Bach-Collegium Stuttgart for the benefit of ... - Scheide Concerts

Tonight is a very special night for Bill and me. First, we’ll be
enjoying some of the world’s most beautiful music with you. As many
of you know, Bach occupies a special place in Bill’s mind and heart
(particularly the Cantatas), and we’re delighted to welcome Mark Laycock,
the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, and a host of brilliant artists to share their
interpretation of these little-heard pieces.
Second, we’ll have the privilege of honoring Centurion Ministries,
which for years has been defending -- and freeing -- men and women who
have been unjustly imprisoned. That moving mission of liberation resonates
deeply with Bill’s lifelong commitment to justice, and we’re delighted to
share tonight’s proceeds with Centurion.
Finally, and for me most importantly, tonight we’ll have the chance
to celebrate a life. But not just any life: As Bill enters his 96th year, I am
continually struck by his love of the arts, his passion for justice, and his zest
for living. I know you join me in saying -- better yet, singing! -- “Happy
Birthday!” to this extraordinary man.
Bach, Centurion, Bill. Tonight we celebrate all three. Thank you for
coming to this very special event. Enjoy the evening!
Judith McCartin Scheide
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William H. Scheide
Bill Scheide is a musician, philanthropist and a humanitarian. Throughout his life,
he has chosen to be a quiet, background force for civil rights and equal opportunity. For
more than five decades, Bill has played a crucial and invaluable part in the advancing the
goals of The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and has served on the board of
Princeton’s Joint Commission on Human Rights.
An only child, William H. Scheide was born on January 6, 1914. He grew up in a
household passionate about music, culture, rare books, and the well-being of others. His
father played the piano, and his mother was a singer. At age 6, Bill began piano lessons,
and his ardor for music remains unquenched.
Bill is a Bach scholar who majored in history at Princeton (Class of 1936)
because there was no music department at the time and then earned an M.A. in music
at Columbia in 1940. He was the first American to be published in Bach Jahrbuch,
“the” journal of Bach scholarship. In 1946, Bill founded and directed the Bach Aria
Group, a vocal and instrumental ensemble that performed and recorded for almost 40
years. He highlighted arias from the cantatas which he believed were underappreciated
and underperformed. Bill has said that “Everyone knows the B-minor Mass, and the
Brandenburg concerti. But, in the cantatas, there is another huge body of music as
beautiful as anything you could ever hear.”
Bill has endowed a professorship of music history at Princeton and made possible
the construction of the Arthur Mendel Music Library in Woolworth, named in honor of
his friend the late Princeton professor.
He is renowned for his interest in and collection of rare books. He is the owner of
the Scheide Library, now housed in Firestone Library, which contains books and early
manuscripts acquired by his grandfather, William T. Scheide; his father, John H. Scheide
(1896); and him. The Scheide Library holds copies of the first four Bibles ever printed
and other incunabula, Americana, and musical manuscripts of J. S. Bach, Beethoven,
Mozart, Schubert, and Wagner.
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In 1994, Princeton University awarded Scheide an honorary doctorate of humane letters,
recognizing him as an “advocate, scholar, student, benefactor, and friend.”
Despite all he has done and contributed to Princeton and other causes, Scheide is a
“supremely modest man,” wrote President Tilghman in a published booklet honoring his 90th
birthday and his library collection. “He would rather discuss his books and manuscripts and J. S.
Bach than bask in tributes to himself.”
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A Tribute to William H. Scheide
Centurion Ministries is humbled and honored that Bill and Judy Scheide have designated us
to be the beneficiary of this grand event which celebrates Bill’s 95th birthday. For almost 10 years
now, Bill and Judy have very generously supported the work of CM. Just as importantly, he and
Judy faithfully attend the many “welcome home” celebrations for the exonerated when we bring
them to Princeton at some point subsequent to their release. Bill joyfully meets and greets them as
enthusiastically as they do him, knowing that his support was instrumental in their liberation. Bill
is a trouper who likes to see for himself and embrace up close and personal those whose lives he
has helped to redeem and transform.
