selling Monteverdi Vespers of 1610. In 2011 Ms. Mueller was one of four fellows in the prestigious Adams Vocal Master Class at the Carmel Bach Festival. She was also a finalist in the 2012 New York Oratorio Society Solo Competition. This fall her soprano duo Les Sirènes will compete in the finals performance of Early Music America’s Baroque Performance Competition, and will give featured concerts on the San Francisco Early Music Society, Phoenix Early Music Society, and Arizona Early Music Society series. Other upcoming performances include her debut with the Portland Baroque Orchestra, and repeat engagements with American Bach Soloists, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Seraphic Fire, and Albuquerque Baroque Players. DEBRA NAGY (oboe & recorder) has been praised for her “dazzling technique and soulful expressiveness,” (Rocky Mountain News), and deemed “an elegant soloist” (Cleveland Plain Dealer). She performs with baroque ensembles and orchestras on both coasts including American Bach Soloists, Portland & Seattle’s Baroque Orchestras, Tempesta di Mare, Rebel, Apollo’s Fire, Musica Pacifica, and many others. Ms. Nagy was the first-prize winner in the 2002 American Bach Soloists 19
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies Young Artist Competition and is the director of Les Délices, whose debut recording was named “One of the Top Ten Early Music Discoveries of 2009.” She performs 15th-century music on shawms and recorders as a member of Ciaramella. Ms. Nagy serves on the Early Music faculty at Case Western Reserve University, where she earned her doctorate, and completed undergraduate and master’s degrees at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. She has recorded for Capstone Records, Bright Angel, Naxos, Chandos, Koch, Yarlung, CPO, and ATMA. Ms. Nagy makes her home in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was recently awarded a 2010 Creative Workforce Fellowship (a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, generously funded by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture). JASON PYSZKOWSKI (viola) joined the American Bach Soloists in 2010, following his participation in the ABS Academy. He completed his undergraduate education at Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, receiving his degree in Viola Performance with additional training in choral singing, Baroque and Renaissance chamber music, and cognitive neuroscience. His graduate studies were with Jodi Levitz (viola), Elizabeth Reed (viola da gamba), and Corey Jamason (baroque orchestral studies). Mr. Pyszkowski now splits his career between performance and administration, holding the position of Youth Orchestra Manager with the San Francisco Symphony. When not practicing or performing, he enjoys spending time in the kitchen. Having been an assistant and prep chef to an artisanal butcher and sausage maker while in college, he is passionate about exploring all the many and varied choices of raw ingredients that the Bay Area has to offer and what they might become when combined. ELISABETH REED (viola da gamba & violoncello) is Co-director of the Baroque Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she also teaches baroque ‘cello and viola da gamba. A member of the American Bach Soloists, Voices of Music, and Wildcat Viols, she has also appeared with the Seattle, Portland, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestras, and at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival. A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Oberlin Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, and Indiana University’s Early Music Institute, she can be heard on the Virgin Classics, Focus, and Magnatune recording labels. Ms. Reed also teaches baroque ‘cello and viola da gamba at the University of California at Berkeley. Summer teaching has included the American Bach Soloists Academy and the Viola da Gamba Society National Conclave. She is a Guild-certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement, with a focus on working with musicians and performers. KENT REED (timpani) has performed with American Bach Soloists since 1997. As a timpanist and percussionist he has also performed, recorded, and toured with many other San Francisco Bay Area period instrument ensembles. His work in this arena has been nominated for the prestigious Grammy Award. He is also an active freelance percussionist whose performing credits include recording for movies, video games and commercials. Mr. Reed is a member of the San José Symphony/Symphony Silicon Valley, and has performed with all the major San Francisco Orchestras including San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, and Ballet orchestras. DANIELLE REUTTER-HARRAH (mezzo-soprano) is a versatile performer with a particular enthusiasm for historically informed performance practice. She has been lauded for her “lovely” singing (San Francisco Classical Voice) in her recent debut as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus in Mason Bates’ Mass Transmission. She appears frequently with the American Bach Soloists, most recently singing 20
with “beauty and passion” (San Francisco Classical Voice) in a rarely performed early version of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. While she frequently interprets Handel, Bach, and Purcell, her repertory also includes Brahms, Saint-Saëns, Stravinsky, Britten, and Corigliano. She has appeared with the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, the San Francisco Bach Choir, and the San Jose Opera, among others. Her stage roles include Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Giannetta (L’Elisir d’Amore), Ruggiero (Alcina), and Maggie (Gift of the Magi). Originally from Portland, Oregon, Danielle earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver, and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has been a professional member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus since 2011, and is a founding member of the Bay Area’s Liaison, an early music ensemble which features chamber music from the 17th and 18th centuries. WILLIAM SHARP (baritone) has performed with American Bach Soloists for more than two decades, and is featured on ABS recordings of Bach cantatas, St. Matthew Passion, Mass in B Minor, and Handel’s Messiah. He continues to garner critical acclaim for his work in concert, recital, opera, and recordings. This past season has been full of notable events. There were major roles in two operatic premieres: The Inspector by John Musto and Le Roi et le Fermier by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, both enthusiastically received (Opera News calling Mr. Sharp’s performance at Wolf Trap “downright brilliant”). The Monsigny work (from 1762 and never heard on this side of the Atlantic) was performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and the Opéra Royal in Versailles. David Froom’s Amichai Songs were premiered in their orchestral version at River Concerts. Charles Villiers Stanford’s orchestral song cycle The Songs of the Fleet was heard with the Chorus of Westerly and the Boston Festival Orchestra. A half dozen performances of Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder were given in five states. Mr. Sharp participated in three imaginative concerts in the Ives Festival presented by the Post Classical Ensemble at the Strathmore, and there were four performances of Copland’s Old American Songs with the Baltimore Symphony under Marin Alsop. Mr. Sharp’s legendary portrayal of Scrooge in Jon Deak’s The Passion of Scrooge was repeated with the 21st Century Consort at The Smithsonian American Art Museum. Also this season, Mr. Sharp made his second recordings of both Bach Passions, and has just completed recording Schumann’s Dichterliebe and Liederkreis, Op. 39. Mr. Sharp made his song recital debuts in New York at the 92nd Street Y in 1983 and at the Kennedy Center in 1984. In 1989 he was presented in recital at a sold-out Carnegie Hall, and he is the winner of the 1987 Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition. He was nominated for the 1989 Grammy award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for his recording of songs of American composers. Mr. Sharp is featured on the 1990 Grammy award-winning world premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Arias and Barcarolles for Koch and he collaborates with pianist Steven Blier on numerous recordings under the auspices of New York Festival of Song. AARON SHEEHAN (tenor) has established himself as a first rate singer in many styles. He performs regularly in the United States, South America, and Europe, and is equally comfortable in repertoire ranging from oratorio and chamber music to operatic roles. Known especially for his Baroque interpretations, his voice has been described by The Boston Globe as “superb: his tone classy, clear, and refined, encompassing fluid lyricism and ringing force” and
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies The Washington Post praised his “Polished, lovely tone.” His singing has taken him to many festivals and venues including Tanglewood, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the early music festivals of Boston, Berkeley, Vancouver, as well as the Regensburg Tage Alter Musik. The San Diego Classical Voice said, “Sheehan performed the role of Evangelist, and sang with assured vocal and linguistic fluency, tasked with telling the audience the story while imparting its drama. In this regard, he was superb.” He has appeared in concert with American Bach Soloists, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, North Carolina Symphony, New York Collegium, Boston Early Music Festival, Aston Magna Festival, Washington National Cathedral, Boston Museum Trio, Tragicomedia, and Concerto Palatino among others . On the opera stage, Mr. Sheehan made his professional debut in 2005 as Ivan in the Boston Early Music Festival’s world premiere staging of Mattheson’s Boris Gudenow. In this role, Opera News praised his voice as “sinuous and supple.” He has performed onstage with American Opera Theater and Intermezzo Chamber Opera in works by Cavalli, Handel, Weill, and Satie. He has appeared on many recordings, including the Grammy-nominated operas Thésée and Psyché of Lully, recorded with the Boston Early Music Festival. A native of Minnesota, Aaron holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College and a Master of Music in Early Voice Performance degree from Indiana University. He is currently on the voice faculties of Boston University, Wellesley College, and Towson University. JANET WORSLEY STRAUSS (violin) enjoys an active career as a baroque violinist. Her performances have been called “virtuoso” and “pristine and crystalline, while fully infused with 18th century accents of passion.” As a leading violinist in Los Angeles, she has appeared with the Los Angeles Opera and Los Angeles Master Chorale, and is a principal member of Los Angeles-based Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. She often appears with Seattle Baroque, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Trinity Consort (Portland, OR) where she has worked with Monica Huggett, Eric Milnes, Reinhard Goebel, Paul Goodwin, and Richard Egarr. Ms. Strauss has performed with American Bach Soloists, Musica Pacifica, San Francisco Bach Choir, Magnificat, Camerata Pacifica, and Galanterie. She has performed at the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, Tage Alte Musik Regensberg, Brighton Early Music Festival, Renaissance and Baroque Society of Pittsburgh, and Corona del Mar Bach Festival. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in performance from the University of Southern California, is co-founder of the Los Angeles-based chamber ensemble Angeles Consort, and teaches privately in the Los Angeles area. Ms. Strauss has recorded for Koch, Centaur, and Loft Recordings. NOAH STRICK (violin) has appeared in performances throughout the United States, Europe, China, and South America, and can be seen regularly in solo, chamber music, and orchestral performances throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Mr. Strick has had the privilege to be involved with performances at numerous summer festivals, including Spoleto Festival USA, Aldeburgh Music Festival, the MusicaRiva Festival in Riva del Garda Italy, Astoria (Oregon) Music Festival, and most recently as a featured soloist with the American Bach Soloists Academy. Equally active on both modern and baroque violin, Mr. Strick is currently Associate Concertmaster of the Berkeley Symphony, and appears with ensembles such as the American Bach Soloists, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Bach Choir, and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra. Mr. Strick holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His principal teachers include Kyung Sun Lee, Marilyn McDonald, and Bettina Mussumeli.
JOHN THIESSEN (trumpet) has performed with American Bach Soloists since 1994, and appears as soloist and principal trumpet with early music ensembles throughout the US and Canada, including Tafelmusik, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Boston Early Music Festival, and Juilliard Baroque. He has performed with the English Baroque Soloists, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Taverner Players, Academy of Ancient Music, and Handel & Haydn Society, and has appeared frequently at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, Wolf Trap, and the Mostly Mozart Festival. 2011-12 season highlights have included Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with the San Francisco Symphony, Christmas Oratorio and numerous cantatas with Trinity Baroque Orchestra, and recordings of Handel’s Messiah and Beethoven’s Eroica with Tafelmusik. Mr. Thiessen is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and King’s College, University of London, and the recipient of grants from the Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council. He serves on the faculty at the Juilliard School, and has presented master classes for the International Trumpet Guild, USC, UNT, and LSU. He has also taught at the Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, Université de Montréal, the International Baroque Institute of the Longy School of Music, and Carnegie Hall’s Academy program. Thiessen has recorded extensively for Sony Classical Vivarte, Telarc, EMI, BMG, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, London Decca, Analekta, CBC, American Bach Soloists, Tafelmusik Media, and Denon, including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Orchestral Suites, Magnificat, and Christmas Oratorio; Telemann’s Concerto In D Major; Handel’s Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks; Vivaldi’s Gloria and Concerto for Two Trumpets (with Crispian Steele-Perkins); Beethoven Symphonies; and Haydn’s Masses and Symphonies. JEFFREY THOMAS (conductor & Academy co-director) has brought thoughtful, meaningful, and informed perspectives to his performances as Artistic and Music Director of the American Bach Soloists for more than two decades. He has directed and conducted recordings of more than 25 cantatas, the Mass in B Minor, Brandenburg Concertos, St. Matthew Passion, harpsichord concertos, Handel’s Messiah, and works by Schütz, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Haydn, and Beethoven. Fanfare magazine has praised his series of Bach recordings, stating that “Thomas’ direction seems just right, capturing the humanity of the music…there is no higher praise for Bach performance.” Before devoting all of his time to conducting, he was one of the first recipients of the San Francisco Opera Company’s prestigious Adler Fellowships. Cited by The Wall Street Journal as “a superstar among oratorio tenors,” Mr. Thomas’ extensive discography of vocal music includes dozens of recordings of major works for Decca, EMI, Erato, Koch International Classics, Denon, Harmonia Mundi, Smithsonian, Newport Classics, and Arabesque. Mr. Thomas is also an avid exponent of contemporary music, and has conducted the premieres of new operas, including David Conte’s Gift of the Magi and Firebird Motel, and premiered song cycles of several composers, including two cycles written especially for him. He has performed lieder recitals at the Smithsonian, song recitals at various universities, and appeared with his own vocal chamber music ensemble, L’Aria Viva. He has collaborated on several occasions as conductor with the Mark Morris Dance Group. Educated at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and the Juilliard School of Music, with further studies in English literature at Cambridge University, he has taught at the Amherst Early Music Workshop, Oberlin College Conservatory Baroque Performance Institute, San Francisco Early Music Society, and Southern Utah Early Music Workshops, presented 21
American Bach Soloists - Artist Biographies master classes at the New England Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, SUNY at Buffalo, Swarthmore College, and Washington University, been on the faculty of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, and was artist-in-residence at the University of California, where he is now professor of music (Barbara K. Jackson Chair in Choral Conducting) and director of choral ensembles in the Department of Music at UC Davis. He was a UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow from 2001 to 2006; and the Rockefeller Foundation awarded him a prestigious Residency at the Bellagio Study and Conference Center at Villa Serbelloni for April 2007, to work on his manuscript, “Handel’s Messiah: A Life of Its Own.” Mr. Thomas serves on the board of Early Music America and hosts two public radio programs on Classical KDFC. TANYA TOMKINS (violoncello) returned to the United States in 1998 after living in Holland for 14 years, where she discovered that certain music sounds wonderful when performed on the instruments for which it was composed. This discovery has informed a diverse career as soloist and chamber musician. The first ‘cellist ever to win the international Bodky Competition for Early Music Soloists, she is equally at home on baroque and modern instruments and has performed on many chamber music series to critical acclaim, including at the Frick Collection, Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, San Francisco Performances, and the Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal. She has numerous recordings, including the Beethoven ‘Cello Sonatas with fortepianist Eric Zivian (Bridge) and a recording of the complete Bach Suites on Baroque ‘cello (Avie). Currently one of the principal ‘cellists with American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque, and Portland Baroque, she has performed as soloist with all three orchestras. She also performs with Voices of Music, the Oregon Bach Festival, Music in the Vineyards Festival, and the Moab Chamber Music Festival. She is a member of the Zivian-Tomkins Duo, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble and the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio with Monica Huggett and Eric Zivian. She also organizes a series of house concerts. Ms. Tomkins is fond of teaching and has given master classes at Juilliard, SFCM, and San José State University. This season she is concentrating on the Bach Suites, performing all six in one day at the Library of Congress in Washington DC and for the Da Camara Society in Los Angeles. She will be performing three Suites at the Caramoor Festival in New York, Le Poisson Rouge and has performed them for the San Francisco Early Music Society, the Great Artists Series for Voices of Music, Seattle Early Music, and San Diego Early Music Societies.
