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RGF Integrated Wealth Management Spotlight Series

A Little Bit of Mozart

December 13, 2020 2:00 PM

Otto Tausk, conductor

Nicholas Wright, concertmaster

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G major, K.525

“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (A Little Night Music)

I  Allegro

II  Romanze: Andante

III  Menuetto: Allegretto

IV  Rondo: Allegro

EDVARD GRIEG  Holberg Suite, Op. 40

“Fra Holbergs tid” (From Holberg’s Time)

I  Praeludium (Allegro vivace)

II  Sarabande (Andante)

III  Gavotte (Allegretto)

IV  Air (Andante religioso)

V  Rigaudon (Allegro con brio)

The first of a series of performances featuring Mozart, this concert pairs two gorgeous works that consistently list as classical favourites around the world. Maestro Otto Tausk leads Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and VSO Concertmaster Nicholas Wright leads Grieg's Holberg Suite. Join us for an intimate and detailed performance of these string masterpieces.

Otto Tausk, conductor

Dutch conductor Otto Tausk is the Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, now in his third season. He is also the newly announced Chief Conductor of recently formed Phion Orkest van Gelderland & Overijssel. Until spring 2018, Tausk was Music Director of the Opera Theatre and Tonhalle Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen. He appears as a guest with such orchestras as Concertgebouworkest, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky  Orchestra, the orchestras of Perth, Tasmania, Auckland, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he made his BBC Proms debut in August 2018. He is a hugely respected musical personality in his native Holland, working with all its major orchestras and composers.

In the 2020/21 season, Tausk continues guesting relationships with orchestras such as Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Het Gelders Orkest, Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. In Vancouver, Tausk will lead an innovative reimagined season in response to COVID-19, showcasing the orchestra with a curated series of digital performances.

In the opera pit, he will conduct Michel van der Aa’s new opera ‘Upload’, with the world premiere at Dutch National Opera, plus further appearances with the other co-commissioning parties including Oper Köln. In St. Gallen, Tausk conducted the world premiere of ‘Annas Maske’, by Swiss composer David Philip Hefti, the Swiss premiere of George Benjamin’s ‘Written on Skin’, Korngold’s ‘Die Tote Stadt’ and other titles including ‘Don Giovanni’, ‘Die Entführung aus dem Serail’, ‘Eugene Onegin’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’.

Tausk has recorded with the Concertgebouworkest (Luc Brewaeys, and an animated version of Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’), Tonhalle Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen (Korngold and Diepenbrock), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Mendelssohn) and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Gavin Bryars) amongst others. For the cpo label in 2011 Hans Pfitzner’s enchanting Orchesterlieder garnered international praise, not least the Classica France’s ‘Choc du mois’. His Prokofiev disc with Rosanne Philippens also received BBC Music Magazine Concerto Disc of the Month (2018).

Born in Utrecht, Otto Tausk initially studied violin and then conducting with Jonas Aleksa. Between 2004 and 2006, Tausk was assistant conductor to Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, a period of study that had a profound impact on him. In 2011 Tausk was presented with the ‘De Olifant’ prize by the City of Haarlem. He received this prestigious award for his contribution to the Arts in the Netherlands, in particular his extensive work with Holland Symfonia serving as Music Director 2007 to 2012. In reflecting on their work together in The Netherlands, Valery Gergiev paid particular tribute to Tausk on this occasion.

ottotausk.nl

Nicholas Wright, violin

Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Wright is a native of England. His engagements as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician have taken him to most of the major concert halls in Europe, Asia and North America. He has performed concertos with orchestras worldwide including the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Oman Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. His repertoire spans works from Handel to premieres by composers such as Kelly-Marie Murphy and Jocelyn Morlock, whose works he recently recorded for the Naxos label. He made his solo debut with the York Guildhall Orchestra playing the Dvořák Romance, which was recorded for BBC Radio 3. His concerts and recordings have also been featured on CBC Radio (Canada) and Radio 4 (Hong Kong). As an orchestral musician, Nicholas has worked with the world’s most renowned conductors including Bernard Haitink, Sir Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev and Mstislav Rostropovich. He has performed extensively with the major chamber and symphony orchestras in London including the English Chamber and London Philharmonic Orchestras, and has appeared as guest concertmaster with orchestras such as the Bournemouth Symphony, BBC Concert and Ulster Orchestras. In 2003, he was appointed as the youngest member of the London Symphony Orchestra where he held the first violin sub-principal position, and in addition collaborated with film composers John Williams and Alexandre Desplat.