When we think of Bill and his lifetime of numerous and varied philanthropic and personal
interests, we are reminded of the scripture admonition by the prophet Micah when he said,
“What is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God.” Those who know Bill and have been fortunate enough to be
touched by and included in his world immediately recognize that this perfectly fits Bill. His
unassuming and modest manner quietly disguises his strong spiritual faith and his passion for
justice and equality for all. Refusing to confine himself to the comforts of Princeton and his
own estate, Bill’s huge heart for the disenfranchised and disadvantaged throughout his life has
compelled him to do his best to provide them an equal opportunity to enter into the mainstream
of life.
On behalf Centurion’s Board of Directors, our entire staff and volunteers, and all those
whom we have served and will serve, we happily say to you, Bill, Thank You and Happy 95th
Birthday!
Jim McCloskey, Executive Director, Centurion Ministries
Kate Germond, Director, Centurion Ministries
www.centurionministries.org
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Centurion Ministries
A non-profit corporation headquartered in Princeton, NJ, Centurion Ministries, Inc. (CM)
is the first organization ever established in the United States whose purpose is to identify and
free from prison those factually innocent men and women falsely convicted and serving a life or
death sentence for the crimes of others. Recognized in North America as the pioneer in this field,
CM has freed 43 innocent inmates across the nation and in Canada since its founding in 1980.
Collectively and tragically, these folks have served almost 850 years of false imprisonment. At any
given time, CM labors on behalf of 20 to 25 wrongly incarcerated people throughout the nation.
In achieving its objective, at no cost to the client CM conducts a thorough investigation
and works with the best attorneys and forensic experts from across the nation to obtain judicial
relief. CM also assists those we free to reintegrate into society on a self-reliant basis.
In attendance this evening to
help celebrate Bill Scheide’s 95th
birthday are 20 of the 43 men and
women freed and exonerated by
CM, most of whom would not be
free were it not for Bill & Judy’s
extraordinary support of CM
during the last decade. Fifteen of
those exonerees with us tonight
spent anywhere from 22 to 39 years
falsely imprisoned. Another one
was on Texas’ Death Row for 22
years. Each of the remaining four
were incarcerated from 10 to 20
years prior to CM securing their
freedom. Their convictions occurred
throughout the U.S. in such states
as California, Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York,
New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.
We encourage you to view the enclosed DVD as it will further illuminate the work of CM.
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In Ce l e b r a t i o n o f Wi l l i a m H. Sc h e i d e’s 95t h Bi r t h d a y
Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
Princeton University
Friday, 23 January 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart ~ Mark Laycock, conductor
Special Guest Artists
Mariam Nazarian, piano ~ Kristóf Baráti, violin ~ Layla Claire, soprano*
Emily Langford Johnson, mezzo-soprano* ~ Scott Ramsay, tenor* ~ Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone*
Mimi Stillman, flute ~ Julia Ströbel-Bänsch, oboe/oboe d’amore
Irene Draxinger, oboe/oboe d’amore ~ Matthias Wagner, cello
Webb Wiggins, continuo
Mu s i c o f Jo h a n n Se b a s t i a n Ba c h (1685-1750)
Sinfonia in D Major, BWV 1045
Kristóf Baráti
“Zweig und Äste zollen dir zu deinem Feste” from Cantata 205
Emily Langford Johnson, Scott Ramsay, Mimi Stillman
“Wenn Sorgen auf mich dringen” from Cantata 3
Layla Claire, Emily Langford Johnson, Julia Ströbel-Bänsch, Irene Draxinger, Kristóf Baráti
“Es ist vollbracht, das Leid ist alle” from Cantata 159
Daniel Mobbs, Julia Ströbel-Bänsch
“Leit, o Gott, durch deine Liebe” from Cantata 120a
Layla Claire, Kristóf Baráti
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Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
Mariam Nazarian
- Intermission -
“Wer hofft in Gott und dem vertraut” from Cantata 109
Layla Claire, Emily Langford Johnson, Scott Ramsay, Daniel Mobbs
Mimi Stillman, Julia Ströbel-Bänsch, Kristóf Baráti
“Stirb in mir, Welt, und alle deine Liebe” from Cantata 169
Emily Langford Johnson, Kristóf Baráti
“Woferne du den edlen Frieden” from Cantata 41
Scott Ramsay, Matthias Wagner
Die Fünfundneunzigste Geburtstagmusik
Mark Laycock, arr.
Ouverture No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
I. Ouverture
II. Air
III. Gavotte I, II
IV. Bourée
V. Gigue
* Singers Appear Courtesy of Opera New Jersey
No audio recording, photography, food, drink, or smoking is permitted in Richardson Auditorium.