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KATE VAN ORDEN (bassoon) studied modern bassoon at Sweelinck Conservatorium in Amsterdam and baroque bassoon at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, beginning her performing and recording career on period instruments with European ensembles including Les Arts Florissants, La Petite Bande, and La Chapelle Royale. In America she has performed regularly with American Bach Soloists, Tafelmusik, Trinity Consort, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. She also studies the French Renaissance and is a professor in the Music Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Her first book, Music, Discipline, and Arms in Early Modern France (University of Chicago Press, 2005), received the Lewis Lockwood Book Prize from the American Musicological Society. As part of her research for that project, she reconstructed an equestrian ballet from 1612 and directed its performance (“Le Carrousel du Roi”) in the Berkeley Festival of Early Music, 2000 and 2002. DAVID WILSON (violin) has performed extensively with period instrument ensembles in the United States and Europe, including American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, and as concertmaster with Jubilate Baroque Orchestra, California Bach Society, Apollo Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, Dayton Bach Society, and Ensemble Musical Offering. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Wilson plays regularly with Ensemble Vermillian and Magnificat, and he is a founding member of Archetti, Florilegia, the Galax Quartet, Aurora Baroque, and other ensembles. A co-founder of the Bloomington Early Music Festival, he also performs regularly at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, and Festival Mozaic. Mr. Wilson has taught baroque violin at Indiana University, where he earned the Doctor of Music degree in Early Music, and he holds degrees in violin from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. His interests outside of music include cosmology, zymurgy, and science fiction (and he would love to discover a science fiction novel about a homebrewing cosmologist). He is the author of Georg Muffat on Performance Practice, published by Indiana University Press.
More biographies are available online at: americanbach.org/bios.
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Thursday July 12 2012 This concert is generously sponsored by Jan Goldberg.
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin & viola Tekla Cunningham, viola Corey Jamason, harpsichord & organ Steven Lehning, violone & viola da gamba Robert Mealy, violin Debra Nagy, oboe Elisabeth Reed, viola da gamba William Sharp, baritone Tanya Tomkins, violoncello • Sonata in A Major for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1015 Dolce - Allegro assai - Andante un poco - Presto
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
Ich habe genug, BWV 82
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata for the Feast of the Purification of Mary
- Intermission Sonata in D Major for Viola da gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028
Johann Sebastian Bach
[Adagio] - [Allegro] - [Andante] - Allegro Brandenburg Concerto VI in B-flat Major, BWV 1051 [Allegro] - Adagio ma non tanto - Allegro •
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata in A Major for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1015
T
he “Six sonatas for concerted harpsichord and violin solo” (as they are named in one early source: “Sei Suonate â Cembalo certato è Violino Solo”) are typical of Bach’s numerous instrumental collections, the number six, or a multiple thereof, being a very common choice for Bach and his contemporaries. There is a certain symmetry to the keyscheme: the pattern of the first three sonatas—b, A, E—is mirrored by that of the remainder—c, f, G—both in terms of the intervals (down a tone, up a fifth, mirrored by down a fifth, up a tone) and the modality (minor, major, major; minor, minor, major). The collections which Bach compiled during the decade circa 1718-1728 are all in some way unorthodox in terms of instrumentation. Melody instruments tend to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Chamber Series
be freed of accompanying lines and, conversely, keyboard instruments are progressively emancipated from their subservient function. First there are the unaccompanied works for violin and violoncello (six works for each) which forsake the use of any continuo support; there are the six sonatas for organ, where the keyboard takes over all three lines of the traditional trio-sonata texture; then there are the present sonatas which employ the harpsichord in an obbligato (rather than continuo) role. Many historians have suggested that, with these sonatas, Bach was the inventor of the duo sonata, in which the keyboard takes an equal place beside the “solo” instrument. As a rule, Bach adapts the traditional texture of the trio sonata (two solo instruments and continuo) by assigning the second solo line to the right hand of the harpsichord part. Several movements, however, do not conform directly to this pattern.
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Program Notes - Music by Johann Sebastian Bach The Sonata in A Major, like the rest of the set of six, follows the organizational pattern of a Sonata da Chiesa, or “Church” Sonata, which is comprised of four movements: slow, fast, slow, fast. Individual movements are given specific tempo indications, and are constructed according to rules of counterpoint or structural architectures. By comparison, a Sonata da Camera (literally, Chamber Sonata) can be comprised of three or four movements, usually beginning with a more or less free style opening prelude, followed by dance movements. – John Butt & Jeffrey Thomas Johann Sebastian Bach: Ich habe genug, BWV 82
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ach’s solo cantatas are, in some sense, his only true cantatas since the term “cantata” was drawn from an Italian genre which was designed for solo voice. Bach indeed used this term for the solo works and named those with more voices “concerto;” however, this latter term has been dropped in modern musical practice to avoid confusion with the purely instrumental works of that name. However, it would be a mistake to consider the solo cantatas as vastly different from the concerted works since they are products of the same environment. But the solo cantatas do offer a more contemplative approach to the text since the standard form for a single soloist was the aria, that form which so potently internalizes emotion. On the other hand, Bach’s formal principles are exactly the same whatever the vocal genre: from the Weimar years onward the basic content of each movement is the opening ritornello, the instrumental introduction which not only contains the seed for the entire movement but also sets the tone or affect. The vocal part is woven into this pre-established sound
world and—contrary to the work of a more melodic or operatic composer—shares its dominance with the instrumental parts. This is not to say that Bach’s writing is inexpressive or inhuman. Rather it is curiously moving since the vocal human part is woven into a larger context of the same form but different substance: an aspect of religion or at least metaphysics which is more aptly expressed in music than words. This cantata, written for the Feast of the Purification, February 2, 1727, has become one of the most celebrated of Bach’s cantatas. Listeners today should not be ashamed of its popularity: Bach himself clearly liked it, too, and performed it repeatedly, changing the scoring to suit the forces for each occasion. The appearance of the second aria in Anna Magdalena’s music book suggests that it was a particular favorite in the Bach household. Based on the Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis) this cantata concerns a theme typical of the Lutheranism of Bach’s age: the longing for death (sleep) after one has seen the light of Christ. The opening aria must have provided an impulse for the composition of “Erbarme dich,” one of the most moving arias from the St. Matthew Passion, barely a month later. The jewel of the cantata is usually considered to be the second aria, “Schlummert ein,” a movement which shows Bach’s characteristic thoroughness in writing (notice the continuous movement in the continuo) but one which is also extremely effective in its emotional impact. Is it the frequent rhetorical pauses which force the listener to reflect on the bitter-sweetness of death? Or is it the flattened seventh degree of the scale, suggesting in musical terms the subdominant key, the `past history’ of the tonic? – JB
Ich habe genug, BWV 82 - Cantata for the Feast of the Purification of Mary Aria Bass, Oboe, Strings, Basso continuo
Ich habe genug, Ich habe den Heiland, das Hoffen der Frommen, Auf meine begierigen Arme genommen; Ich habe genug! Ich hab ihn erblickt, Mein Glaube hat Jesum ans Herze gedrückt; Nun wünsch ich, noch heute mit Freuden Von hinnen zu scheiden.
I have enough, I have taken the savior, the hope of the righteous, into my eager arms; I have enough! I have beheld him, my faith has pressed Jesus to my heart; now I wish, even today with joy to depart from here.
Recitative Bass, Basso continuo
Ich habe genug. Mein Trost ist nur allein, Daß Jesus mein und ich sein eigen möchte sein. Im Glauben halt ich ihn, Da seh ich auch mit Simeon Die Freude jenes Lebens schon. Laßt uns mit diesem Manne ziehn! Ach! möchte mich von meines Leibes Ketten Der Herr erretten; Ach! wäre doch mein Abschied hier, Mit Freuden sagt ich, Welt, zu dir: Ich habe genug.
I have enough. My comfort is this alone, that Jesus might be mine and I his own. In faith I hold him, there I see, along with Simeon, already the joy of the other life. Let us go with this man! Ah! if only the Lord might rescue me from the chains of my body; Ah! were only my departure here, with joy I would say, world, to you: I have enough.
Aria Bass, Strings, Basso continuo
Schlummert ein, ihr matten Augen, Fallet sanft und selig zu! Welt, ich bleibe nicht mehr hier, Hab ich doch kein Teil an dir, Das der Seele könnte taugen. Hier muß ich das Elend bauen, Aber dort, dort werd ich schauen Süßen Friede, stille Ruh.
Fall asleep, you weary eyes, close softly and pleasantly! World, I will not remain here any longer, I own no part of you that could matter to my soul. Here I must build up misery, but there, there I will see sweet peace, quiet rest.
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Program Notes - Music by Johann Sebastian Bach Recitative Bass, Basso continuo
Mein Gott! wenn kömmt das schöne: Nun! Da ich im Friede fahren werde Und in dem Sande kühler Erde Und dort bei dir im Schoße ruhn? Der Abschied ist gemacht, Welt, gute Nacht!
My God! When will the lovely “now!” come, when I will journey into peace and into the cool soil of earth, and there, near you, rest in your lap? My farewells are made, world, good night!
Aria Bass, Oboe, Strings, Basso continuo
Ich freue mich auf meinen Tod, Ach, hätt’ er sich schon eingefunden. Da entkomm ich aller Not, Die mich noch auf der Welt gebunden.
I delight in my death, ah, if it were only present already! Then I will emerge from all the suffering that still binds me to the world. Translations © Pamela Dellal
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sonata in D Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1028
A
s is the case with many of Bach’s instrumental works, the challenges of accurately dating the sonatas, partitas, and many concertos led early scholars to assume their origins to have been Bach’s years in Cöthen (1717-1723) when he served as Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold. During those years, Bach had virtually no occasion to compose sacred music: Cöthen was a Calvinist court, which meant that “concerted” music (for voices and instruments combined) had no place in the liturgy. Accordingly, Bach had no reason to compose cantatas. As there was no organ anywhere near the court, he focused his attentions on the composition of instrumental music. In many cases, instrumental music composed at Cöthen—for the excellent orchestra that the young Prince Leopold had assembled—would be subsequently revised twenty years later while Bach served as the director of Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum, an assembly of professional and student musicians who would meet for weekly concerts, usually in the famed Zimmermann’s Coffee House. That relationship of music from the 1720s to its transcribed versions from the 1740s has presented problems of disambiguation that only recently have been resolved. In the case of the intensely expressive Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, we now understand them to have been composed in the 1740s, not for public performance but rather as part of Bach’s increasing determination to create musical documentation of compositional styles and rhetoric that was rapidly being overtaken by Enlightenment values. Whereas Bach had regularly employed the viola da gamba for quite special effects in various cantatas and both surviving Passions, during his last decade he saw a disturbing reduction in the number of virtuoso viola da gamba players and, therefore, in the repertoire that they played. The three sonatas for this pair of instruments were meant to permanently chronicle a dying art. The second sonata, in D major, is especially satisfying in this regard, opening its Sonata da chiesa format with an introductory Adagio that establishes the two instruments as equal partners in its beautiful arialike melody. The equitable collaboration continues throughout the work, masking to a great degree the extreme difficulty and technical demands of both fast movements. – JT Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto VI in B-flat Major, BWV 1051
O
n 24 March 1721, a few days after his thirty-sixth birthday, J. S. Bach signed the dedicatory preface to a meticulously prepared and beautifully penned manuscript of “Concerts avec plusieurs instruments” (“Concertos with several instruments”), an offering to the Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg, who lived in Berlin. Bach did not compose these concertos specifically for this
collection; indeed, the set can be seen as his selection of the best concerto movements he had written over the previous decade, as he encountered, emulated, and finally assimilated the concerto style of Vivaldi and other contemporary Italian masters. Eager perhaps to offer a collection which would effectively compliment the Margrave’s excellent orchestra, Bach’s aims in revision and compilation seem to have been to present six entirely disparate solutions to the concerto genre, which was by no means fixed and which could imply many instrumental combinations. Never, in fact, was he to better his achievement here, and each concerto seems exhaustively to exploit a different aspect of the genre: no two share the same instrumentation. As many scholars have speculated as to the origins and age of each concerto, there is a case for dating the Sixth Brandenburg Concerto to the earliest stage of the composition since it seems to be a “group concerto” employing supposedly archaic instruments, specifically the two violas da gamba. Nevertheless Bach may purposely have been mixing “ancient” and “modern” elements to create a work that was as unique in its form as in its musical ideas. Indeed the opening movement employs the ritornello form of the modern Vivaldi concerto, and it contains several textural contrasts which give the illusion of solo-tutti forces. In this type of form, a memorable block of music returns in various guises at strategic points in the piece as an audible musical marker, simultaneously establishing shape and coherence through repetition, and generating considerable musical tension by being recalled in various keys. The ritornello technique here is one of Bach’s most ingenious: virtually everything counts as ritornello since it is reused during the course of the movement. Another interesting device is the canonic writing for violas at the outset, something which provides an extremely dramatic atmosphere that characterizes the entire movement. The second movement is essentially a sonata trio, an example of the close relation between concerto and sonata genres. Such generic ambiguity is enhanced when a concerto such as this employs single instruments: the concerto becomes more intimate without losing its “public” perspective. While the da capo form of the final movement originated in the aria genre and the gigue-like idiom came from the dance, the elaborated repetitions of the opening phrases relate to some of the oldest instrumental idioms in which the players traditionally provided elaborated divisions (or variations) over a given melody. But here again Bach mixes the conventions: the violas da gamba, traditionally associated with the performance of divisions, have comparatively simple parts, while the most virtuosic writing is assigned to those most shy of stringed instruments, the violas. – JB 25
Parisian Baroque
Friday July 13 2012 Chamber Series This concert is generously sponsored by Jose & Carol Alonso.