As a chamber musician Nicholas regularly takes part in series such as the Mainly Mozart Festival, Ribble Valley Festival, LSO and VSO chamber players and Vancouver’s Music on Main. He has performed in venues such as LSO St Luke’s and has collaborated with many renowned artists including Martin Roscoe and Simon Wright. Prior to his appointment as concertmaster of the VSO, he was first violinist of the critically acclaimed Vancouver based Koerner Quartet.

Nicholas received his training as a scholar at the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Itzhak Rashkovsky and Rodney Friend. In addition to winning prizes at the Royal College, Nicholas has been generously supported by grants from the Martin Musical Fund, the Craxton Memorial Fund and the Royal Overseas League. This has enabled him to study with many eminent musicians including Ruggiero Ricci and Gil Shaham. Nicholas enjoys teaching and has given many masterclasses internationally. He is on the faculty of the VSO School of Music. Nicholas plays on a violin by Stefan-Peter Greiner.

‘wonderfully judged with seemingly effortless projection of tone…..It was a triumph.‘ - The York Press

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1919, the Grammy and Juno-award winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the third largest orchestra in Canada, the largest arts organization in Western Canada, and one of the few orchestras in the world to have its own music school.

Led by Music Director Otto Tausk since 2018, the VSO performs more than 150 concerts each year, throughout Vancouver and the province of British Columbia, reaching over 270,000 people annually. On tour the VSO has performed in the United States, China, Korea and across Canada.

The orchestra presents passionate, high-quality performances of classical, popular and culturally diverse music, creating meaningful engagement with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Recent guest artists include Daniil Trifonov, Dawn Upshaw, James Ehnes, Adrianne Pieczonka, Gidon Kremer, Renée Fleming, Yefim Bronfman, Itzhak Perlman, Bernadette Peters, Tan Dun, and more.

For the 2020-21 season the VSO has created the innovative streaming service TheConcertHall.ca, a virtual home for a virtual season, where more than forty performances will be released throughout the year.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

b. Salzburg, Austria / January 27, 1756

d. Vienna, Austria / December 5, 1791

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s serenade, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – a little night music – opens with one of the most familiar melodies of classical music. Thirty-one-year-old Mozart composed this famous serenade in August of 1787, the same month he finished the second act of his famous opera, Don Giovanni.

“Mozart is Sweet Sunshine” – Antonín Dvořák

The prominent romantic Czech composer Antonín Dvořák described Mozart’s music as “sweet sunshine”. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is a classic example of the liveliness, joyfulness, and cheerfulness of his compositions. Mozart composed over 600 works in his lifetime of which more than 90% accounts for pieces in major keys. This reflects the role that composers played during the 18th century as court musicians or as freelance musicians, whose job was to compose for their clients’ pleasure. Music was performed merely as entertainment, or even as background music for occasions such as family gatherings and private parties.

Mozart’s Hidden Struggles

1787 was a particularly difficult year for Mozart. While successful performances of The Marriage of Figaro in Vienna and Prague brought him to the pinnacle of his fame, he lost both his father Leopold and his mother, Anna Maria within months. On top of that, he started to accumulate debt from his lavish lifestyle and hefty spending. The shadows of financial difficulties and emotional struggles followed Mozart until his death in 1791. But his gifted talent combined with a wealth of experience allowed him to thrive musically in the last few years of his life. During the period between 1787 and 1791, he composed significant works such as Symphony No. 40, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”, the opera The Magic Flute, and his unfinished Requiem.

The Missing Second Menuetto

Contrasted to his careless spending habits, Mozart had kept a detailed personal catalog of his compositions. The title Eine Kleine Nachtmusik comes from Mozart’s catalog entry for this piece, which also mentions that it includes five movements with an extra Menuetto. Some believe that he decided to use it as a part of another work, perhaps for one of his piano sonatas. As a result, this serenade contains four movements that follow fast (Allegro) – slow (Romanze or Romance) – a dance in triple meter (Menuetto) – fast (Allegro), redolent of a symphony.