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Maestro Mark Laycock
Internationally acclaimed conductor Mark Laycock has
appeared with orchestras of London, Paris, Moscow, Kiev,
Montréal, Mexico City, Seoul, and Taipei, among others.
Maestro Laycock’s recent engagements have included those
with the Bayerische KammerPhilharmonie, the Wiener
KammerOrchester, Festival Strings Lucerne, the Deutsches
Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle Weimar, as well as
his third consecutive appearances with the Bochumer
Symphoniker in Germany and the Georges Enescu
Philharmonic in Bucharest. The 2008-09 season includes
his first appearances in Finland and Norway.
At age 21, Maestro Laycock made his conducting
début with the Philadelphia Orchestra, returning to lead that Orchestra on numerous occasions.
His multiple re-engagements also include those with Symphonique d’Montréal, the Philharmonia
Orchestra of London at Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Centre, and the St. Paul Chamber
Orchestra in St. Paul as well as on tour. As a participant of “Project Uplift,” in June 2005, he
traveled to donate his services for a performance of the Verdi Requiem with the Sverdlovsk State
Philharmonic in Ekaterinburg, Russia. The 2006-2007 season included his first appearance in
Asia, conducting the TJB Orchestra Daejeon, with an immediate re-engagement and invitation to
return to Korea to conduct the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra at the Seoul Arts Center.
Maestro Laycock holds the distinction of being the first non-Russian ever invited to
appear at the Moscow Autumn Festival, conducting a program at the Moscow Conservatory’s
famed Tchaikovsky Hall. He also conducted the inaugural concert at the new Cairo Opera
House in 1988, as well as the sold-out first concert of classical music ever made open to the public
in Amman, Jordan. This sequence of events was chronicled in “Classical Caravan,” an Emmy
Award-winning television documentary produced by NJN public television. His début in Mexico
City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes in 2001 resulted in an immediate invitation to return the following
summer to teach a week-long master class to Mexico’s regional conductors.
Maestro Laycock began conducting at the age of 16, advancing his studies at the St. Louis
Conservatory of Music, and from 1975 to 1979 studied as a violist under the tutelage of the
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Curtis String Quartet in Philadelphia. Maestro Laycock was a Conducting Fellow at the Aspen Music
Festival, and the winner of the Leopold Stokowski Memorial Conducting Competition in association
with the Philadelphia Orchestra. From 1995-1998 Maestro Laycock was also Music Director of
Orchestra London Canada and was subsequently appointed Associate Conductor of the New Jersey
Symphony Orchestra.
As a published composer, his works have been performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, New
Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Canton (OH) Symphony Orchestra, and
the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, among others. Having conducted over 1,800 works, Maestro
Laycock has developed a reputation for being able to step in at the last minute, having been called
upon at very short notice to conduct programs that have included Brahms’ 1st and 4th Symphonies
(conducted from memory), Orff’s Carmina Burana, Strauss’ monumental Ein Heldenleben, and a full
production of “Carmen” without any rehearsal and to great critical and audience acclaim.
Maestro Laycock was Music Director of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra for more than 20
years, transforming that orchestra from a small chamber orchestra into a full and critically acclaimed
professional symphony orchestra awarded Citations of Excellence for two consecutive years from the
State Arts Council of New Jersey for “exhibiting the highest standards of artistic excellence.” Mark
Laycock and his family now make their home in Berlin.
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Bach-Collegium Stuttgart
Violin I
Walter Forchert
Odile Biard-Deutsch
Rahel Rilling
Martina Bartsch
Christina Eychmüller
Violin II
Thomas Gehring
Gotelind Himmler
Tilbert Weigel
Friederike Hess-Gagnon
Vi o l a
Nancy Sullivan
Lena Thies
Isolde Jonas
Ce l l o
Matthias Wagner
Ulf Borgwardt
Vatche Bagratuni
Ba s s
Albert Michael Locher
Ob o e
Julia Ströbel-Bänsch
Irene Draxinger
Ba s s o o n
Marc Engelhardt
Tr u m p e t
Sebastian Zech
Eberhard Kübler
Matthew Sadler
Ti m p a n i
Martin Ruda
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The Bach-Collegium Stuttgart was founded by
Helmuth Rilling in 1965. Hailing principally from
Southern Germany, the virtuosi that make up this
ensemble are particularly noted for their experience in
the Baroque vein. In addition to having systematically
expanded the 18th and 19th century oratorio repertoire,
the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart has also collaborated with
the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart choir on a major artistic
and editorial project – spanning over fifteen years – that
led to the performance and recording of the complete set
of J.S. Bach’s church cantatas and oratorios, released in
time for the composer’s 300th birthday in 1985.