Parisian Baroque Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin Corey Jamason, harpsichord Steven Lehning, viola da gamba Judith Malafronte, alto Robert Mealy, violin Sandra Miller, flute Debra Nagy, oboe Elisabeth Reed, viola da gamba & violoncello Tanya Tomkins, violoncello • Symphonia 5a , Chaconne
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault 1676-1749
La Paix du Parnasse: Sonade en Trio (1725)
François Couperin
Gravement - Saille Vivement Rondement [Tendrement] - Vivement
1668-1733
Sonata No. 2 in E Minor
Jean-Marie Leclair
from Quatrième Livre de Sonates, Oeuvre 9 (1743)
1697-1764
Dolce: Andante - Allemanda: Allegro ma non troppo Sarabanda: Adagio - Minuetto: Allegro non troppo - Intermission “Ah! mortelles douleurs!” from George Dandin ou le Mari confondu
“Il n’est rien dans la vie”
Jean-Baptiste Lully 1632-1687 Sébastien Le Camus circa 1610-1677
“Vos mépris chaque jour”
Michel Lambert 1610-1696
Troisième Pièce de Clavecin en Concert (1741) La Lapopliniere: Rondement - La Timide: Rondeaux gracieux Tambourins I et II Sonade en Quatour, “La Sultanne” (circa 1695) [Gravement] - [Gaiement] - Air Tendrement [Gravement] - Légèrement - [Vivement]
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Jean-Philippe Rameau 1683-1764 François Couperin
Program Notes - Parisian Baroque
M
usic from the period called the High Baroque may be characterized by the establishment of functional harmony and nearly omnipresent basso continuo, well-defined forms (often based on well-established dance types), increased rhetorical or emotional expression, and a development of a performance technique that allowed for greater virtuosity. All of these provided a stable framework for composers and performers, and help us today to label works of this period. While all these are commonly shared across the Baroque, one deeply seated element which divides composers and performers of this period into very discrete and unlike groups is tremendously unique national styles. In other words, while there may be one clearly understood idea, it may be spoken in a number of different languages, each subtly coloring the meaning. There were clear German, Austrian, English, Spanish, and even Polish styles; but arguably the two strongest were the Italian and French. While there were numerous composers who relished writing in these independent musical styles (Telemann, for example), there were others—J. S. Bach being the most noteworthy—who sought to combine his German counterpoint with a synthesis of other styles, particularly the French and Italian. Some of this nationalism was politically motivated. This is especially apparent in Paris. Although Jean-Baptiste Lully was born Italian, he became the preeminent defender (indeed, one could nearly say, creator) of a French national style that was particularly marked by a strong dependence on melody (rather than development of complex harmonies), highly stylized dance forms, and a slavish adherence to the rhythms of his adopted language. His influence was heavily felt throughout the entire period. His operatic works were not based on the practice of Italian recitatives and arias, but modeled on the French language as it was expressed in the airs de cour of the previous century. On tonight’s program the three airs from the early part of the century, Rameau’s Pièce de Clavecin en Concert, and the Clérambault Symphonia hold most fast to this French style, while the remainder of the program presents works that, in various ways, unite the French with the Italian. François Couperin le Grand (“the great”) was an organist, harpsichordist, and composer who split his professional life between Paris and Versailles. At the age of 18 he officially inherited the position of organist at St. Gervais in Paris from his father, Charles, and uncle, Louis. Later, after 1700, he acquired the royal position of ordinaire de la chambre pour le clavecin (“harpsichordist for the King’s chamber “) from D’Anglebert. In 1730, in a break from tradition, he passed this post on to his daughter, Marguerite-Antoinette. Forty years earlier he had turned his attention to the Italian sonatas and cantatas that had begun to infiltrate French musical establishments. A fierce debate over which style was superior—the French as championed by Lully, or the Italian as represented by Corelli— consumed many Parisian intellectual discussions. Early in Couperin’s career, he composed a number of sonatas in the Corellian style and then arranged for a private performance of them, but under an assumed Italian name! Some of the works he presented then were later published under his own name, in a collection titled Les Nations. In Les Nations, the original “Italianate” sonatas were followed by a number of dances to round out the collection (and add some purely French elements). However, La Sultanne (“the Sultana” –the title likely refers to Roxelana, the wife of Süleyman the Magnificent) was not treated similarly. The four movements alternate slow and fast tempos in the configuration of the Italian Sonata da chiesa. The scoring for two treble instruments with two basses and continuo allows for a great deal of opportunity for dialogue. While it is in the form of an Italian sonata it nonetheless maintains a dignity
and seriousness, which is decidedly French. This is a work of strong character and serious emotional depth. The Italian compositional style would eventually spill over into Couperin’s sacred vocal music, his motets, versets, and particularly his leçons de ténèbres (“Tenebrae Lessons”). All of this we will find clearly expressed in the two published Apothéoses: one to Corelli, and the other to Lully. Nevertheless, his playing style and his four published collections of harpsichord pieces remained stylistically French, and it is through them he earned the title “le Grand.” While the Apothéose dedicated to Corelli, and Italianate music as a whole is quite direct— Corelli asks the Muses if he might be received on Mt. Parnassus, he plays, and, without hesitation, he is transported to a spot directly next to Apollo—the Apothéose to Lully is not. In order to publish music under the monopoly held by Jean-Baptiste Lully, laurels had to be paid not only to the King but also to Lully himself. In Couperin’s dedication of the work, which under Lully was a requirement, Couperin satirically states that the work is composed à la mémoire immortelle de l’incomparable Monsieur de Lully (“to the immortal memory of the incomparable Mr. Lully”)! The work is an allegory of the union of both national styles (amusingly visual on the printed page with Corelli’s music in the, now standard, treble clef and Lully’s music printed in the, now obsolete, French violin clef ). The story begins on the Elysian Fields where it seems that Lully has put himself in charge (as on earth, so in heaven). Then, in a direct allusion to the operas of Lully, the messenger, Mercury, announces the arrival of the god Apollo – in operas, gods’ arrivals are always announced in advance. Apollo descends and offers his violin to Lully as well as a place on Mt. Parnassus. He descends, because in the Lully operas of this time, gods and their retinue descended onto the stage from machinery in the fly-space above – hence the term deus ex machina (“god from the machinery”). There are reports that in at least one opera, as many as 300 individuals may have been suspended on wires. The music that accompanied this would need to be very grand, not only because the event itself was important, but a great deal of noise was required to cover the sounds of the pulleys and wires of the machinery. Since Corelli already has found his place on Mt. Parnassus, Apollo persuades the two men to play together since the union of their styles would result in the Perfection of Music. So they begin. After a brief Overture, one of the two plays a tune of his own while the other accompanies him. Then of course they switch. This works to everyone’s satisfaction. They sum up their success (albeit with some conditions made by the French) with a Trio Sonata. Although Apollo (Couperin as composer) gives Lully the first violin part and Corelli the second, he has also changed Lully’s French clef into the Italian one of Corelli. At last, the Peace of Parnassus is achieved. It is this final section that we present in tonight’s performance: La Paix du Parnasse! Like François Couperin, Jean-Marie Leclair l’aîné (“the eldest”), composer of the Sonata No. 2 in E Minor for flute and basso continuo, was from a family of musicians. An outstanding violin virtuoso, he was also a prolific composer, particularly of sonatas. Leclair’s music presents a complete synthesis of styles with French rhythms and ornaments embedded in Italianate sonata movements. Although he was successful as a musician, he was less lucky at home. After separating from his second wife, he moved to a less than desirable Parisian neighborhood where, in 1764 he was found stabbed to death. The vocal airs from the 17th and 18th centuries may have been called by many names: air, vaudeville, air de cour, airs sérieux et boire. Despite the variation in titles they were all part of a unified form that was 27
Program Notes - Parisian Baroque Jean-Philippe Rameau published five Piéces de clavecin en concert in 1741. This title simply means “Harpsichord pieces for ensemble playing.” While Rameau contends that the keyboard may play these pieces alone, it is difficult to agree with him that playing them in this manner “loses nothing” as the two “accompanying” instrumental parts add substantially to the works. Each of these movements have titles. Some are descriptive, like La timide; others are borrowed from his operas: the two tambourines are from his opera Castor et Pollux; and others refer to specific individuals. Lapouliniere [sic] was Rameau’s patron and financier, Le Riche de La Pouplinière.
the benchmark against which all French vocal writing was judged. In 1668, Bénigne de Bacilly codified a set of rules for breathing, ornamenting, and—above all—diction, which he published as Remarques curieuses sur l’art bien chanter (“Interesting remarks on the art of singing well”). He also published a volume of airs as fine examples of his ideas. Of the works in this collection, Michel Lambert is the composer most frequently represented, followed by Sébastien Le Camus. It is also quite likely that Lambert had a direct influence on Lully, as he was his son-in-law. His Vos mespris, like Louis-Nicolas Clérambault’s Symphonia are both constructed over a chaconne bass – a bass line that consists of four descending pitches that repeat over and over, supporting a melody that forms variations on the harmony the bass-line provides.
Jean-Baptiste Lully: Ah! mortelles douleurs! Aria Alto, Violins, Basso continuo
– Steven Lehning
from George Dandin ou le Mari confondu
La Plainte de Cloris sur la Mort de son Amant Ah! mortelles douleurs! Qu’ai-je plus à prétendre? Coulez, coulez mes pleurs: Je n’en puis trop répandre.
The Lament of Cloris on the Death of Her Lover Ah, mortal sorrows! What have I left to dissemble? Flow, flow my tears, I cannot shed too many.
Pourquoi faut-il q’un tyrannique honneur Tienne notre âme en esclave asservie? Hélas! hélas! pour contenter sa barbare rigueur, J’ai réduit mon amant à sortir de la vie. Ah! mortelles douleurs...
Why must a tyrannical honor Hold our soul a subjugated slave? Alas, alas, to content its barbarous demands I induced my lover to quit this life. Ah, mortal sorrows...
Me puis-je pardonner, dans ce funeste sort, Les séveres froideurs dont je m’étois armée? Quoi donc? mon cher amant, je t’ai donné la mort: est-ce le prix, hélas! de m’avoir tant aimée? Ah! mortelles douleurs...
Can I forgive myself, in this sad outcome, The extreme coldness with which I armed myself? What then, my dear lover; I have brought you death. Is that the price of having loved me so? Ah, mortal sorrows...
Molière (1622-1673)
Translation © John Mark Rozendaal
Sébastien Le Camus : Il n’est rien dans la vie Aria Alto, Basso continuo
Il n’est rien dans la vie Qui ne lasse et qui n’ennuie Quand on n’a point d’amour; Et peut-on sans aimer Passer un heureux jour?
There is nothing in life That tires or annoys more Than when one has no love: And can one without loving Spend a happy day?
Henriette de Coligny (1618-1673)
Translation © Robert A. Green
Michel Lambert : Il n’est rien dans la vie Aria Alto, Violins, Basso continuo
Vos mépris chaque jour me causent mille alarmes, mais je chéris mon sort, bien qu’il soit rigoureux. Hélas! Si dans mes maux je trouve tant de charmes, je mourrais de plaisir, si j’étais plus heureux. Anonymous
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Your contempt brings me each day a thousand anxieties, But I cherish my fate, harsh as it is. Alas! If in my travails I find so many delights, I would die of pleasure if I were any happier. Translation © Judith Malafronte
Saturday July 14 2012 This concert is generously sponsored by Hugh Davies & Kaneez Munjee.
The Leipzig Masters Kathryn Mueller, soprano • Danielle Reutter-Harrah, mezzo-soprano • Judith Malafronte, alto Aaron Sheehan, tenor • William Sharp, baritone AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS • AMERICAN BACH CHOIR Jeffrey Thomas, conductor • Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben
Johann Kuhnau 1660-1722
Magnificat in C Major
Christoph Graupner 1683-1760 - Intermission -
La Bourse (The Stock Exchange), TWV 55:B11
Georg Philipp Telemann
Ouverture
1681-1767
La repos interrompu (Interrupted peace)
The Leipzig Masters
Masterworks Series
La guerre en la paix (War in peacetime) Les Vainqueurs vaincus (Victors vanquished) La Solitude associée (Communal solitude) L’Espérance de Mississippi (Hope for the Mississippi) Orchestral Suite (Ouverture) III in D Major, BWV 1068 Ouverture - Air - Gavotte I & II - Bourée - Gigue
T
he current edifice of Leipzig’s St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) was consecrated in 1496, and barely forty years later, Martin Luther preached there on Pentecost Sunday in 1539. Today it is world-famous as the place where Johann Sebastian Bach served as cantor, and its choir (the Thomanerchor, founded in 1212) remains one of Europe’s oldest and most famous boys choirs.
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
Bach’s predecessor was Johann Kuhnau, a fine composer who served as organist since 1684 (the year before Bach’s birth) and was appointed cantor in 1701. Kuhnau was a scholar with accomplishments in the fields of law and letters. And despite occasional periods when he found himself at odds with his employers—as Bach, too, would experience—he was “a tough act to follow” and the search for his replacement would allow consideration of only the finest church musicians in the land. The Leipzig Town Council first sought the services of the famous Georg Philipp Telemann, who seems to have used the offer of employment to secure a higher salary at Hamburg, where he served as the music director for the city’s five largest churches. Christoph Graupner was the Council’s second choice, but he was not allowed to leave his appointment in Darmstadt. Only then did St. Thomas Church turn to their third choice, Johann Sebastian Bach. – Jeffrey Thomas 29
Program Notes - The Leipzig Masters Johann Kuhnau: Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben
T
he name of Johann Kuhnau (1660–1722) often evokes a shadowy figure who lives in the footnotes of Bach biographies, someone who forms part of the background musical culture against which Bach can ever more brightly shine. Indeed it was Kuhnau who inspired Bach in his choice of the title Clavier-Übung for four keyboard publications; it was he who collaborated with Bach in the examination of an organ at Halle in 1716; and he whom Bach succeeded as cantor of the Thomaskirche, Leipzig, in 1723. Furthermore, Kuhnau’s nephew, Johann Andreas, was Bach’s first principal copyist of cantata parts and must have enjoyed a close association with the new cantor. Nevertheless, not only was Kuhnau a remarkable composer in his own right but he was also talented and active in many ways which Bach did not share. Having trained and practiced as a lawyer, he was a prolific theorist, a talented linguist, and even wrote a satirical novel, Der musicalische Quacksalber (1700), on what he considered to be the shallow and superficial trends in contemporary music. In all, he is arguably the last “Renaissance man” in the field of musical composition. Having received his early musical education in Dresden, one of the greatest centers of German musical culture, Kuhnau may well have encountered the aged Heinrich Schütz (who died in 1672) and thus he must be virtually the only significant figure to have experienced the environments of both Schütz and Bach. Kuhnau had been organist of the Leipzig Thomaskirche since 1684 but he did not take over the post of cantor of the Thomasschule and Director musices for the major Leipzig churches until 1701; thus most of his church music must date from after the keyboard publications. Just as Bach was to experience twenty years later, Kuhnau suffered continual vexation in his new post and soon gained the reputation of an embittered conservative. Much of this may be attributed to the short tenure of Telemann as director of music at the Leipzig New Church (1701–5). In this capacity, Telemann, a young law student at the time, was allowed to produce music with his new collegium musicum entirely independently of Kuhnau’s official monopoly of the town church music and—with his youthful flair and up-to-date music—he attracted students who would otherwise have filled the empty places in Kuhnau’s choir and orchestra. The Leipzig opera was also a drain on the student resources and Kuhnau seems to have developed a moral antipathy to the opera – somewhat ironic, given his significant role in its founding. He repeatedly petitioned the town council regarding the erosion of his rights and sought to discredit
Telemann as an “opera musician.” Matters must have sunk to a new low when Kuhnau became critically ill in 1703 and Telemann not only substituted for him but was also approached as a potential successor. This whole episode may have inspired Kuhnau to inveigh against operatic church music in the introduction to a set of cantata libretti, suggesting that the new Italian operatic genres and styles carried the wrong connotations within the context of church music. Only comparatively recently has Kuhnau’s church music been given even a modicum of the attention it deserves. The impression gained from his later reputation and apparent antipathy towards innovation is entirely overturned. Indeed, his church music is full of just the Italianate forms he condemned in the overly ‘operatic’ church composers of the time. We do not know the precise dating for all Kuhnau’s church works, but the Ascension cantata Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben seems to date from 1717. It shows the composer’s meticulous approach to text-setting which both follows the stresses of the individual syllables and adds emotional or pictorial colour to particularly important words (such as the coloratura on ‘jubilirt’). This overtly rhetorical approach to text-setting has its obvious heritage in the style of the Schütz era, as does the ‘speaking’ nature of the instrumental parts. Musical duration and emphasis are created by means of the repetition and sequencing of short phrases and quite often it is the instruments which provide the repetition. This has a significant psychological effect on the listener since the untexted instrumental repetitions often cause one to recall the text in a way that would not have been so significant had the music been texted throughout. Kuhnau’s mastery of an astonishing array of styles and forms suggests a versatile and lively musical mind, something which belies his current reputation as the somewhat dull and pedantic predecessor of Bach. Indeed he shares with the latter the ability to assimilate a large number of influences and to forge new musical complexes. All these pieces are worthy of comparison with Bach’s Mühlhausen cantatas with their ‘wet ink’ immediacy. Moreover, the textual declamation and the fluid interchange between polyphony and homophony reveals something of Handel’s heritage too (Handel encountered Kuhnau as a student and borrowed from Kuhnau’s keyboard works in his own compositions). Indeed, just as Kuhnau is the most significant link between Schütz and Bach he might also be the only German composer who was of immediate influence on the development of both Bach and Handel. – John Butt
Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben Symphony & Chorus SSATB Soli and Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
Ihr Himmel jubilirt von oben. Es kommt der Herr der Ehren an. Er hat vor uns genug gethan. Nunmehr wird er zu euch erhoben.