Program Notes: Rei Ikeda

Otto Tausk, Music Director

First Violins

Nicholas Wright, Concertmaster - Ron and Ardelle Cliff Chair

Timothy Steeves, Associate Concertmaster - William and Irene McEwen Chair

Jae-Won Bang

Mary Sokol Brown - Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee Chair

Rebecca Whitling

Yi Zhou

Second Violins

Karen Gerbrecht, Acting Principal

Ashley Plaut, Acting Assistant Principal

Cassandra Bequary

Ann Okagaito

Carina Vincenti

Violas

Andrew Brown, Acting Principal

Katrina Chitty

Angela Schneider - Professors Mr. and Mrs. Ngou Kang Chair

Jacob van der Sloot

Cellos

Henry Shapard, Principal - Nezhat and Hassan Khosrowshahi Chair

Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal

Natasha Boyko - Mary and Gordon Christopher Chair

Basses

Dylan Palmer, Principal

Evan Hulbert, Associate Principal

EDVARD GRIEG

b. Bergen, Norway / June 15, 1843

d. Bergen, Norway / September 4, 1907

The Holberg Suite, originally named “From Holberg’s Time”, was written by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg in 1884 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Ludvig Holberg. This popular string ensemble work is composed of five movements, each representing a style of Baroque dances from the 17th and the 18th centuries.

Grieg’s Tribute to Holberg and the Age of Enlightenment

Since Grieg and Holberg shared their hometown of Bergen, Norway, it was only natural that Grieg felt close to Holberg. Born in 1684, Holberg was known as a man of many talents: he wrote many literary works on topics such as history, philosophy, and law. He also made a successful career as a comedy writer, producing many theatrical works containing social commentaries and satires. He lived during the age of enlightenment, a movement that explored ideas such as religion, reason, and nature to further improve humanity. Notable composers from Holberg’s time include Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, and George Frideric Handel, all of whom wrote music in the Baroque style. A variety of popular French Baroque dances, such as Sarabande, Gavotte, Musette, and Rigaudon, are portrayed in the suite.

Grieg’s Holberg Suite - a Forerunner of Neoclassicism

The Holberg Suite is an early example of neoclassicism – a style of composition that later became popular among composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev during the 20th century. In contrast to late-romantic works that attempted to break out of established conventions, neoclassical compositions were built upon the musical styles and forms of the past. While many works from the romantic era were created as programmatic music – music that tells a particular story, neoclassical works were created as absolute music – music that does not associate itself with a particular narrative.

Edvard Grieg and his Norwegian Roots

Although Grieg follows the style of Baroque music, his own voice is apparent in the score. He was a central figure in the rise of musical nationalism during the 19th century, establishing his national identity through compositions that reflected the musical traditions of Norway. In the “Gavotte” he uses a drone, where the cello part plays a steady open chord while others play the melody, a technique he used often to portray Norwegian dance music. The final movement “Rigaudon” starts with a playful violin-viola duet that resembles the Hardanger folk fiddle playing of his homeland.

Program Notes: Rei Ikeda

First Violins

Nicholas Wright, Concertmaster / Leader - Ron and Ardelle Cliff Chair

Timothy Steeves, Associate Concertmaster - William and Irene McEwen Chair

Jae-Won Bang

Mary Sokol Brown - Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee Chair

Rebecca Whitling

Yi Zhou

Second Violins

Karen Gerbrecht, Acting Principal

Ashley Plaut, Acting Assistant Principal

Carina Vincenti

Xue Feng Wei

Kimi Hamaguchi *

Alicia Venables *

Violas

Emilie Grimes, Acting Associate Principal

Katrina Chitty

Angela Schneider - Professors Mr. and Mrs. Ngou Kang Chair

Jacob van der Sloot

Cellos

Henry Shapard, Principal - Nezhat and Hassan Khosrowshahi Chair

Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal

Luke Kim - Dr. Malcolm Hayes and Lester Soo Chair

Cristian Márkos - Tim Wyman and Susan Gabe Chair

Basses

Dylan Palmer, Principal

J. Warren Long

* Extra Musician

Series Performances

This is some text inside of a div block.
Beethoven & Sibelius
This is some text inside of a div block.
A Little Bit of Mozart
This is some text inside of a div block.
Mo-Zart!
This is some text inside of a div block.
d'Amore
This is some text inside of a div block.
An Afternoon of Mendelssohn
This is some text inside of a div block.
Bach, Agócs & Mozart
More series performances to be announced.
Donate

STREAMING IN:

00
DAYS
00
HOURS
00
MIN
00
SEC
Some web browsers automatically mute video players. If you do not hear audio during the performance try adjusting the volume in the video player.