A host of CDs recorded under the hänssler
CLASSIC label document the broad musical spectrum
of the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart. Alongside recordings
of the complete vocal works and instrumental concerti of
J.S. Bach, published in EDITION BACHAKADEMIE
in 2000, the Collegium’s activities focus on vocalsymphonic
rarities from the 18th and 19th centuries. The ensemble also performs 20th century
repertoire and has premiered numerous works, including Wolfgang Rihm’s Deus Passus. The
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart collaborates with such artists as Isabelle Faust, Reinhard Goebel, Ton
Koopman, and Robert Levin. As part of a concert series organized by the International Bach
Academy Stuttgart, the orchestra often presents its own programs at highlight events of the
season, including a performance of instrumental concerti and orchestral works of J.S. Bach for
the opening of Stuttgart Bach Week 2005, and a concert to conclude the Academy’s 2006/2007
season.
The Bach-Collegium appears regularly at the most prestigious music festivals and venues
around the world, performing at the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna and Berlin Festwochen, the
Lucerne Festival, the Prague Spring, as well as at countless Bach festivals in London, Berlin,
Leipzig, Strasbourg, Ansbach, among others. The Bach-Collegium Stuttgart has conducted Bach
performance seminars throughout Europe, Japan, North and South America since the founding
of the International Bach Academy Stuttgart by Helmuth Rilling in 1981.
11

Kristóf Baráti
Violin
Violinist Kristóf Baráti was born in Budapest, in
1979, and grew up in Venezuela. Coming from a musical
family (his mother is a violinist; father, a cellist), Baráti took
up the violin at an early age, appearing with the Maracaibo
Symphony Orchestra already at age eight. Baráti’s
introduction to the instrument came from his mother and
Emil Friedman, in Caracas, leading to further studies with
Miklos Szenthelyi and Vilmos Tátrai at the Franz Liszt
Academy of Music, in Budapest.
Baráti was “discovered” at the Jacques Thibaud
International Competition, in 1996, by Professor Eduard Wulfson, Director of the Stradivarius
Society, who has since become his musical advisor and mentor. An heir to the great Russian
school of violin playing, Wulfson passes onto Baráti the tradition inherited from his own teachers,
which include Yehudi Menuhin, Nathan Milstein and Henryk Szeryng.
Baráti has appeared as guest professor alongside Ida Haendel, Vadim Repin, and Natalia
Gutman at master classes held at the Château de Champs-sur-Marne and Sorbonne University,
Paris.
Performing worldwide with major orchestras under the direction of such notable conductors
as Kurt Masur, Vladimir Spivakov, Yoel Levi, Jiri Belohlavek, and Marek Janowski, among others,
Baráti appears regularly with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, conducted by Ivan Fischer, and the
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, under Zoltán Kocsis.
Baráti is a recipient of numerous honors, including a “Best Performer” award at the Elba
Music Festival directed by Yuri Bashmet.
In 2008, Baráti made his tremendously successful Moscow debut performing J.S. Bach’s Six
Sonatas and Partitas in one concert. This was followed by his debut appearance at Ferrara Musica
alongside chamber music partners Michel Portal, Evgeniy Korolyov, and Mario Brunello, as well
as an appearance at the Santander Music Festival with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra,
conducted by Yuri Temirkanov.
Baráti plays the 1703 “Lady Harmsworth” Stradivarius, courtesy of the Stradivarius Society.
12

Mariam Nazarian
Piano
Mariam Nazarian was born into a family of
musicians, who nurtured and shaped her early years as a
musician. She began demonstrating prodigious musical
abilities at an early age, and at the age of six started formal
studies in piano performance at the Tchaikovsky School
of Music for gifted children (Yerevan, Armenia).
Since making her debut (at the age of eight)
with the National Chamber Orchestra of Armenia,
Ms. Nazarian has performed with the St. Petersburg
Symphony Orchestra (Grand Philharmonic Hall, St.