Your heaven rejoices from on high. The Lord of glory comes. He has done enough in our sight. Now he will be raised up to you.
Recitative Alto, Basso continuo
Es ist vollbracht. Geburt und Leben, Ja, Kreuz und Tod Hat Christus ausgestanden, Um aus der Sünden Banden Und aus der Höllen Noth Die seinen zu erlösen. Er brach der Höllensmacht Drum wird ihm alles übergeben, Denn die Erlösung ist vollbracht.
It is accomplished. Birth and life, Yes, the cross and death Has Christ endured To free his own From the bonds of sin And from the pains of hell. He broke the power of hell, And now all is given over to him, For our deliverance is accomplished.
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Program Notes - The Leipzig Masters Duet Alto, Bass, Basso continuo
Hilf mir es, Jesu, auch vollbringen Durch Busse, Glauben, Lieb und Leid. Ich helf es, Seele, selbst vollbringen Durch Busse, Glauben, Lieb und Leid. Ich will nach ritterlichen Ringen Dir ewig Halleluja singen, Wenn meine Seele von mir eilt. Du sollst nach ritterlichen Ringen Mir ewig Halleluja singen, Wenn deine Seele von dir eilt.
Help me also, Jesus, to accomplish the same Through penitence, faith, love and suffering. I help you, soul, to accomplish the same Through penitence, faith, love and suffering. I want, after noble struggle, To sing you eternal alleluias, When my soul hastens from me. And you, after noble struggle, Should sing me eternal alleluias When your soul hastens from you.
Recitative Alto, Basso continuo
Indessen bleibt die Seele Wie sie vom Himmel kommt Zum Himmel angestammt. Jedoch, so lange sie annoch in ihres Leibes Höhle Hängt sie an deinem Wort und Gnaden, Wer, wer will ihr unter dessen Schaden?
Yet the soul, As it comes from heaven, Still belongs to heaven. But as long as it lingers in the cavities of its mortal body It hangs on your words and grace, Who, who then will do it harm?
Aria Alto, Recorders, Basso continuo
Jesu, wenn ich dich nur habe Bin ich schon in Himmelreich. Bei dir gilt mir alles gleich Bis sich mit den Engelschaaren Wird mein Geist auf ewig paaren.
Jesus, if I only have you I am already in heaven’s kingdom. With you I can bear anything Until my soul pairs for ever With the angelic hordes.
Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
Gieb, Jesu, dass dein Wille mag geschehen Wie dort bei dir, hier in der Welt. Leg uns dein Wort beständig für, Bis wir dich einst in Himmel völlig sehen.
Grant, Jesus, that your will be done On earth, as it is in heaven. Speak always for us Until at last we truly see you in heaven.
Christoph Graupner: Magnificat
C
hristoph Graupner’s music— the object of a rather unhappily resolved dispute between his heirs and his long-time employer, the Landgrave Ernst Ludwig of Hesse-Darmstadt—remained virtually inaccessible for more than two centuries. Rights were eventually awarded to the Landgrave, but ironically this led to one of the most pristinely preserved libraries of any Baroque composer’s works. Since the early 20th century, musicologists and publishers have “rediscovered” this music, including more than 2,000 compositions (among them, many times more cantatas, orchestral suites, and concertos than J. S. Bach ever composed). Like Bach, born in Saxony, Graupner received his first musical training from his family. Following later studies at the University of Leipzig, he took a position as harpsichordist in the opera orchestra in Hamburg,
where he met a young violinist employed there, George Frideric Handel. Graupner’s maestro was Reinhard Keiser, who engaged him to compose six operas for Hamburg. Then, in 1709, Graupner accepted a position in Darmstadt, and despite the support of his teacher and mentor, Kuhnau, the Landgrave would not release Graupner from his contract so that he could accept the offer of employment from Leipzig, which was made to him after he submitted this Magnificat as an audition piece. A gracious man, he subsequently wrote a letter to the Leipzig Town Council to say that their new appointee (Bach) “is a musician just as strong on the organ as he is expert in church works and capelle pieces” and a man who “will honestly and properly perform the functions entrusted to him.” – JT
Magnificat Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.
My soul exalts the Lord. And my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
Aria Soprano, Oboes, Violins, Basso continuo
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent
For he has been mindful of the humble state of his handmaiden: from now on, [all generations] shall call me blessed.
Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
omnes generationes.
all generations.
Aria Tenor, Strings, Basso continuo
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius.
For the mighty one has done great things for me, and his name is Holy.
Aria Soprano, Oboe, Strings, Basso continuo
Et misericordia a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
He is merciful to those who fear him through all generations.
Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo; dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
He has shown his might with his arm; he has scattered those who harboured pride in their hearts. 31
Program Notes - The Leipzig Masters Chorus Strings, Basso continuo
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
Chorus Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Basso continuo
Gloria Patri, gloria Filio, gloria et Spiritui Sancto! Sicut erat Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy in principio, et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever Amen. shall be, world without end. Amen.
He has brought rulers down from their thrones, and he has raised up the humble. Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes. The hungry he has filled with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be suae. merciful. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius Even as he said to our fathers, to Abraham and his in saecula. descendants for ever. (Luke 1: 46-55)
Georg Philipp Telemann: La Bourse (The Stock Exchange), TWV 55:B11
G
eorg Philipp Telemann was one of the “largest” personalities in the world of Baroque music. His fame was nearly unparalled, enjoying the same clout as his colleagues George Frideric Handel and Arcangelo Corelli. His prolific output of compositions was one of the greatest in history, and his magnanimity and international flair kept him on the cutting edge of musical styles and tastes. A close friend to Handel and Bach, he was the namesake and godfather to Bach’s eldest son, Carl Philipp Emmanuel. When the search for a new cantor of St. Thomas Church was initiated in Leipzig, Telemann had barely completed his first year of service in Hamburg, where he held an extremely prestigious, and extremely demanding, position as director of music for five churches. Naturally, Telemann was the first choice of the Leipzig Council: there was no more celebrated composer than he. But the officials in Hamburg clearly saw that Telemann was singularly able to manage the daunting work load, so—despite their dissatisfaction with Telemann’s continued interest in opera and publishing—they offered him a handsome retention package, clearing the way for Graupner’s application. Between 1712 and 1721, prior to his employment in Hamburg, Telemann worked in Frankfurt, living in a large house that hosted the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on its ground floor. The house was owned by an association of affluent business men who, in September of 1720 had suffered tremendous losses following the crashing values of two ventures—London’s South Sea Company and Paris’s Mississippi Company—that had been founded to exploit trade with Spanish America and the natural resources of Louisiana. Although the companies were backed by their respective governments, the plummet nearly destroyed the economies of England and France, and investors throughout Europe were caught in the nosedive. One of Telemann’s greatest gifts was his genius at writing programmatic overtures or orchestral suites. His Overture Burlesque brilliantly captures the actions and temperaments of Commedia dell’Arte characters; the Don Quixote Suite tells the story of the country gentleman from La Mancha arguably as well as the original by Cervantes; and his Watermusic Suite captivatingly muses on oceanic mythological characters including Thetis, a sea goddess and the mother of Achilles; Neptune, the chief god of the seas and oceans; Triton, his son; Aeolus and Zephyr, gods of the winds; and water nymphs – the Naiads. Telemann offered solace to his ruffled benefactors by composing “La Bourse,” a term that literally means “purse,” but is also the name of the Paris Stock Exchange. Through a series of consoling movements, sympathetic to their recent trials and tribulations, Telemann leaves the investors with a “bullish” upbeat final movement, anticipating future gains, which would be forthcoming within two or three years. Ah, how we love the market! 32
Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite (Ouverture) III in D Major,
I
BWV 1068
n 1723, Bach took up his new position as Leipzig’s Cantor. The first years brought increasing frustrations, as Bach discovered that the talent level of the boys at the St. Thomas School was not quite what he had expected. More employment-related tensions accrued, and eventully Bach focused his attentions on other, external interests, including his music publishing business and the direction of Leipzig’s Collegium Musicum. Johann Gottfried Walther published his Musicalisches Lexicon in Leipzig in1732. It was a monumental dictionary of musicians and musical terms. Regarding the term “overture,” he wrote: “The overture takes its name from ‘to open,’ because this instrumental piece opens the door, as it were, to the suites or following music.” Walther further explains that the “real place” of an overture is at the “beginning of an opera.” Bach must have known Walther’s definition. They were colleagues and, in fact, cousins, and Bach acted as a sales agent for Walther’s dictionary. Traditionally, when compilations of individual movements from ballets or operas were selected for a concert performance, the larger work’s overture was included as the first movement. This practice determined the basis of works that would be composed as independent suites, and Bach, following this practice, titled each of his orchestral suites “Ouverture.” Two of the four Ouvertures (or, Orchestral Suites) that have survived are scored for rather modest forces: The first employs a trio of soloists (two oboes and bassoon) supported by strings and continuo, and the second features a solo flutist accompanied by strings and continuo. The third and fourth suites are a hundred times more grand, each utilizing trumpets, timpani, oboes, bassoon, and a full compliment of strings. True to form, each work begins with a “French Overture,” which combines a slow opening—marked by stately dotted rhythms and suspensions—with a lively fugal second section. The sheer grandiosity of these introductory movements is magnificent, and almost overwhelming. The third orchestral suite contains one of the most popular works among Bach’s compositions, one that has become known as the “Air for the G string.” Bach’s title is simply Air, and within the context of the entire suite, it is the only movement that is not scored for the full forces, but rather employs only a four-part string orchestra. This brief movement possesses extremely lyric melody, quiet counterpoint, and a very poetic sense of inward reflection and contemplation. Shortly before 1900, it was arranged for violin solo with piano accompaniment by a German violinist. Transposed into C (a fifth lower than the original), the entire solo part (which was the first violin part in the original) fits comfortably on the G string, the lowest and darkest of the violin, and thus, the arranger called it “Air for the G string,” the name that now seems inseparably tied to this exquisite music. – JT
Sunday July 15 & Sunday July 22 2012 These concerts are generously sponsored by Judith Flynn.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 Julianna Emanski & Nola Richardson, sopranos Margaret Fox, mezzo-soprano • Brennan Hall, countertenor Gene Stenger, tenor • Aaron Harp, baritone AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA AMERICAN BACH CHOIR Jeffrey Thomas, conductor • I. MISSA KYRIE Chorus: Kyrie eleison Duet: Christe eleison Chorus: Kyrie eleison GLORIA Chorus: Gloria in excelsis Deo Chorus: Et in terra pax Aria: Laudamus te Chorus: Gratias agimus tibi Duet: Domine Deus Chorus: Qui tollis peccata mundi Aria: Qui sedes ad dextram Patris Aria: Quoniam tu solus sanctus Chorus: Cum Sancto Spiritu
Bach: Mass in B Minor
Masterworks Series
- Intermission II. SYMBOLUM NICENUM Chorus: Credo in unum Deum Chorus: Patrem omnipotentem Duet: Et in unum Dominum Chorus: Et incarnatus est Chorus: Crucifixus Chorus: Et resurrexit Aria: Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum Chorus: Confiteor Chorus: Et expecto III. SANCTUS Chorus: Sanctus IV. OSANNA, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI et DONA NOBIS PACEM Chorus: Osanna in excelsis Aria: Benedictus Chorus: Osanna in excelsis Aria: Agnus Dei Chorus: Dona nobis pacem 33
Program Notes - Mass in B Minor
T
he genesis of the Mass in B Minor—so admired for its colossal dimensions and encyclopedic stylistic variety—is actually a long history of separable parts. Although Bach compiled the music for this work in the last years of his life (1748-1749), most of the movements had been composed long before or were reworked from earlier pieces. The origins of the Mass date back to Christmas day of 1724—the day on which the Sanctus was first performed. Indeed, it was entirely in keeping with Lutheran liturgical practice of this time to insert individual parts of the Latin Mass Ordinary into the predominantly vernacular liturgy. Two other sections—the Kyrie and Gloria—anticipate the compilation of the Mass by a considerable amount of time. In 1733, Bach presented a manuscript of the Kyrie and Gloria (titled Missa) to the new Elector Friedrich August II in Dresden; he also attached to this an ingratiating petition for a titled position in the Elector’s Hofkapelle, which he hoped would give him additional stability in his post as Kantor at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig. Three years earlier, Bach had been threatened by the political machinations of the head Leipzig Burgermeister, Jakob Born, who tried to restore the original requisites for the position of Kantor and thus disqualify Bach from his job. Although this initiative failed, Bach continued to be frustrated with the limited musical resources in Leipzig and with the behavior of the authorities. (In the end, Bach had to wait until 1736 to receive the requested court title, that—though it perhaps gave to him a measurable increase in rank—did not dispel the difficulties that persisted in his career at the Thomaskirche.) As John Butt notes in the Cambridge Music Handbook on the Mass in B Minor, Bach seems to have composed the Kyrie and Gloria especially to suit the taste of the Dresden court, in that they demonstrate several style characteristics typical of mass settings at Dresden: the writing for two soprano parts, the setting of the “Christe eleison” as a duet, the absence of da capo arias, and the use of independent instrumental parts. (This invaluable guide examines the Mass from a variety of perspectives and provides an overview of the latest scholarly discoveries.) It is unknown whether these two sections were performed around the time of their presentation. The music for the Gloria, however, shows up again in the mid-1740’s, appearing in Bach’s Latin cantata Gloria in excelsis Deo, BWV 191. For most of the parts of the Mass, Bach borrowed music from his own compositions. Aria, duets, instrumental concertos, and cantata choruses all provide possible sources for the various movements. Some of the sections—such as the breathtaking aria “Agnus Dei”— represent the third version of a musical model; the music for the chorus, “Et expecto”, appears in at least three other settings. Bach gathered the parts of the Mass in B Minor into four discreet manuscripts, to which he assigned a numerical order. Part I consists of the Kyrie/Gloria Missa of 1733; Part II the Symbolum Nicenum or Credo; Part III the Sanctus; and Part IV the Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, et Dona nobis pacem. Unlike the Missa and Sanctus, the Symbolum Nicenum seems not to have existed before the final compilation. This section also contains the only newly composed parts of the Mass. In fact, only the “Confiteor” is regarded without doubt to be an original composition; Bach’s alterations in the autograph of the opening fugue subject give evidence that no previous manuscript could have existed. Moreover, like the first “Credo” section, the “Confiteor” features a plainchant cantus firmus 34
that corresponds to the specific text. The “Et incarnatus est” was added to the Symbolum Nicenum during the compilation and may also represent a new composition. There is no record of a performance of the complete Mass in B Minor in Bach’s lifetime. Long after his father’s death, C.P.E. Bach conducted a performance in 1786 of the Symbolum Nicenum in a concert that included works by himself and Handel. Performances in the first part of the 19th century followed this example, presenting only extracts of the Mass. Only in the latter half of the century did the work see performance as an integral composition. — Kristi Brown-Montesano •
R
ecent scholarship that has illuminated the often difficult task of reliably dating the various elements of the complete Mass in B Minor has been all but conclusive. Debates still continue about the origins of a number of movements that seem to be parodies of preexisting compositions. (Note that, when used in the context of Bach’s compositional methods, parody simply refers to Bach’s practice of borrowing music from his own earlier compositions. Typically the context would change, but the music would not.) The methods of discovery are several but the most interesting, and problematic, is that of calligraphic analysis. Within the autograph score, three types of Bach’s handwriting have been identified: the so-called “fair” hand, characterized by meticulously spaced notes, vertically upright note stems, and calligraphic text; the “revision” hand, characterized by the fluent copying of notes for one group of instruments or voices, but poorly spaced and often corrected notes in another part, and often cluttered verbal underlay (the result of applying a new text to preexisting musical material); and the “composing” hand, characterized by diagonal note stems, uneven note spacing, corrections, and generally poor calligraphy. Through the identification of these handwriting styles, much can be determined regarding the originality of the musical material; that is, whether or not a piece was pre-existing, a parody of an earlier work, or newly composed. Several movements contain more than one type of handwriting. For example, the opening Kyrie contains all three. The initial four bars show the revision hand for the instrumental parts, which were put to paper first, and the composing hand for the vocal parts. Then, the main body of the Kyrie is in the fair hand, indicating a pre-existing work. Generally, those movements in the fair or revision hands are considered to be pre-existing or parodies. But Bach’s health was poor by the time he compiled the complete mass (or, missa tota), and there are arguments as to whether or not his infirmity led him to preliminarily sketch new music before committing it to the final version of the score, thus clouding the issue in the cases of music not in the composing hand and that cannot be found among his earlier surviving works. Such technical detective work does not, however, shed light on the most burning question of all: Why did Bach compile, or assemble, a work for which he had no plans or need for performance? We know that in Bach’s last years, he set his hand to two other summative documents that would become monuments of his compositional legacy. In 1747, The Musical Offering was composed and very shortly thereafter published, and The Art of the Fugue, a collection of fugues and canons that exhaustively catalogues the
Program Notes - Mass in B Minor contrapuntal possibilities of one predominant fugue subject, was copied out by Bach in 1745 and published in its final, yet incomplete, form in 1751 (one year after his death). Bach was clearly reading the writing on the wall regarding his “old school” craftsmanship. Compositional styles had already changed quite dramatically, and the fact that Bach’s music was more or less always considered to be old-fashioned further exacerbated his fears that a century of contrapuntal mastery—begun by his predecessors—was simply going down the drain. He had no reason to believe that any of his church cantatas would survive. Indeed, Bach’s own compositions essentially replaced those of the previous Leipzig Kantor, and newly composed works by whomever would be his successor would surely replace his. But complete settings of the choral movements from the Ordinary of the Mass had survived as time capsules from previous centuries. And new Age of Enlightenment trends would further secure the longevity of such “masterworks” (a concept that was still mostly outside of the consciousness of artists and their patrons). By encapsulating works from a span of at least thirty-five years—the “Crucifixus” is borrowed from music composed in 1714, and the new movements including “Confiteor” were composed in 1749—Bach was able to leave behind a lasting testament to his art.