STREAMING IN:

00
DAYS
00
HOURS
00
MIN
00
SEC
Some web browsers automatically mute video players. If you do not hear audio during the performance try adjusting the volume in the video player.
Subscribe Now
Subscribe now to make sure you have access to complete performances as they are released
Subscribe Now
Subscribe now to make sure you have access to complete performances as they are released

RGF Integrated Wealth Management Spotlight Series

A Little Bit of Mozart

December 13, 2020 2:00 PM

Otto Tausk, conductor

Nicholas Wright, concertmaster

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Serenade No. 13 for Strings in G major, K.525

“Eine kleine Nachtmusik” (A Little Night Music)

I  Allegro

II  Romanze: Andante

III  Menuetto: Allegretto

IV  Rondo: Allegro

EDVARD GRIEG  Holberg Suite, Op. 40

“Fra Holbergs tid” (From Holberg’s Time)

I  Praeludium (Allegro vivace)

II  Sarabande (Andante)

III  Gavotte (Allegretto)

IV  Air (Andante religioso)

V  Rigaudon (Allegro con brio)

The first of a series of performances featuring Mozart, this concert pairs two gorgeous works that consistently list as classical favourites around the world. Maestro Otto Tausk leads Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and VSO Concertmaster Nicholas Wright leads Grieg's Holberg Suite. Join us for an intimate and detailed performance of these string masterpieces.

Otto Tausk, conductor

Dutch conductor Otto Tausk is the Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, now in his third season. He is also the newly announced Chief Conductor of recently formed Phion Orkest van Gelderland & Overijssel. Until spring 2018, Tausk was Music Director of the Opera Theatre and Tonhalle Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen. He appears as a guest with such orchestras as Concertgebouworkest, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, Philharmonie Südwestfalen, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Mariinsky  Orchestra, the orchestras of Perth, Tasmania, Auckland, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales, with whom he made his BBC Proms debut in August 2018. He is a hugely respected musical personality in his native Holland, working with all its major orchestras and composers.

In the 2020/21 season, Tausk continues guesting relationships with orchestras such as Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Het Gelders Orkest, Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. In Vancouver, Tausk will lead an innovative reimagined season in response to COVID-19, showcasing the orchestra with a curated series of digital performances.

In the opera pit, he will conduct Michel van der Aa’s new opera ‘Upload’, with the world premiere at Dutch National Opera, plus further appearances with the other co-commissioning parties including Oper Köln. In St. Gallen, Tausk conducted the world premiere of ‘Annas Maske’, by Swiss composer David Philip Hefti, the Swiss premiere of George Benjamin’s ‘Written on Skin’, Korngold’s ‘Die Tote Stadt’ and other titles including ‘Don Giovanni’, ‘Die Entführung aus dem Serail’, ‘Eugene Onegin’, ‘West Side Story’, ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’.

Tausk has recorded with the Concertgebouworkest (Luc Brewaeys, and an animated version of Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf’), Tonhalle Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen (Korngold and Diepenbrock), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Mendelssohn) and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra (Gavin Bryars) amongst others. For the cpo label in 2011 Hans Pfitzner’s enchanting Orchesterlieder garnered international praise, not least the Classica France’s ‘Choc du mois’. His Prokofiev disc with Rosanne Philippens also received BBC Music Magazine Concerto Disc of the Month (2018).

Born in Utrecht, Otto Tausk initially studied violin and then conducting with Jonas Aleksa. Between 2004 and 2006, Tausk was assistant conductor to Valery Gergiev with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, a period of study that had a profound impact on him. In 2011 Tausk was presented with the ‘De Olifant’ prize by the City of Haarlem. He received this prestigious award for his contribution to the Arts in the Netherlands, in particular his extensive work with Holland Symfonia serving as Music Director 2007 to 2012. In reflecting on their work together in The Netherlands, Valery Gergiev paid particular tribute to Tausk on this occasion.

ottotausk.nl

Nicholas Wright, violin

Concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Wright is a native of England. His engagements as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician have taken him to most of the major concert halls in Europe, Asia and North America. He has performed concertos with orchestras worldwide including the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Royal Oman Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. His repertoire spans works from Handel to premieres by composers such as Kelly-Marie Murphy and Jocelyn Morlock, whose works he recently recorded for the Naxos label. He made his solo debut with the York Guildhall Orchestra playing the Dvořák Romance, which was recorded for BBC Radio 3. His concerts and recordings have also been featured on CBC Radio (Canada) and Radio 4 (Hong Kong). As an orchestral musician, Nicholas has worked with the world’s most renowned conductors including Bernard Haitink, Sir Simon Rattle, Valery Gergiev and Mstislav Rostropovich. He has performed extensively with the major chamber and symphony orchestras in London including the English Chamber and London Philharmonic Orchestras, and has appeared as guest concertmaster with orchestras such as the Bournemouth Symphony, BBC Concert and Ulster Orchestras. In 2003, he was appointed as the youngest member of the London Symphony Orchestra where he held the first violin sub-principal position, and in addition collaborated with film composers John Williams and Alexandre Desplat.