Petersburg, Russia), the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra (Pennsylvania Convention Centre,
Philadelphia), the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (Richardson Auditorium, Princeton), and the
Boston Pops (Symphony Hall, Boston), among others.
Ms. Nazarian made her U.S. debut in 1995 with solo recitals in Washington, D.C., New
York, Princeton, and Philadelphia, with subsequent appearances at the Glenn Gould Studio
in Toronto, and the Ontario Music Festival in Ottawa, Canada, as well as in Spain, Italy,
and Switzerland. Her performances have been broadcast on WFLN-FM and WRTI-FM in
Philadelphia, WQXR-FM and the MetroGuide TV Channel in New York.
In 1999, at the age of sixteen, Mariam Nazarian made her Carnegie Hall debut (under stage
name Marie Nazar) as the youngest pianist in Carnegie’s history to have performed J.S. Bach’s
Goldberg Variations BWV 988. In the same year, she recorded her debut CD of the Goldberg
Variations, which has been released under the label of Ardani Classics.
In 2005, completing her studies in three years, Ms. Nazarian graduated cum laude from
the Mannes College of Music (New York), and is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Harvard
University.
The 2008-09 season includes appearances in Boston, Philadelphia, Princeton, and New
York, as well as the production of a new CD. Ms. Nazarian is part of the distinguished roster of
Bosendorfer Artists.
13

Layla Claire
Soprano
A 2008 Queen Elisabeth Competition Laureate,
Canadian soprano Layla Claire has been called a “focused,
remarkably rich soprano” (The Morning Star) who
performs with “emotive force and a poised sensitivity”
(Palm Beach Daily News). Her engaging and thoughtful
musicianship, combined with a voice of shimmering
beauty, has been publicly acclaimed, particularly in
performances of Strauss lieder and Canteloube’s Chant
d’Auvergnes.
Layla Claire opens the 2008-09 season with her Montreal Symphony Orchestra debut as
Clotilde in Norma under the baton of music director Kent Nagano. She tours Europe with the
Belgian early music ensemble, La Petite Bande, before returning to the Curtis Opera Studio for
Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She makes her company debut at Palm Beach Opera as Susanna
in Le Nozze di Figaro, sings Messiah for her Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut, and Bach’s Mass
in b minor with the Ft. Smith Symphony. Her season ends with a performance of Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony to close the Boca Festival of the Arts with the Russian National Orchestra
under the baton of Itzhak Perlman.
Last season, Layla Claire’s performances included Fiordiligi in Così fan Tutte at Tanglewood
with James Levine; Elijah with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia; Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate,
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and Vivaldi’s Gloria with Montreal’s Michel Brousseau; Morawetz’s
The Diary of Anne Frank with the Laval Symphony Orchestra under Alan Trudel; and works by
Mozart and Handel with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra.
Layla Claire has won numerous awards including the Mozart Prize at the Wilhelm
Stenhammar International Music Competition (2008), and First Prize in the Eckhardt-Gramatté
National Music Competition (2005), resulting in an extensive recital tour across Canada as well
as the Brandon Prize for best performance of the commissioned work. She is a CBC Radio-
Canada Jeunes Artistes recital winner, a two-time recipient of a J. Desmarais Foundation Bursary,
and a proud recipient of a Canada Council Grant. She has also taken prizes at the Palm Beach
Opera Competition and the Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists Competition.
14

Emily Langford Johnson
Mezzo-Soprano
American mezzo-soprano Emily Langford
Johnson has been hailed as “extremely stage savvy and
sporting a fine chestnut-hued mezzo” by Opera News.
Ms. Johnson most recently appeared in the title role of
Gotham Chamber Opera’s avant-garde work Ariadne
Unhinged and made a solo appearance with the Greeley
Philharmonic Orchestra in Mahler’s Das Lied von der
Erde. She also made her debut with Opera Roanoke
as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and covered the role
of Dorothee in Cendrillon with New York City Opera.