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American Bach Soloists Discography MASTERWORKS SERIES Bach Brandenburg Concertos Bach Harpsichord Concertos Bach Italian Transcriptions Bach Mass in B Minor Bach St. Matthew Passion Beethoven Ninth Symphony Corelli Concerti Grossi Handel Messiah Haydn Masses Schütz Choral & Vocal Works Carols for Christmas The Art of Ian Howell BACH CANTATA SERIES Solo Cantatas Trauerode Mühlhausen Cantatas Cantatas for Easter Weimar Cantatas Favorite Cantatas
americanbach.org/recordings 35
Mass in B Minor Text & Translation Johann Sebastian Bach
Mass in B Minor, BWV 232
I. MISSA
Tromba I, II, III; Corno da caccia; Timpani; Flauto traverso I, II; Oboe I, II; Oboe d’amore I, II; Fagotto I, II; Violino I, II; Viola; Continuo (e Violoncello); Soprano I, II; Alto; Tenore; Basso
KYRIE 5-part chorus; flutes, oboes d’amore, bas- Kyrie eleison. soon, strings, continuo Lord, have mercy. soprano I and soprano II duet violins, continuo
Christe eleison. Christ, have mercy.
Alla breve Kyrie eleison. 4-part chorus; flutes, oboes d’amore, bas- Lord, have mercy. soon, strings, continuo
GLORIA 5-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, bassoon, strings, continuo
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Glory be to God in the highest. And in earth peace to men of good will.
soprano II aria violin solo, strings, continuo
Laudamus te; benedicimus te; adoramus te; glorificamus te. We praise thee; we bless thee, we worship thee; we glorify thee.
Alla breve 4-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, bassoon, strings, continuo
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. We give thanks to thee for thy great glory.
soprano I and tenor duet flute solo, strings, continuo
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite Jesu Christe altissime: Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris: Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ most high: Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father:
4-part chorus; flutes, strings, continuo
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis: Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram: Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us: Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer:
alto aria oboe d’amore solo, strings, continuo
Qui sedes ad dextram Patris, miserere nobis: Thou that sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us:
bass aria corno da caccia solo, bassoons, continuo
Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe: For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only art the most high, Jesus Christ:
Vivace 5-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, bassoon, strings, continuo
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. With the Holy Ghost in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
- Intermission -
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Mass in B Minor Text & Translation II. SYMBOLUM NICENUM
Tromba I, II, III; Timpani; Flauto traverso I, II; Oboe I, II; Oboe d’amore I, II; Violino I, II; Viola; Continuo; Soprano I, II; Alto; Tenore; Basso
5-part chorus; violins, continuo
Credo in unum Deum I believe in one God
4-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, oboes, strings, continuo
Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium: the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
Andante soprano I and alto duet oboes d’amore, strings, continuo
Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula: Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, Genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt: qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis: And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds: God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten not made; being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven:
5-part chorus; violins, continuo
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria virgine, et homo factus est. and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
4-part chorus; flutes, strings, continuo
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est. He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, he suffered and was buried.
5-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, strings, continuo
Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas: Et ascendit in coelum. Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis. And the third day he rose again according to the scriptures; and ascended into heaven. He sitteth at the right hand of God the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
bass aria oboes d’amore, continuo
Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit: Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur: qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam. And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spake by the prophets. And in one holy, catholic and apostolic church.
5-part chorus; continuo
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins,
Vivace e Allegro 5-part chorus; trumpets, timpani, flutes, oboes, strings, continuo
Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen. and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. text and translation continued...
“Thomas united enlightened historical performance practice with native musical intelligence. He welded scholarship to theatricality...This was a B Minor Mass that transcended technical expertise and incidental points of authenticity to touch the heart on the most profound level.” — Allan Ulrich San Francisco Examiner
MASS IN B MINOR
2 CD SET - ON SALE TODAY
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Mass in B Minor Text & Translation III. SANCTUS
Tromba I, II, III; Timpani; Oboe I, II, III; Violino I, II; Viola; Continuo (Violoncello, Violone, Fagotto, Organo); Soprano I, II; Alto I, II; Tenore; Basso
6-part chorus; tutti
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus. Holy is the Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of his glory.
IV. OSANNA, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI et DONA NOBIS PACEM
Tromba I, II, III; Timpani; Flauto traverso I, II; Oboe I, II; Violino I, II; Viola; Continuo; Soprano I, II; Alto I, II; Tenore I, II; Basso I, II
double-chorus (8-part); tutti
Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.
tenor aria flute solo, continuo
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
double-chorus (8-part); tutti
Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest.
alto aria violins, continuo
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
4-part chorus; tutti
Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace.
Please save the date and join us for our 2012 Annual Gala
An Olympian Feast St. Stephen’s Church • 3 Bay View Avenue, Belvedere Saturday, October 6, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
Join Music Director Jeffrey Thomas and the ABS Musicians as they open their 24th season with An Olympian Feast— our annual gala fundraising, dinner, concert, and auction—where you’ll feast eyes, mouth, and ears on Greekinspired delicacies, ambrosial libations, and an outstanding performance by American Bach Soloists. Come bid on fine wines, exclusive artwork, local area concert tickets, and trips to Tahoe, Dominican Republic, and Paris! All proceeds benefit ABS. Formal invitations will be mailed in August. To save a paper mailing, RSVP by July 26 (415) 621-7900 or gala@americanbach.org
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Monday July 16 2012 This concert is generously underwritten by the Academy Sponsors.
• Music for Viol Consort Works TBA Gretchen Claassen Richard Jones Adaiha MacAdam-Somer Hallie Pridham
Trio Sonata in F Major, ZWV 181, no. 1 (1721)
Jan Dismas Zelenka
Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro - Larghetto - Allegro Assai Johannes Knoll, oboe Kristin Olson, oboe
1679-1745
Kelsey Shilling, bassoon Susie Fong, harpsichord
Trio Sonata in E Major, Wq.162
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Allegretto - Adagio di molto - Allegro assai Vicki Melin, flute Christopher Matthews, flute
1714-1788
Joyce Chen, harpsichord
Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt, BWV 151
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
Cantata for the Third Day of Christmas “St. John’s Day” (Leipzig, 1725)
Julianna Emanski, soprano Johanna Bronk, mezzo-soprano Brian Thorsett, tenor Ryan Bradford, baritone
Leighann Daihl, flute Maria Raffaele, oboe d’amore Noémy Gagnon-Lafrenais, violin (leader) Lindsey Bordner, violin Amber McPherson, violin Jude Ziliak, violin Addi Liu, viola Wade Davis, violoncello (continuo) Marina Hasselberg, violoncello Steven Lehning, violone Susie Fong, organ
Academy-in-Action Series I
Academy-In-Action Series I
- Intermission Himmelskönig, sei willkommen, BWV 182
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata for Palm Sunday (First performance, Weimar, 1714; revised, Leipzig, 1724)
Julianna Emanski, soprano Johanna Bronk, mezzo-soprano Brian Thorsett, tenor Ryan Bradford, baritone
Christopher Matthews, flute Noémy Gagnon-Lafrenais, violin (leader) Lindsey Bordner, violin Amber McPherson, violin Jude Ziliak, violin Addi Liu, viola Wade Davis, violoncello (continuo) Marina Hasselberg, violoncello Arthur Omura, organ
For texts, translations, and further detail, please see program supplement.
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Academy-in-Action Series II
Tuesday July 17 2012 Academy-In-Action Series II This concert is generously underwritten by the Academy Sponsors.
• Music for Viol Consort Works TBA Gretchen Claassen Richard Jones Adaiha MacAdam-Somer Hallie Pridham
Deuxième Récréation de Musique, Op. 8 (Paris, 1737)
Jean-Marie Leclair
Ouverture: Gravement—Legèrement—Lentement Forlane en Rondeau - Sarabande - Menuet Badinage - Chaconne - Tambourin Leighann Daihl & Jo Brand, flute
1697-1764
Joyce Chen, harpsichord
Arias from Cantatas Works TBA
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, no. 6, HWV 324
George Frideric Handel
Largo affettuoso - A tempo giusto - Musette - Larghetto – Allegro - Allegro
1685-1759
Concertino: Jude Ziliak & Natalie Carducci, violin; Wade Davis, violoncello
- Intermission Arias from Cantatas Works TBA
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for Strings in D minor “Concerto madrigalesco,” RV 129 Adagio - Allegro - Adagio - [Allegro]
1678-1741
Concerto “alla Rustica” in G Major, RV 151 Presto - Adagio - Allegro Bach Aria Group: Margaret Fox & Nani Fueting, mezzo-soprano Vicki Melin & Jo Brand, flute Kristin Olson & Maria Raffaele, oboe Georgeanne Banker & Tom Hill, bassoon Derek Tam & Esther Lam, organ String Ensemble: Emily Botel-Barnard, violin Lindsey Bordner, violin Natalie Carducci, violin Edmond Chan, violin Rebecca Cole, violin Noémy Gagnon-Lafrenais, violin Maureen Murchie, violin Amber McPherson, violin Jude Ziliak, violin
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Antonio Vivaldi
Addi Liu, viola Clio Tilton, viola Wade Davis, violoncello Marina Hasselberg, violoncello Joanna Neuschatz, violoncello James Williamson, violoncello Wen Yang, contrabass Arthur Omura, harpsichord Esther Lam, organ Adam Cockerham, lute
For texts, translations, and further detail, please see program supplement.
Antonio Vivaldi
Wednesday July 18 2012 This concert is generously underwritten by the Academy Sponsors.
• Music for Brass Ensemble Works TBA Justin Bland, trumpet James Leach, trumpet Andreas Stoltzfus, trumpet Ben Anderson, horn
Trio Sonata in G Minor, Op. 2, no. 6, HWV 390a
George Frideric Handel
Larghetto - Allegro - Adagio - Allegro Adam Shapiro, oboe Maria Raffaele, oboe
1685-1759 Georgeanne Banker, bassoon Emma Gavenda, harpsichord
Meine Seel erhebt den Herren (German Magnificat), BWV 10
Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
Cantata for the Feast of the Visitation of Mary, (Leipzig, 1724)
Nola Richardson, soprano Brennan Hall, alto Gene Stenger, tenor Aaron Harp, baritone
Johannes Knoll, oboe Adam Shapiro, oboe Andreas Stoltzfus, slide trumpet Maureen Murchie, violin (leader) Emily Botel-Barnard, violin Natalie Carducci, violin Edmond Chan, violin Rebecca Cole, violin Clio Tilton, viola James Williamson, violoncello (continuo) Joanna Neuschatz, violoncello Wen Yang, contrabass Kelsey Schilling, bassoon Joyce Chen, organ
- Intermission Trio in D Minor, TWV 42:d4, from Essercizii musici (Hamburg, 1739)
Georg Philipp Telemann
Largo - Allegro - Affettuoso - Presto Christopher Matthews, flute Johannes Knoll, oboe
1681-1767 Tom Hill, bassoon Emma Gavenda, harpsichord
Wachet! betet! betet! wachet! BWV 70
Academy-in-Action Series III
Academy-In-Action Series III
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata for the 26th Sunday after Trinity (Leipzig, 1723)
Nola Richardson, soprano Brennan Hall, alto Gene Stenger, tenor Aaron Harp, baritone
Andreas Stoltzfus, trumpet Johannes Knoll, oboe Maureen Murchie, violin (leader) Emily Botel-Barnard, violin Natalie Carducci, violin Edmond Chan, violin Rebecca Cole, violin Clio Tilton, viola James Williamson, violoncello (continuo) Joanna Neuschatz, violoncello Wen Yang, contrabass Kelsey Schilling, bassoon Emma Gavenda, organ
For texts, translations, and further detail, please see program supplement. 41
Pigmalion & Dido and Aeneas
Friday July 20 2012
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Masterworks Series This concert is generously sponsored by Angela Hilt & Blake Reinhardt.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) Pigmalion Acte de Ballet
Libretto by Ballot de Sauvot, after a text by Houdard de la Motte, based on the myth of the legendary figure of Cypress, Pygmalion, as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. First performed in 1748 at the Opéra in Paris. PIGMALION - Brian Thorsett, tenor (haute-contre) CÉPHISE - Margaret Fox, mezzo-soprano LA STATUE - Julianna Emanski, soprano L’AMOUR - Nola Richardson, soprano CHORUS of the people •
Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas An opera in Three Acts
Libretto by Nahum Tate, based on Book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid. First performed in 1688 at Josias Priest’s Girls School in London. DIDO (also known as Elissa), Queen of Carthage - Johanna Bronk, mezzo-soprano BELINDA, Dido’s sister and handmaid - Nola Richardson, soprano SECOND WOMAN, another handmaiden - Julianna Emanski, soprano AENEAS, Trojan Prince - Ryan Bradford, baritone SORCERESS - Nani Fueting, mezzo-soprano FIRST WITCH/ENCHANTRESS - Julianna Emanski, soprano SECOND WITCH/ENCHANTRESS - Margaret Fox, mezzo-soprano SPIRIT, in form of Mercury - Brennan Hall, countertenor FIRST SAILOR - Gene Stenger, tenor CHORUSES of courtiers, witches, cupids, and sailors. • AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA AMERICAN BACH CHOIR Jeffrey Thomas, conductor
Program Notes - Pigmalion & Dido and Aeneas
J
ean-Philippe Rameau’s Acte de ballet (1748) finds him at the height of his compositional powers, and in the enviable position of being recognized as the single most important composer at the Paris Opera. Having started his revolutionary, if belated, opera career with five full-scale works in the period 1733-1739, Rameau turned away somewhat from the grand scale of these “early” works to a more rococo, pastoral style in the 1740s. As the older works remained in repertoire, Rameau— along with Lully, whose works were never dropped—dominated the presentations of the Opera for over twenty years. Pigmalion (often spelled Pygmalion) follows the usual structure of Rameau’s ballets (and often opera acts as well). Starting with small forces, the simple plot is resolved in a series of recitative and airs. Then the chorus, orchestra, and dancers are introduced for larger pieces, including arias with chorus and dance, dance suites, and ariettes, which all culminate in grand final scenes, often with a chaconne or contredanse to conclude. Pigmalion received over 200 performances in the eighteenth century at the Paris Opera, including many of the so-called “capitation” evenings whose receipts went to benefit the artists, who were permitted to choose the repertoire to maximize profits. The moving airs of Pigmalion, the incomparable dance suite, and the elegant plot made up a totally charming confection that never seemed to flag in popularity. Today the proper formation of the French Baroque orchestra, which was an entirely different entity than the usual Italian forces we are used to, is key to this work. The French band was inherently a two voice affair, with melody and bass totally predominant, as opposed to the kind of chordal and partwriting found elsewhere. (The chorus also had two sopranos and basses for each alto and tenor.) The violins as a rule played in unison, as did the numerous bass instruments; the violas were few in number, and almost always played divisi. Flutes and oboes added color to the treble line as well as the occasional trio sections, and the bassoons were often used as a tenor quinte when not doubling the bass. Relatively few modern performances have correctly realized this unusual formation and its unique timbre. The extent to which it differs is illustrated in Constant Pierre’s descriptions in his Histoire du Concert Spirituel (1899), where he describes an orchestra with 17-19 violins, two violas (usually playing divisi), eight basses de violon, and two contrebasses in the era when Pigmalion was composed.