As a chamber musician Nicholas regularly takes part in series such as the Mainly Mozart Festival, Ribble Valley Festival, LSO and VSO chamber players and Vancouver’s Music on Main. He has performed in venues such as LSO St Luke’s and has collaborated with many renowned artists including Martin Roscoe and Simon Wright. Prior to his appointment as concertmaster of the VSO, he was first violinist of the critically acclaimed Vancouver based Koerner Quartet.

Nicholas received his training as a scholar at the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Itzhak Rashkovsky and Rodney Friend. In addition to winning prizes at the Royal College, Nicholas has been generously supported by grants from the Martin Musical Fund, the Craxton Memorial Fund and the Royal Overseas League. This has enabled him to study with many eminent musicians including Ruggiero Ricci and Gil Shaham. Nicholas enjoys teaching and has given many masterclasses internationally. He is on the faculty of the VSO School of Music. Nicholas plays on a violin by Stefan-Peter Greiner.

‘wonderfully judged with seemingly effortless projection of tone…..It was a triumph.‘ - The York Press

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1919, the Grammy and Juno-award winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is the third largest orchestra in Canada, the largest arts organization in Western Canada, and one of the few orchestras in the world to have its own music school.

Led by Music Director Otto Tausk since 2018, the VSO performs more than 150 concerts each year, throughout Vancouver and the province of British Columbia, reaching over 270,000 people annually. On tour the VSO has performed in the United States, China, Korea and across Canada.

The orchestra presents passionate, high-quality performances of classical, popular and culturally diverse music, creating meaningful engagement with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Recent guest artists include Daniil Trifonov, Dawn Upshaw, James Ehnes, Adrianne Pieczonka, Gidon Kremer, Renée Fleming, Yefim Bronfman, Itzhak Perlman, Bernadette Peters, Tan Dun, and more.

For the 2020-21 season the VSO has created the innovative streaming service TheConcertHall.ca, a virtual home for a virtual season, where more than forty performances will be released throughout the year.

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

b. Salzburg, Austria / January 27, 1756

d. Vienna, Austria / December 5, 1791

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s serenade, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – a little night music – opens with one of the most familiar melodies of classical music. Thirty-one-year-old Mozart composed this famous serenade in August of 1787, the same month he finished the second act of his famous opera, Don Giovanni.

“Mozart is Sweet Sunshine” – Antonín Dvořák

The prominent romantic Czech composer Antonín Dvořák described Mozart’s music as “sweet sunshine”. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is a classic example of the liveliness, joyfulness, and cheerfulness of his compositions. Mozart composed over 600 works in his lifetime of which more than 90% accounts for pieces in major keys. This reflects the role that composers played during the 18th century as court musicians or as freelance musicians, whose job was to compose for their clients’ pleasure. Music was performed merely as entertainment, or even as background music for occasions such as family gatherings and private parties.

Mozart’s Hidden Struggles

1787 was a particularly difficult year for Mozart. While successful performances of The Marriage of Figaro in Vienna and Prague brought him to the pinnacle of his fame, he lost both his father Leopold and his mother, Anna Maria within months. On top of that, he started to accumulate debt from his lavish lifestyle and hefty spending. The shadows of financial difficulties and emotional struggles followed Mozart until his death in 1791. But his gifted talent combined with a wealth of experience allowed him to thrive musically in the last few years of his life. During the period between 1787 and 1791, he composed significant works such as Symphony No. 40, Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”, the opera The Magic Flute, and his unfinished Requiem.

The Missing Second Menuetto

Contrasted to his careless spending habits, Mozart had kept a detailed personal catalog of his compositions. The title Eine Kleine Nachtmusik comes from Mozart’s catalog entry for this piece, which also mentions that it includes five movements with an extra Menuetto. Some believe that he decided to use it as a part of another work, perhaps for one of his piano sonatas. As a result, this serenade contains four movements that follow fast (Allegro) – slow (Romanze or Romance) – a dance in triple meter (Menuetto) – fast (Allegro), redolent of a symphony.