Engagements for 2008-2009 include a reprise of her critically acclaimed performance with
Gotham Chamber Opera in the title role of Ariadne Unhinged and her return to Opera Roanoke
for Meg in Verdi’s Falstaff. In 2006-2007 she performed the Mother in Amahl and the Night
Visitors with Western NY Chamber Orchestra, Jo March in Little Women with Dell’Arte Opera
Ensemble and Marianna in Gotham Chamber Opera’s Il Signor Bruschino for which The New
York Times called her “a sexy, Sophia Loren-like flirt”. Concerts included Mahler’s Lieder eines
fahrenden Gesellen with Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra, Copland’s Eight Poems of Emily
Dickinson with Newport Symphony, New Jersey Opera Theatre’s gala concert, New York City
Opera’s VOX: American Composer’s Showcase and a guest recital at Indiana University where
she performed Rzewski’s challenging Antigone-Legend for voice and piano. Recently awarded 1st
place at The Center for Contemporary Opera’s International Vocal Competition, Ms. Johnson
will premiere works by Glen Cortese, Martin Hennessy and librettist Mark Campbell at the
Winner’s Recital at Weill Hall at Carnegie in 2008.
Ms. Johnson earned her BM from The Manhattan School of Music and MFA from
The Actors Studio Drama School. She was a winner in the 2003 Liederkranz Foundation
Competition, the 2004 Joyce Dutka Foundation Competition, the 4th place prizewinner in the
2005 Palm Beach Opera Competition, and a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National
Council auditions.
15

Scott Ramsay
Tenor
Praised by Anthony Tommasini of The New
York Times for his “impressive ... bright-voiced tenor,”
American tenor Scott Ramsay has attracted international
attention following his recent European debut as Edgardo
in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Anna Livia Dublin
International Opera Festival and for his performance of
the same role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago for which
the Chicago Sun-Times proclaimed, “He brought a
passionate intensity to the role that matched the fire
of Dessay’s riveting Lucia.” Of his Canadian debut in
Verdi’s Requiem with Sir Andrew Davis and the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Globe & Mail declared, “He proved to be a real find - his
voice has a sweetness and the modest purity reminiscent of vintage Bjoerling and Simoneau.”
Mr. Ramsay’s 2008/09 season features an exciting mix of debuts and important
reengagements including his return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Painter in a new Paul
Curran production of Lulu conducted by Sir Andrew Davis - a role he will repeat abroad in
2011, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore at Opera Grand Rapids, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with
Syracuse Opera and Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Opera New Jersey. On the
concert stage, Mr. Ramsay appears as soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony & Orff’s Carmina
Burana at the Berkshire Choral Festival, Grier’s Songs from Spoon River at the Ravinia Festival,
Handel’s Messiah with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Bach’s Cantatas No. 40, 109 & 205
with the Helmuth Rilling Orchestra, in Recital at the University of South Dakota’s Colton Hall,
Mozart’s Requiem with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, an Opera Gala Celebration &
Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and his debut at the Prague
International Spring Festival with the Berkshire Choral Festival in Verdi’s Requiem.
Among the awards and honors Mr. Ramsay has received are the top prizes from the
American Opera Society of Chicago in 2004 and the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation in
2002.
16

Daniel Mobbs
Bass-Baritone
American baritone Daniel Mobbs has won praise on
both sides of the Atlantic for his “solid, resonant voice and
boundless energy...his stage presence virtually ensured that
he was the focal point of nearly every scene in which he
appeared,” as written in the New York Times.
2008 has brought a wealth of interesting and
challenging roles to Daniel Mobbs. Garnering rave reviews
as Baritone #1 (the Cold Genius of Winter) in Mark
Morris’s New York City Opera production of Purcell’s King
Arthur, he concurrently soloed in the Opera Orchestra of
New York’s Gala 100th Concert at Carnegie Hall. Spring season roles include Mercutio in Roméo
et Juliette at Baltimore Opera, Capellio in BIanca e Falliero at Washington Concerto Opera, the
tile role in Guillaume Tell at the National Opera (Warsaw), and a soloist in Brahms’ Requiem
with MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall. (Bianca e Falliero marks the fourth time Daniel
Mobbs has performed a Rossini opera with Vivica Geneaux!) The summer will see Mobbs as Don
Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Caramoor International Music Festival.