The modern struggle with this shape, especially in terms of accommodating today’s orchestras, started with the original Rameau Oeuvres Completes edition from the early twentieth century, where the four orchestral parts were tacitly changed: The first viola part was given to the second violins, and the second to the violas. Wind parts were invented often out of thin air to enrich the overall effect. The new second violin part had perforce to be rewritten without the lowest notes (on the viola c-string), and it was also usually rewritten as well when it crossed above the first violin line, so as not to obscure the melody. This had never been an issue with a single player or two, and indeed Rameau often exploited this descant effect. It is easy to see how the problems compounded with such revisions, as the sound became thick and clumsy, just the opposite of the original elegance. While recent performances have at least restored many of the wrong notes (the Oeuvres Completes, despite its appearance, is not a scholarly edition, but rather was motivated to provide French Baroque repertoire for the Paris Opera at the time), getting the correct shape has remained a problem. Another issue today in the search for a proper sound is the question of the petit choeur, a smaller grouping of flute, two violins, cello, bass, and harpsichord that was employed in the small scenes and arias as an accompanying ensemble. This grouping fits the composing in Pigmalion perfectly, as it is the exact orchestration of every solo aria. The orchestra only plays tutti in the choruses and dances, and we actually see the back and forth between petit choeur and tutti in Pigmalion’s ”Règne, Amour” as the violas and oboes drop out in the solo sections, and the basso continuo chord numbers suddenly reappear. Proper use of the petit choeur makes for a lovely and clean sound as distinguished from the massive tutti.
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1728) by Jacques André Joseph Aved, 1702-1766
Pygmalion and Galatea (circa 1890) by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1824-1904
– James Richman
H
enry Purcell was born, as nearly as we can judge, in the latter half of 1659, one year before the Restoration of the English monarchy under Charles II. We know remarkably little about the life of this man who was the most brilliant musician of his era. He was born into a family of musicians, became a chorister in the Royal Chapel and at nineteen was employed as a composer in Charles’ court and as an organist at Westminster Abbey. He died in 1695, having taken part in the explosion of theatrical and musical activity that marked the period, and having witnessed the unsettled political situation of his times.
Pygmalion (1729) by François Le Moyne, 1688-1737 43
Program Notes - Pigmalion & Dido and Aeneas In the England of the Restoration, music was an indispensable part of any theatrical event but through-sung opera was rare. The public simply had little taste for opera on the Italian model. One writer felt that it was “effeminate,” contrasting the decadent music of Italy and France with the more masculine genre of the “semi-opera” or “dramatick [sic] opera,” a genre descended from the court masque, in which songs and musical sequences were interspersed within the frame of a spoken play. As Pierre Motteux put it, in the Gentleman’s Journal (February 12, 1692), “Experience hath taught us that our English genius will not relish that perpetual singing…”
Henry Purcell (1695) after John Closterman, 1660-1711
The Meeting of Dido and Aeneas (1766) by Sir Nathaniel Dance Holland 1735-1811
Death of Dido (1637-40) by Sébastien Bourdon 1616-1671 44
It is not surprising, then, that Purcell wrote only one fully sung opera in his career, or that Dido and Aeneas was composed for a private performance. The question for scholars during the past decade has been when and where that original production took place. The earliest notice we have of Dido and Aeneas is a version performed in 1689 at a Chelsea boarding school for gentlewomen, which was run by one Josias Priest, a dancing master who was well known in the theatrical community. The young women of Priest’s school had undertaken John Blow’s opera Venus and Adonis a year earlier, so it is clearly possible that Purcell should have written a like work for them. But several years ago two Purcell scholars (one of them the conductor Andrew Parrott) made a convincing case that, based on stylistic and circumstantial evidence, the opera was probably written earlier, perhaps in 1684, on a commission from Charles II, Purcell’s first employer. Now, Charles had Italianate musical tastes. Although he did not work to plant opera in his capital, Blow’s Venus and Adonis, which was a musical and dramatic model for Dido and uses similar performing forces, was given its premiere at Charles’ court around 1681. Is it not reasonable to imagine that the success of Blow’s opera caused the king to welcome another from Purcell? And it seems likely that Purcell would imitate his great contemporary’s work close to the time of his first contact with it. Whichever way we resolve the question of dating, Dido and Aeneas is clearly a pinnacle of achievement in the major native musicaldramatic genre of the era, the masque. Purcell and his librettist, the tragedian Nahum Tate, made use of its traditions throughout the work. The song forms, frequent choruses, the profusion of dances and dance tunes, and the scenes of magic and sorcery were staple elements of masques and semi-operas. They would have been familiar to an audience of the period in a variety of contexts. To
complete the picture, Purcell’s technique in declamatory passages, which occupies a gray area between song and the heightened speech of recitative, was indebted to the example of earlier composers of masques. Purcell’s score is a small miracle of variety, given that it lasts only an hour. The funny scenes and tuneful music are balanced by the rhythmically irregular and emotionally powerful ground bass airs. Of course the culmination of the opera is Dido’s famous air “When I am laid in earth,” one of the most stirring examples of the lament tradition. But that piece does not arrive unannounced. The overture itself presages the finale: it is in the same key, and the first movement’s slowly descending chromatic bass line, with plangent dissonances above it in the violins, is a harbinger of things to come. Listen, too, to Dido’s first aria, “Ah! Belinda, I am press’d,” another ground bass piece whose visceral power is extended by a ritornello where more arresting dissonances rub against each other. It is the composer’s extraordinarily sensitive portrayal of the Carthaginian queen that raises Dido and Aeneas to the level of truly great music drama. There have been complaints that in the process of dramatizing Dido’s tragedy, Aeneas is reduced to a nonentity or, as Joseph Kerman amusingly put it in Opera as Drama (1956; rev. 1988), “a complete booby.” Tate, the librettist, replaced the action of the gods in Virgil’s epic poem The Aeneid, with an evil sorceress and her minions. In the poem, Jupiter sends Mercury to remind the Trojan prince that his destiny is to found an empire in Italy. In the opera the sorceress sends an elf to impersonate Mercury and deceive Aeneas. It is not that deception, however, that makes Tate’s Aeneas a weak character, but rather the fact that he won’t acknowledge either his own deception of the queen in winning her love, or his real desire to leave. Both evasions make his love a cheat, and Dido proudly dismisses his excuses: “Thus on the fatal Banks of Nile, / Weeps the deceitful crocodile…” She will die of grief, as all betrayed heroines of the period’s fiction must, but she will not give in again to her seducer. As a contemporary editor of Dido has written, the opera seems to point to the moral which was added to the production at Josias Priest’s boarding school by Thomas D’Urfey: ...And if by Love our hearts not yet are warm’d Great Providence has still more bounteous been To save us from those grand deceivers, men. – Michael Zwiebach
Saturday July 21 2012 This concert is generously sponsored by Patricia & George Locke.
Ian Howell Voice & Viols
Ian Howell, countertenor Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin • Gretchen Claassen, bass viol Adam Cockerham, lute • Corey Jamason, organ • Kathryn Kyme, viola Steven Lehning, viola da gamba & violone • Adaiha MacAdam-Somer, tenor viol Robert Mealy, violin • Hallie Pridham, treble viol Elisabeth Reed, bass viol • Tanya Tomkins, violoncello • Rejoice unto the Lord
William Byrd 1540-1623
Fantasia a 4 in A Minor
William Byrd
With sick and famish’d eyes
Henry Purcell 1659-1695
Fantasia No. 1 in D Minor, Z. 732
Henry Purcell
Ye Sacred Muses
William Byrd
Fantasy a 4 No. 12 in D Major
John Jenkins 1592-1678
An Evening Hymn
Ian Howell - Voice & Viols
Distinguished Artist Series
Henry Purcell - Intermission -
Klag-Gedicht
Johann Fischer 1646-1716
Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde
Georg Melchior Hoffmann 1679-1715
Lamento: Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte
Johann Christoph Bach 1642-1703
Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, BWV 169
Johann Sebastian Bach
45
Program Notes - Ian Howell - Voice & Viols
W
hen composers set their pens to the composition of laments, requiems, or works to memorialize great figures in their lives, almost universally did they produce their finest work. Whether we consider the great Requiem masses of Mozart, Brahms, Verdi, Fauré, or Duruflé, or the heavenly visions of the world beyond by Howells (Hymnus Paradisi), Harris (Faire is the Heaven), or Mahler (the incomparable “Auferstehn” chorus from the “Resurrection” Symphony), we encounter works that typically take the form of a meticulously composed masterwork that had been the intense focus of its creator, of ecstatic visions of heaven, of intensely self-deprecating catalogues of sinfulness, or of confident acknowledgments of our ultimate reward. Such magnificent creations hardly happened accidentally. Composers knew their mission to powerfully, effectively, and (especially in the Baroque era) overtly express their texts in unmistakably palpable ways. They knew that our human nature enables us to enjoy the brief diversions of less ponderous music, but that listeners share common concerns about the ends of our lives, and that we, as listeners, are greatly interested to experience how a great artist—given exceptional gifts of expression—might illuminate our feelings, hopefulness, and uncertainties. It is almost unimaginable for any of these forms to be realized without the human voice. Indeed, the names for many types of compositions from this genre are intrinsically tied to vocal expression: the Italian lamento, the English lament, the French plainte, or the German Klagelied. Happily, we begin and end this concert on lighter notes. The first is Byrd’s Rejoice unto the Lord, composed to honor Elizabeth I, with whom Byrd had a complex political and personal relationship. It is a verse anthem that expresses at least tentative confidence in the future, while acknowledging imminent unrest. The last is Bach’s solo cantata with its predominant message of God’s love being the Paradise of the Soul, certainly a glimpse into the afterlife. While the propensity to compose the most beautiful music for elegies and laments is found without regard to national tastes or styles in music, there is no more English manifestation of perfect and studied
reflection than can be found in the great viol consort literature, made all the more extraordinary when graced by the human voice in the form known as the consort song. William Byrd adopted and cultivated the form, to some degree in resistance to the Italian madrigal style that was imposing itself on every shore. Byrd’s Elegy for Thomas Tallis, Ye sacred Muses, is an extremely passionate and heartfelt work, despite its brevity. Tallis was Byrd’s teacher, colleague, business partner, and a fellow exiled Catholic living under the Protestant policies of Elizabeth I. The succinctness of the elegy’s message is heard with biting immediacy at the words “Tallis is dead, and Music dies,” a tragic thought, but meant with utmost sincerity. George Herbert, one of the great metaphysical poets of the early 17th century, composed an exquisitely biting verse titled With sick and famish’d eyes, a text that couldn’t be more well matched to the twisting and turning of Henry Purcell’s adventurous and emotionally manipulative employment of harmony. Purcell’s fame as a “harmonist” meant that he possessed a creativity and bravery in his harmonic language, often taking the music to a rather unexpected place, or utilizing a particularly shocking chord to render a text in the most uncompromisingly immediate way. In great contrast, his An Evening Hymn, is as soothing as With sick and famish’d eyes is distressing; its vision of repose and sweet security, almost child-like in its simplicity, is consoling and peaceful. Three consort pieces interpolated between the four English vocal works show their composers’ most authentic tendencies: William Byrd’s careful and precise adherence to form and structure; Henry Purcell’s harmonic ingenuity, and the dauntlessly opulent imagination of John Jenkins, who was also a virtuoso performer on the lyra viol, an instrument that lent itself well, almost demandingly so, to harmonic realization and florid ornamentation. Both traits are heard in the very unusual Fantasy in D Major, which begins straightforwardly enough, but soon takes us on a whirlwind tour of modulations that should strike even our 21st-century ears as adventuresome.
Rejoice unto the Lord
With sick and famish’d eyes
Rejoice unto the Lord with mirth, which us from foreign fears Preserved hath in quiet state these eight and twenty years.
With sick and famished eyes, With doubling knees, and weary bones, To thee my cries, To thee my groans, to thee my sighs, my tears ascend: No end?
The mercy of the Lord our God pour’d down upon this land Doth far surmount in quantity the number of the sand; So that the people Israel did never feel nor see More certain tokens of God’s love in their delivery Than we of England, whom the Lord hath blest these many years Through this handmaid Elizabeth, in peace from foreign fears; Whereas the nations on each side with troubles are beset, Devoid of peace and quietness, and live in terrors great. Amen. Anonymous 46
My throat, my soul is hoarse; My heart is wither’d like a ground Which thou dost curse; My thoughts turn round And make me giddy: Lord, I fall, Yet call. Bowels of pity hear! Lord of my soul, love of my mind, Bow down thine ear! Let not the wind Scatter my words, and in the same Thy name! Look on my sorrows round; Mark well my furnace! O what flames, What heats abound!