Program Notes: Rei Ikeda

Otto Tausk, Music Director

First Violins

Nicholas Wright, Concertmaster - Ron and Ardelle Cliff Chair

Timothy Steeves, Associate Concertmaster - William and Irene McEwen Chair

Jae-Won Bang

Mary Sokol Brown - Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee Chair

Rebecca Whitling

Yi Zhou

Second Violins

Karen Gerbrecht, Acting Principal

Ashley Plaut, Acting Assistant Principal

Cassandra Bequary

Ann Okagaito

Carina Vincenti

Violas

Andrew Brown, Acting Principal

Katrina Chitty

Angela Schneider - Professors Mr. and Mrs. Ngou Kang Chair

Jacob van der Sloot

Cellos

Henry Shapard, Principal - Nezhat and Hassan Khosrowshahi Chair

Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal

Natasha Boyko - Mary and Gordon Christopher Chair

Basses

Dylan Palmer, Principal

Evan Hulbert, Associate Principal

EDVARD GRIEG

b. Bergen, Norway / June 15, 1843

d. Bergen, Norway / September 4, 1907

The Holberg Suite, originally named “From Holberg’s Time”, was written by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg in 1884 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Ludvig Holberg. This popular string ensemble work is composed of five movements, each representing a style of Baroque dances from the 17th and the 18th centuries.

Grieg’s Tribute to Holberg and the Age of Enlightenment

Since Grieg and Holberg shared their hometown of Bergen, Norway, it was only natural that Grieg felt close to Holberg. Born in 1684, Holberg was known as a man of many talents: he wrote many literary works on topics such as history, philosophy, and law. He also made a successful career as a comedy writer, producing many theatrical works containing social commentaries and satires. He lived during the age of enlightenment, a movement that explored ideas such as religion, reason, and nature to further improve humanity. Notable composers from Holberg’s time include Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, and George Frideric Handel, all of whom wrote music in the Baroque style. A variety of popular French Baroque dances, such as Sarabande, Gavotte, Musette, and Rigaudon, are portrayed in the suite.

Grieg’s Holberg Suite - a Forerunner of Neoclassicism

The Holberg Suite is an early example of neoclassicism – a style of composition that later became popular among composers such as Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Prokofiev during the 20th century. In contrast to late-romantic works that attempted to break out of established conventions, neoclassical compositions were built upon the musical styles and forms of the past. While many works from the romantic era were created as programmatic music – music that tells a particular story, neoclassical works were created as absolute music – music that does not associate itself with a particular narrative.

Edvard Grieg and his Norwegian Roots

Although Grieg follows the style of Baroque music, his own voice is apparent in the score. He was a central figure in the rise of musical nationalism during the 19th century, establishing his national identity through compositions that reflected the musical traditions of Norway. In the “Gavotte” he uses a drone, where the cello part plays a steady open chord while others play the melody, a technique he used often to portray Norwegian dance music. The final movement “Rigaudon” starts with a playful violin-viola duet that resembles the Hardanger folk fiddle playing of his homeland.

Program Notes: Rei Ikeda

First Violins

Nicholas Wright, Concertmaster / Leader - Ron and Ardelle Cliff Chair

Timothy Steeves, Associate Concertmaster - William and Irene McEwen Chair

Jae-Won Bang

Mary Sokol Brown - Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee Chair

Rebecca Whitling

Yi Zhou

Second Violins

Karen Gerbrecht, Acting Principal

Ashley Plaut, Acting Assistant Principal

Carina Vincenti

Xue Feng Wei

Kimi Hamaguchi *

Alicia Venables *

Violas

Emilie Grimes, Acting Associate Principal

Katrina Chitty

Angela Schneider - Professors Mr. and Mrs. Ngou Kang Chair

Jacob van der Sloot

Cellos

Henry Shapard, Principal - Nezhat and Hassan Khosrowshahi Chair

Zoltan Rozsnyai, Assistant Principal

Luke Kim - Dr. Malcolm Hayes and Lester Soo Chair

Cristian Márkos - Tim Wyman and Susan Gabe Chair

Basses

Dylan Palmer, Principal

J. Warren Long

* Extra Musician

Series Performances

This is some text inside of a div block.
Beethoven & Sibelius
This is some text inside of a div block.
A Little Bit of Mozart
This is some text inside of a div block.
Mo-Zart!
This is some text inside of a div block.
d'Amore
This is some text inside of a div block.
An Afternoon of Mendelssohn
This is some text inside of a div block.
Bach, Agócs & Mozart
More series performances to be announced.
Donate