In 2007 he returned to New York City Opera as Leporello in Don Giovanni, as Douglas in
La Donna del Lago and as Marcello in La Bohème. In addition, Mobbs sang in the Rossini Otello
with Opera Orchestra of New York. He sang the role of Marcello in La Bohème, for the second
time this season with New Orleans Opera. He also appeared as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly
with Connecticut Grand Opera. He made his Florida Grand Opera debut in late 2007 as Alfonso
in Così fan tutte. In the summer of 2007 Mobbs performed the role of Togod in the American
Premiere of Pascal Dusapin’s Faustus, the Last Night, as well as the role of Ferrando in Il Trovatore
and a soloist in Rossini’s Petite Messe de Solenelle, at Caramoor.
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Mimi Stillman
Flute
Mimi Stillman is one of the most highly regarded
flutists in the concert world today. “A magically gifted
flutist, a breath of fresh air” (The Washington Post),
she is internationally acclaimed for performances as
soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra and numerous
others, and as recitalist and chamber musician at the
Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia Museum
of Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for La Jolla
Chamber Music Society, Verbier Festival (Switzerland),
and other major concert halls and festivals.
At 12, Boston-born Ms. Stillman was the youngest wind player ever admitted to the
Curtis Institute of Music, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree studying with Julius
Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. She was the youngest wind player ever to win the Young Concert
Artists International Auditions, and was awarded fellowships from the Earhart and Bradley
Foundations among numerous prizes and awards. She has an MA in history from the University
of Pennsylvania , where she is a Ph.D. candidate, and is a published writer on music and history.
Mimi Stillman is a Yamaha Performing Artist, and the founder and Artistic Director of
the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series in Philadelphia. Since 2005, Dolce Suono has
garnered extensive praise from audiences and the media for its fresh, innovative programming and
dynamic performances of repertoire spanning the Baroque to contemporary music. Ms. Stillman’s
Dolce Suono Trio with Yumi Kendall, cello and Charles Abramovic, piano performs widely with
upcoming engagements for the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and other series. On her CD
“MIMI,” Ms. Stillman recorded her award-winning book of arrangements of Debussy’s songs,
Nuits d’Étoiles: 8 Early Songs (Presser); she has also recorded for the Albany and DTR labels. She
and duo pianist Charles Abramovic tour with their special project, a recital of the complete flute
chamber works of J.S. Bach.
18

Webb Wiggins
Continuo
Recognized and lauded internationally for his innovative and
musical continuo realizations, Webb Wiggins has performed and
recorded with many ensembles in the United States. They include
the Folger Consort, the Dryden Ensemble, the Violins of Lafayette,
Hesperus, the Baltimore Consort, NYS Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, the
Philadelphia Classical Orchestra, the Smithsonian Chamber Players
and Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony. His collaborations
with soloists, both vocal and instrumental, have earned him a
treasured place in the world of baroque music.
Wiggins has established himself as one of the foremost teachers of harpsichord and coaches
for chamber music, in addition to being director of Baroque opera. Formerly coordinator of the
Early Music Program at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Wiggins is now Professor of
Harpsichord at Oberlin Conservatory. He serves on the faculty of the Oberlin College Baroque
Performance Institute and the Amherst Early Music Festival in Connecticut each summer.
Wiggins’ solo performances are admired for their elegance and musical intensity. Noted by
The Washington Post in 2000, “the art of rhythm and ornamentation was brilliantly delivered by
Wiggins in a stellar rendition of a Frescobaldi toccata. Wiggins’s sense of timing during the entire
event was indispensable to an effective concert performance.”
Wiggins is heard on the Dorian, EMI, Bard, Smithsonian, and PGM labels and has
performed throughout the US, New Zealand, Taiwan and three times between Rotterdam and
Montreal on the Atlantic.
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Opera New Jersey
Recognized nationally as a leader among regional opera companies, Opera New Jersey is the
Garden State’s largest and most prolific opera company. The company’s winter production and
summer festival seasons have garnered wide-ranging critical acclaim, including the New Jersey
State Council on the Arts’ highest award for three consecutive seasons - the Citation of Excellence
– and, most recently, an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
This season, in February, ONJ will present Die Fledermaus starring world-renowned
soprano Ruth Ann Swenson and a summer season featuring The Mikado, Lucia di Lammermoor,
and Abduction from the Seraglio. For more details and ticketing information, please visit www.
Opera-NJ.org.
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Notes on the Program: BWV 1045, 1052, and 1068
Bach the cantor and Bach the capellmeister are usually seen in opposition to one another.