– Jeffrey Thomas What griefs, what shames! Consider, Lord; Lord, bow thine ear, And hear! Lord Jesu, thou didst bow Thy dying head upon the tree; O be not now More dead to me! Lord, hear! Shall he that made the ear Not hear? Behold! Thy dust doth stir, It moves, it creeps to thee; Do not defer To succour me, Thy pile of dust wherein each crumb Says “Come”. My love, my sweetness, hear! By these thy feet, at which my heart Lies all the year, Pluck out thy dart, And heal my troubled breast, which cries, Which dies. George Herbert (1593-1633)
Program Notes - Ian Howell - Voice & Viols Ye sacred Muses
An Evening Hymn
Ye sacred Muses, race of Jove, Whom Music’s lore delighteth, Come down from crystal heav’ns above To earth, where sorrow dwelleth, In mourning weeds, with tears in eyes: Tallis is dead, and Music dies.
Now that the sun hath veil’d his light And bid the world goodnight; To the soft bed my body I dispose, But where shall my soul repose? Dear, dear God, even in Thy arms, And can there be any so sweet security!
Anonymous Johann Fischer: Klag-Gedicht
J
ohann Fischer’s Klag-Gedicht (or “Plaintive Verse”) is of the category of lamentations that are rather more peaceful and restorative than grievous. The anonymous text weaves together beautiful imagery as it compares earthly experience with newfound peace in heaven. In fact, the lovely part-writing for the strings creates a consoling texture upon which the voice sings joyously, yet calmly, about the afterlife. Its composer’s peripatetic penchant for constant travel throughout Europe might in some small way explain the feeling of solace and stability that permeates this simple music.
Then to thy rest, O my soul! And singing, praise the mercy That prolongs thy days. Hallelujah! William Fuller, Lord-Bishop of Lincoln (1608-1675)
Fischer, born in Augsburg, traveled in Germany, Austria, France, Lithuania, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. At one point, he served as a copyist for Jean-Baptiste Lully, and was influential in bringing Parisian musical styles back to Germany. He was known for his prowess on the clavier and violin, and was sought after as a teacher. He was also an avid fisherman, which accounted for even more European travels. While most of his compositions are for instruments alone, this treasure of a piece makes us wish that more of his vocal music might have survived. – JT
Klag-Gedicht Aria Alto, Strings, Basso continuo
Nun wünsch ich manche gute Nacht, Dir, Welt, und deinem Wesen, Weil mich mein Heiland heimgebracht, Und ich nun bin genesen. Gegrüßet seist du Sternenplan, Verlassen Weltgetümmel! Gegrüß seist du Lebensbahn, Werlassen, falscher Himmel!
Now I wish many a good night, To you, world, and to your existence, For my Savior has brought me home, And I am restored. Hail to you, starry realm, Abandoned, the tumult of life! Hail to you the path of life, Abandoned, false heaven!
So prange nun mein weißes Kleid, Laß nichts an Glänzen fehlen! Dir muß allhier kein schwarzes Leid, Den Glanz des Sieges stehlen. Und du, o müde Pilgerhand, Nimm an die Siegespalmen, Die dir dein Jesus zugesandt, Auf, auf und bring ihm Psalmen!
So now I show off my white clothes, Let all be brightly shining! Here no black sorrowing Must steal the shine of victory. And you, O tired pilgrim’s hand, Take up the palms of victory, That your Jesus sent to you, Up, up and bring him psalms!
Du Sündenträger, Gotteslamm, Dies Kleid hast du erworben, Als du, o schönster Bräutigam, Bist selbst für mich gestorben. Drum Jesu, du solt Sonnenschein [Der mir kann Freude geben] Und ich will hier dein Himmel sein, Heißt dass nicht glücklich leben?
You, the taker away of sins, the Lamb of God, You have woven this garment, For you, O most handsome bridegroom, You yourself died for me. Therefore, Jesus, you must be the sunshine [That can give me joy] And I here will be your heaven, Is that not called a happy life?
Georg Melchior Hoffmann: Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde
O
ver the last fifty years or so, a number of compositions that had been previously ascribed to Johann Sebastian Bach, especially a few solo cantatas and other vocal works, have been properly credited to thier true composers, among which is this charming single-movement aria that seems, at first hearing, to be a simple and childlike wish for the afterlife. Part of the appeal of the music, the inclusion of small bells, called campanelle, is actually reminiscent of a Lutheran tradition of ringing bells at the start of a funeral service. Furthermore, the development of musical clocks in Germany at the time brings closer together the symbolism of bells—in particular, bells of this small scale—striking the final, longed-for hour.
Georg Melchior Hoffmann was born in Dresden, and enrolled at the Leipzig University to study law at the age of 23. He joined the newly-formed Collegium Musicum that Georg Philipp Telemann had founded, and took over its directorship when Telemann left that position in 1705. As a composer, he was very prolific, even though few works have survived, among them three that had been attributed to Bach. He was well-regarded as a composer, so much so that the 18th-century English music historian regarded him as one of the finest composers of the first half of the 18th century. He died at the young age of 36, having married only the year before. His memorial was attended by all the students of the St. Thomas School. – JT 47
Program Notes - Ian Howell - Voice & Viols Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde Aria Alto, Campanella, Strings, Basso continuo
Schlage doch, gewünschte Stunde, brich doch an, du schöner Tag! Kommt, ihr Engel, auf mich zu, öffnet mir die Himmels Auen, meinen Jesum bald zu schauen in vergnügter Seelenruh! Ich begehr’ von Herzensgrunde nur den letzten Seigerschlag!
Johann Christoph Bach: Lamento: Ach, daß ich Wassers gnug hätte No fewer than four Johann Christoph Bachs flourished during Johann Sebastian’s lifetime. The eldest—Johann Sebastian’s first cousin once removed— was born in 1642, and was probably the most important member of the Bach family before Johann Sebastian. He was highly respected within the family, and was mentioned even in Johann Sebastian’s obituary notice as one who: “was as good at inventing beautiful thoughts as he was at expressing words. He composed, to the extent that current taste permitted, in a galant and cantabile style, uncommonly fulltextured … on the organ and the keyboard [he] never played with fewer than five independent parts”. Another Johann Christoph, born in 1645, was Bach’s uncle. The third, Bach’s eldest brother, was born in 1671; and Bach’s ninth son, born in 1732, was named Johann Christoph Friedrich. But returning to the eldest and most noteworthy, his lament for alto, strings and continuo
Strike the longed-for hour, break, O you beautiful day; Come you angels, come to me, open the gates of Heaven for me, so I may soon see my Jesus in the contented peace of the soul! I yearn, from the bottom of my heart, for the final victorious stroke of the clock! is a setting of a text by Erdmann Neumeister (1671-1756), a German poet and theologian who became senior pastor of Hamburg’s Jacobikirche in 1715. Neumeister is best known for his compilation of nine cycles of cantata texts, written between 1695 and 1742, some of which were set by J. S. Bach. While he would ultimately take a contentious opposition to Pietism, Neumeister’s early poetic works were deeply colored by it. Too few of Johann Christoph’s compositions have survived, so there are great difficulties in establishing reliable chronologies. But it is clearly evident by his use of this text that the setting was composed near the end of his life. The text, obviously one of Neumeister’s early writings, seems to revel in misery. The pain of the poet’s suffering is exquisite, and the weeping and wailing is almost rhapsodic, accompanied by instrumental writing that is extremely rich in its expressive gestures. – JT
Lamento: Ach, daß ich Wassers g’nug hätte Aria Alto, Violin, Viols, Basso continuo
Ach, daß ich Wassers g’nug hätte in meinem Haupte und meine Augen Tränenquelle wären, daß ich Tag und Nacht beweinen könnte meine Sünde!
Oh, that I had water enough in my head and that my eyes were fountains of tears, that day and night I might bewail my sin!
Meine Sünde gehe über mein Haupt, wie eine schwere Last ist sie mir zu schwer worden, darum weine ich so, und meine beiden Augen fließen mit Wasser.
My sin lies about my head, like a heavy burden it has become too heavy, that is why I weep so much and both my eyes flow with water.
Meines Seufzens ist viel, und mein Herz ist betrübet, denn der Herr hat mich voll Jammers gemacht am Tage seines grimigen Zorns.
I sigh greatly and my heart is saddened, for the Lord has made me full of sorrow on the day of his terrible wrath.
Johann Sebastian Bach: Gott soll allein mein Herze haben, BWV 169
C
omposed in October 1726, Gott soll allein mein Herze haben comes from Bach’s third annual cycle of cantatas, which he composed during his third and fourth years in Leipzig. While this cycle is not especially unified in its structures and styles, there are some elements that are particularly common in this collection, including a focus on solo cantatas. Gott soll allein is from a group of solo cantatas that contain no writing for vocal ensemble (other than the final chorale). This might reflect special circumstances affecting Bach at this time—either an overabundance of exceptional solo singers, or weak choral singers—but it seems likely that he was experimenting with the solo form, which was, after all, that most traditionally associated with the term “cantata.” This work contains another element that is peculiar to the third cycle: the use of an organ obbligato. (Instead of its usual limited function as an accompanying continuo instrument, in these compositions the organist’s right hand is assigned elaborate melodic material.) While 48
scholars have traditionally considered such parts to have been written for Bach’s favorite son, Wilhelm Friedemann, it is noticeable that very few separate organ parts survive and that the organ parts in the autograph scores are transposed to suit the pitch of the Leipzig organ. As musicologist Laurence Dreyfus has inferred, it might have been Bach himself who played these, experimenting with an organ style that took over much of the light figuration more commonly associated with string and woodwind style; this writing has little to do with the monolithic idiom of the larger free organ works. While one of the movements with organ obbligato (movement 3, “Gott soll allein mein Herze haben”) was freshly composed for this cantata, Bach took movements 1 and 5 from a concerto (for violin, or possibly oboe) that has subsequently been lost. However he did use these pieces again in the E major harpsichord concerto, BWV 1053, which he compiled sometime during the 1730s. In the cantata version, movement 5 (“Stirb in mir”) is particularly interesting since here Bach grafted a vocal line onto the solo organ part: this
Program Notes - Ian Howell - Voice & Viols is partly independent and partly “shadows” the organ line. The first movement is a full-fledged first-movement concerto form, which has no specific function in the context of a cantata, other than to introduce the first arioso. Bach and his librettist devised a very satisfying scheme for the first two vocal numbers: the opening line of the aria “Gott soll allein mein Herze haben” acts as a refrain in the preceding arioso, interspersed with commentary in recitative style. This combining of motto with interpretative elements must have heightened the similarity in the
roles of cantata and sermon for Bach’s listeners. While the final aria concerns a common theme in Bach’s cantatas—the rejection of worldly pleasures (incidentally, this movement is cast as a “worldly” dance, the siciliano)—the final recitative introduces a point that is quite refreshing to find in texts of this time, overflowing as they are with a veritable pornography of penitence: Next to loving God, you must love your neighbor. – JT and John Butt
Gott soll allein, mein Herze haben, BWV 169 - Cantata for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity Sinfonia Organ obligato, Strings, Basso continuo Arioso and Recitative Alto, Basso continuo
Gott soll allein mein Herze haben. Zwar merk ich an der Welt, Die ihren Kot unschätzbar hält, Weil sie so freundlich mit mir tut, Sie wollte gern allein Das Liebste meiner Seele sein. Doch nein; Gott soll allein mein Herze haben: Ich find in ihm das höchste Gut. Wir sehen zwar Auf Erden hier und dar Ein Bächlein der Zufriedenheit, Das von des Höchsten Güte quillet; Gott aber ist der Quell, mit Strömen angefüllet, Da schöpf ich, was mich allezeit Kann sattsam und wahrhaftig laben: Gott soll allein mein Herze haben.
God alone shall have my heart. Indeed I observe of the world, which holds its rot as priceless, since it treats me with such friendliness, that it would like to be the only beloved of my soul. But no; God alone shall have my heart: I find in him the highest good. We see indeed here and there on earth a little brook of peacefulness, which springs from the goodness of the highest; God however is the source, overflowing with streams, there I create what forever can nourish me truly and satisfyingly: God alone shall have my heart.
Aria Alto, Organ obligato, Basso continuo
Gott soll allein mein Herze haben. Ich find in ihm das höchste Gut. Er liebt mich in der bösen Zeit Und will mich in der Seligkeit Mit Gütern seines Hauses laben.
God alone shall have my heart. I find in him the highest good. He loves me during evil times and in blissfulness he will shower me with the goodness of his house.
Recitative Alto, Basso continuo
Was ist die Liebe Gottes? Des Geistes Ruh, Der Sinnen Lustgenieß, Der Seele Paradies. Sie schließt die Hölle zu, Den Himmel aber auf; Sie ist Elias Wagen, Da werden wir im Himmel nauf In Abrahms Schoß getragen.
What is the love of God? The rest of the spirit, the delightful pleasure of the mind, the paradise of the soul. It closes off hell, and opens heaven; it is the chariot of Elijah, which will bear us up to heaven into the bosom of Abraham.
Aria Alto, Organ obligato, Strings, Basso continuo
Stirb in mir, Welt und alle deine Liebe, Daß die Brust Sich auf Erden für und für In der Liebe Gottes übe; Stirb in mir, Hoffart, Reichtum, Augenlust, Ihr verworfnen Fleischestriebe!
Die in me, world and all your love, so that my breast for ever and ever on earth becomes practised in the love of God; die in me, arrogance, riches, greed, you rejected urges of the flesh!
Recitative Alto, Basso continuo
Doch meint es auch dabei Mit eurem Nächsten treu! Denn so steht in der Schrift geschrieben: Du sollst Gott und den Nächsten lieben.
Yet also keep in mind to be faithful to your neighbor! For thus it is written in the Scriptures: you shall love God and your neighbor.
Chorale Chorus, Tutti
Du süße Liebe, schenk uns deine Gunst, Laß uns emphfinden der Liebe Brunst, Daß wir uns von Herzen einander lieben Und in Friede auf einem Sinn bleiben. Kyrie eleis.
O sweet love, bestow your favor on us, let us feel the fervor of love, so that we might love each other from our hearts and remain of one mind in peace. Kyrie eleison. Translations © Pamela Dellal 49
Join us for our America’s Period Instrument Orchestra
July 2013 Festival Heinrich Ignaz von Biber
‟SUPERB”
–The New York Times
Salzburg Mass
Composed in 53 parts and for 8 choirs, this work has been called the “Mahler’s Eighth of the Baroque.”
Thomas Tallis
Spem in alium
A Grand Motet for 40 voices
George Frideric Handel
Acis and Galatea
Johann Sebastian Bach
Mass in B Minor
MaSaaki Suzuki
RachEl Podger
EManUEl Ax
Additional works by Buxtehude, Pachelbel, and Weckmann
oCToBer 2012
SouNd THe TruMPeT NoVeMBer 2012
FARALLON ASSOCIATES
BeeTHoVeN’S FourTHS
Insurance Brokers
deCeMBer 2012
Division of MOC Insurance Services
A BACH CHriSTMAS FeBruArY 2013
QuiNTeSSeNCe oF CLASSiCAL STYLe MArCH 2013
Peter B. Brown, Senior Vice President
THe iTALiAN VioLiN APriL 2013
HeroiC THeSeuS
SuBSCriBe NoW
to thE 2012–13 SEaSon! Visit philharmonia.org/subscribe also, check out Philharmonia Baroque’s recordings at www.philharmonia.org/shop 50
44 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104
Main: (415) 391-1013 x 261 • Direct: (415) 357-9261
Fax: (415) 391-4514 • Toll Free: (800) 391-1013 E-mail: pbrown@farallonins.com
Support ABS and enjoy these Special Benefits Donor Benefits *
Soloists Circle
FRIEND
CANTOR
STEWARD
CAPELLMEISTER
$25-$99 Acknowledgment in ABS programs for one year $100-249 - the above, plus Opportunity to purchase single tickets to special concerts before they go on sale to the general public
STADTPFEIFER
$250-$499 - the above, plus Invitation for two to a post-concert reception with ABS musicians
CHORISTER
$1,000-$1,499 - all benefits on the left, plus Invitation to a unique special event concert $1,500-$2,499 - the above, plus Invitation to an annual luncheon with Jeffrey Thomas
PATRON
$2,500-$4,999 - the above, plus Invitation for two to a special ABS private “House Concert” performance
BACH FAMILY
$5,000-$9,999 - the above, plus Sponsorship of an ABS Program
$500-$999 - the above, plus Invitation for two to an ABS rehearsal
ROYAL PATRON
$10,000-$19,999 - the above, and Exclusive sponsorship of a guest artist
We can’t do it without you… American Bach Soloists strive to retain reasonable ticket prices even though sales cover only about 40% of the cost of presenting these outstanding concerts. ABS is proud to receive significant foundation and government support, but the bulk of our contributed income comes from generous donations from individuals like you.
BENEFACTOR
$20,000 and above - the above, and Exclusive sponsorship of an ABS Program
Your gift in any amount is greatly appreciated… As an ABS donor, you play a crucial role in bringing these wonderful programs to the widest possible audience. And your gift will further enable our educational programs including public Master Classes, free Choral Workshops, free tickets for K-12 educators, and the American Bach Soloists Academy.
We also welcome gifts of appreciated securities. To arrange transfers, please call (415) 6217900.
GIFTS OF STOCK
*Gifts to American Bach Soloists are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Certain benefits have a fair market value that must be deducted from your gift to determine the tax-deductible portion of the contribution. You may elect to decline all the benefits in your giving category, and receive a tax-deduction of the full value of your gift.
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MAIL: ABS • 44 Page Street, Suite 403 • San Francisco, CA 94102-5975 PHONE: 415-621-7900 • FAX: 415-621-7920 ONLINE: use our secure server: americanbach.org/support 51
Contributors & Acknowledgments The American Bach Soloists gratefully acknowledge the generous support received from
Nakamichi Foundation
CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT, AND FOUNDATION SUPPORT $20,000 and above Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation $10,000-$19,999 Anonymous Charles Hosmer Morse Foundation
$5,000-$9,999 Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation The Bernard Osher Foundation E. Nakamichi Foundation The Wallis Foundation
Up to $2,499 AXA Foundation Matching Gifts Program Mechanics Bank Wells Fargo Foundation
$2,500-$4,999 Citi Private Bank Michael J. Weller Trust
MEDIA SUPPORT Bay Area News Group KDFC
The New Fillmore San Francisco Classical Voice
San Francisco Chronicle San Francisco Examiner
Patron ($2,500-$4,999) David Cates & Cheryl Sumsion Milton & Carol Hollenberg Martin & Elizabeth Secker Jim & Jennifer Steelquist Jeffrey Thomas Capellmeister ($1,500-$2,499) Peter & Claudia Brown John & Lois Crowe Lamar Leland Peter & Asiye Sonnen Edward Towne
Cantor ($1,000-$1,499) Anonymous (2) John & Jane Buffington Lisa Capaldini Cynthia Cooper Silvia Davidson Richard G. Fabian Thomas & Phyllis Farver Alfred & Irene M. Glassgold Kevin & Peggy Harrington John F. Heil James & Joan Kelly Norman T. Larson Steve Lehning Paul & Sandra Ogden David & Mary Raub Robert Ripps & Steven Spector Mr. & Mrs. Ned Rowe Geerat & Edith Vermeij The Viola Da Gamba Society of Pacifica
Tom Flesher & Adam Verret Ayame Flint Kathryn Hobart Ken Hoffman David Kashevaroff Susan & Stafford Keegin Malcolm & Natalie Mackenzie Blair Martin
Krista Muirhead & Barry Grossman Paul Nettelman Michael & Elfrieda O’Neill Frank Pajerski Charles Quesenberry, Jr. Colby & Katherine Roberts Delia Voitoff-Bauman & Steve Bauman Thomas & Ann Watrous
AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS CIRCLE Benefactor ($20,000 and above) Anonymous Jan Goldberg Patricia & George Locke Royal Patrons ($10,000-$19,999) Anonymous Jose & Carol Alonso Hugh Davies & Kaneez Munjee Kwei & Michele Ü Bach Family Circle ($5,000-$9,999) Richard & Sharon Boyer Judith Flynn Christopher J. Damon Haig Angela Hilt & Blake Reinhardt Marie Hogan & Douglas Lutgen Kim & Judith Maxwell James Meehan Fraser & Helen Muirhead
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT Chorister ($500-$999) Anonymous Edward Betts & Elena Snegova Gretchen Brosius Donna Chazen Uni Cordoba Joseph & Judy Craig Jacqueline Desoer 52
Contributors & Acknowledgments Stadtpfeifer ($250-$499) Anonymous (2) Matthew Bobinski Lynne Carmichael Robert Cook & Blanca Haendler Ian & Natalie Davis-Tremayne Mag Dimond Barbara Thomas Fexa Jim & Laura Gregory David & Dorli Hanchette Gareth & Ruth Hill Mary Kimball Norman La Force Norman & Rae Leaper John & Kathleen Leones William Lokke Pierre Martin Marian Metson Sam Price Nancy Quinn & Tom Driscoll Harvey & Nancy Rogers Benjamin C Sanchez Gary Schilling & Stefan Hastrup Paul Schmidt Scott Sochar Karl & Marianne Thon Robert Walker & Ernie Feeney Foster & Betty Wright Steward ($100-$249) Anonymous (4) Mr. Robert Allgeyer Mark & Sheila Andrus Cheryl Arnold & John Frykman Judith Barker & Linda Mitteness Phil Beffrey Robert Berman Al Bernstein Ernst & Hannah Biberstein Borden & Betty Bloom Jesse Blumberg & Rita Donahue Wendy Buchen Barbara Casey & Richard Siggins Gary Chock Richard & Evelyn Clair Roy & Margaret Clarke Julie Coffin Mendel Cohen & Julia Vestal Eric Collier & Joseph Newell Robert Coote Richard Cronin Tekla Cunningham & David Sawyer Garniss Curtis Chauncey & Emily DiLaura Lester Dropkin Nancy Dubois Steven Edwards Norma Feldman Thomas & Mary Foote Cynthia Foster Lowell & Nancy Froker Hinda Gilbert Mr. John Gosselin Allen Hackett Margaret Harding Donna Heinle Ingeborg Henderson Daniel Hersh Philip & Ruth Hicks Bob Isaacson & Virginia Stearns
Cary & Elaine James Peter Jensen David G. King, M.D. Andrew Kives Thomas Koster Ronald & Sharon Krauss William & Emily Leider Manjari & Michael Lewis Malcom Litwiller & Teri Dowling Deana Logan & Joseph C. Najpaver Jo Maxon & Karl Ruppenthal Noreen Mazelis Chris McCrum & Liz Velarde Lee & Hannelore McCrumb Ray & Mary McDevitt John McKnight Sue Milliron Carol Mowbray Tom Nord Mary Belle O’Brien & Georgia Heid Virginia Patterson Kay Pepitone Mark & Katherine Perl Steven Peterson & Peter Jaret Patrizian Pollastrini Penelope Rink & Frederick Toth Walter & Ellen Sanford Cynthia Sawtell Janine Schiess Ellen Sherman Judd & Sherry Smith Aline Soules Bob & Betsy Stafford David Stein & William Stewart Gerald & Sandra Swafford Rick Trautner Rob & Susan Vanneman Mr. Curtis Vose Richard & Shipley Walters Debra & Donald Wanamaker Richard White Muriel F. Wilson Bernard Wishy Jerri Witt Rick Yoshimoto & Tamara Trussell Friend ($25-99) Anonymous Albert & Julie Alden Mary Anderson Wayne Anderson Alan M. & Helen C. Appleford Sassan Aria Peter & Margaret Armstrong Adrienne Austin-Shapiro Jeff Bartak Charles Beadle Merry & Mark Benard Beverly Benedum John Berg Renee Boeche Anne Marie Borch Mary Bost Felix Braendel Ms. Deborah Brown Leslie Brown Lori Ellen Brown Ann Cheng Christina Cole Mary Cutchin
Hubert & Genevieve Dreyfus Judith Ets Hokin Marcella Fasso Elliott & Laurel Feigenbaum Cassandra Forth Margaret Fuerst Shellie Garrett Robert & Ann Goldberg Jeffery & Judy Gough Robyn Greene Helen Gunderson David Hammer Carol Handelman Judith Hanks William Hartrick David Heppner John Karl Hirten Elizaabeth Hoelter Ned Hopkins Charles M. & Nellie Hungerford Peter Huson Laurence Jacobs Julie Jeffry Ann Jensen Herbert Jeong Elaine Johnson Margaret Johnson Karl & Carol Keener Carolyn Kennedy Isik Kizilyalli Joseph & Jeanne Klems George Knudson Gretchen Leavitt David Lecount Robert Levin Lirong Li Jay Linderman George Lundberg George Marchand Bonnie & Gene Martz Hugh & Katherine McLean Susan Meister Kurt & Suzanne Melchior Minako Miyazaki Hildegard M. Mohr Joanne Moldenhauer Barbara Molloy Michael & Jennifer Moran Christopher Motley Owen Mulholland Diane & John Musgrave June Nadler Alan B. Newman, M.D Eleanor Norris Joan Norton Crystal Olson Jerome Oremland Pat & Larry Pagendorm Claire Perry J. William Pezick Linda & Nelson Polsby Lawrence & Erica Posner Nancy Raney Janet Reider Eugene & Libby Renkin Carolyn Revelle Maria Reyes & Thomas Plumb Gail Riley & Moira Little Rebecca Rishell Wendy Robertson 53
Contributors & Acknowledgments Lewis Robinson David Robinson Jay Russell William Senecal & Karen Roseland Lawrence Severino Douglas Shaker Nina Shoebatter Steve Siegelman Harold Skilbred & Rochelle Matonich Richard Soehren Robert & Ellen Spaethling Lisa Spencer Dan Stanley Judith Stanley Mason & Sandra Stober Lorelei Tanji Christine Telleen Margaret Traylor Robert Visser Michael Weston Mary Wildavsky Norman Williams Ron & Marlene Wizelman Kurt Wootton & Ken Fulk Carolyn Yee & Bill L. Lee BACH KIDS Sharon & Richard Boyer, in honor of: Jake D. Sutter Keira N. Sutter Alexander J. Sutter Leah G. Sutter Jan Goldberg, in honor of: Cameron Gremmels Michael Goldberg Alexander Goldberg Dorli & David Hanchette, in honor of: Kevin Wottrich Meaghan Wottrich Sandy Ogden in honor of: Sarah Sterling Ogden Katherine Lanier Ogden Matthew Currier Ogden Ashley Katrine Ogden TRIBUTES Anonymous in memory of Robert Volberg Phyllis & Thomas Baer in honor of Katherine McKee Roberts Sharon & Richard Boyer in memory of Mamie F. Vercelli in memory of Edward T. Smithburn in memory of Rosemary Pollastrini Jeffery & Judy Gough in honor of Don Scott Carpenter Janice Masterton in honor of Jim & Jennifer Steelquist in memory of Larry Masterton 54
Sandy Ogden in memory of Michael Barcun in memory of Patricia Wolf in honor of Mr. & Mrs. Charles C. Ogden in honor of Dr. & Mrs. David L. Ogden Tia Pollastrini in appreciation of Mom Sher Libby & Gene Renkin in honor of Harriet & Bill Lovitt Robert Ripps & Steven Spector in honor of Don Scott Carpenter Colby & Katherine Roberts in memory of Patricia Wolf Karen & Michael Traynor in honor of Dr. Garniss H. Curtiss IN-KIND SUPPORT Businesses and Organizations American Conservatory Theater Anchor Brewing Company Ballanico Restaurant & Wine Bar Banana Blossom Thai Berkeley Repertory Theatre Bistro Ginolina Chabot Space & Science Center Claremont Hotel & Spa de Luna Jewelry Delicious! Catering Grgich Hills Estate Heart O’ The Mountain Winery Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Lark Theater Left Bank Brasserie Marin Symphony Marin Theatre Marzano on Park Meeker Vineyard Merola Opera Program Musica Pacifica Musical Offering Oakland A’s Pezzi King Vineyards Rock Wall Wines Sam’s Anchor Cafe San Francisco Giants San Francisco Opera Smith-Rafael Film Center Stone Tree Cellars Trumer Brauerei Community Individuals Carol Alonso Sharon Boyer Christine Brandes Jonathan Dimmock Cynthia Foster Marilyn Greenblat Benjamin & Lynette Hart Phil & Ruth Hicks Ken Hoffman Elfrieda Langemann Judith Linsenberg Raymond Martinez Andrew Morgan Paul Morin David Morris Helen Drake Muirhead Kaneez Munjee Katherine Roberts Perl
Diana Pray Nancy Quinn & Tom Driscoll Colby Roberts Harvey Rogers David Taylor & Hanneke van Proosdij Millicent Tomkins Tanya Tomkins Michele Ü Heidi Waterman David Wilson Rick Yoshimoto This list represents contributions received between June 20, 2011 and June 20, 2012. We deeply regret any errors or omissions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Colin Murdoch Mary Ellen Poole Seth Ducey Murrey Nelson San Francisco Conservatory of Music Melanie Smith Julianne Hoerl San Francisco Girls Chorus Delicious! Catering Dobbs Ferry Restaurant Kevin & Maria Boden James Meehan Elisabeth Reed & Andrew Luchansky Ken & Marjorie Sauer Tanya Tomkins & Eric Zivian Housing and Hospitality FESTIVAL USHERS & VOLUNTEERS Anne Averill Keith Baillie Elizabeth Baldridge Larry Becker Rhoda Becker Al Bernstein Sheila Brooke Mable Chan Anne Conway Kevin Downing Susan Ford Sara Frucht Karen Gierlach Paul Gierlach Tina Haner Elaine Johnson Bill Langley Lisa Levine Wendy Moseley Karen Stella Ruth Ungar Margriet Wetherwax Bu Wirth Marlene Wizelman Ron Wizelman
Classical KDFC is Bach on Classical KDFC
104.9 FM in the South Bay & Peninsula
Learn more at KDFC.com
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Where it all begins.
Historical Performance Program Faculty and Guest Artist Recitals Thursday, September 13, 8 p.m., $20/$15 Corey Jamason fortepiano Elizabeth Blumenstock baroque violin Elisabeth Reed baroque cello Christine Brandes soprano Mozart chamber works and lieder Master Class: Friday, September 14, 7:30 p.m., free* Guest Artist Recital: Sunday, September 16, 2:00 p.m., free* Anthony Newman harpsichord Wednesday, October 10, 8 p.m., $20/$15 Corey Jamason harpsichord Elisabeth Reed viola da gamba with Special guests Wieland Kuijken viola da gamba and Eva LegĂŞne recorder
Conservatory Baroque Ensemble Corey Jamason and Elisabeth Reed, co-directors Wednesday, October 17, 8 p.m., free* Vocal concert of Purcell songs Sunday, November 4, 2 p.m., free* Orchestral concert Saturday, March 9, 7 p.m., free* | Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m., free* Handel Ariodante (concert version) Friday, April 19, 8 p.m., free* Chamber music for strings and winds Sunday, April 21, 2 p.m., free* Featuring winners of the Baroque Ensemble Concerto Competition Wednesday, May 1, 1 p.m., free* Baroque cello class concert
*reservations required | 415.503.6275 | 50 Oak Street San Francisco
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SEASON SPONSOR