This view of the composer focused on the differences between his activities and creative output
as court capellmeister in Cöthen (1717-1723) on the one hand, and as cantor and music director
in Leipzig from 1723 on the other. Hence, with apparent logic, Bach’s repertoire of instrumental
chamber works was generally considered to have originated largely in conjunction with his sixyear
capellmeistership in Cöthen. However, more recent scholarship has shown that a major
portion of Bach’s extant chamber music actually originated in Leipzig, that he continued to
pursue “capellmeisterly” ambitions, and that his activities as a vocal and instrumental composer
were truly complementary in nature. The instrumental works of this evening’s program
demonstrate this notion in more than one way.
The Sinfonia in D Major (BWV 1045) survives as a single instrumental work, but as the
original title of the piece demonstrates (“Concerto à 4 voci, 3 Trombe, Tamburi, 2 Hautbois,
Violino concertato, 2 Violini, Viola e Continuo”), it was clearly intended as an introduction to
a cantata. This is shown in the use of the term “concerto,” which was Bach’s typical designation
for a church cantata, as the reference to “4 voci,” i.e., to Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass of the
choir, indicates. However, not only are the final bars of the Sinfonia missing from the original
manuscript, but also the vocal movements of the cantata are absent (and were apparently removed
from the autograph score before 1800). Hence, the piece survives as an attractive fragment, but
we know nothing about the cantata’s original function.
The ornate design of the Sinfonia and its rich instrumentation with trumpets and timpani
suggests that the cantata was written for a special and particularly festive occasion. Furthermore,
the bright temperament, rhythmic drive, and overall vibrant character of the single instrumental
movement with its dominating virtuoso violin part indicate a celebratory quality suitable for one
of the high feasts of the ecclesiastical year.
The Keyboard Concerto in D minor (BWV 1052) can also be linked to Bach’s Leipzig
church music, as earlier versions of all three movements of the work are known to have been used
in two cantatas from the later 1720s - featuring the organ as solo instrument. The first movement
of the Concerto served as the opening sinfonia to the cantata “Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal”
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BWV 146. The Adagio appeared as the second movement of the same cantata and, remarkably,
integrated a four-part chorus that was added to the score of the concerto movement. The last
movement of BWV 1052 was again used as introduction, this time for the cantata “Ich habe
meine Zuversicht” (BWV 188). The unprecedented integration of major solo organ pieces into
these and other cantatas from
the late 1720s allowed for an
impressive display of the church
instrument: yet another brilliant
idea in the capellmeister-cantor’s
never ending search for new
dimensions in sacred music.
The use of the Concerto
in the two cantatas indicates
an origin of the Concerto
BWV 1052 prior to 1727-28
as genuine three-movement
concerto – not, as often
assumed, as a violin concerto,
but as a true keyboard concerto,
probably the first one composed
by Bach. The final version of
the D minor Concerto was
carefully reshaped specifically
as a three-movement concerto
for harpsichord. It opens an
autograph score dating from
around 1738 which contains
altogether seven keyboard concerti.
This manuscript suggests that here the composer put the final touches on a collection of virtuoso
concerti of a new kind, for the genre of keyboard concerto was young, and possibly for a new
kind of keyboard instrument—the early fortepiano. For it was in the mid 1730s that Bach worked
together with the organ builder Gottfried Silbermann on improving the construction of the
fortepiano invented by Cristofori.
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Moreover, by composing several model works, Bach’s contribution to the keyboard concerto
genre, along with that of his sons and composition students, proved to be a decisive factor in
paving the way for the piano concerto of the later 18th and 19th centuries. In this regard the
D minor Concerto represents Bach’s most elaborate example of the new genre that not only
reflects his extensive experimentation with figurative passagework in idiomatic keyboard style,
but also features innovative and striking thematic ideas for all three movements: a rhythmically
energetic subject for the opening movement, an embellished and highly expressive melodic line
for the middle movement, and a bold theme for the finale. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy played
this concerto in 1835 in one of his first appearances as director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in
Leipzig.
The Ouverture in D Major (BWV 1068), part of a group of four orchestral suites by Bach,
dates from about 1731 and must have been written for a festive occasion. Although no details are
known, it might well have originated for one of the many receptions given by the city of Leipzig
in honor of the royal family of Dresden, which regularly came to town for shopping extravaganza
on the occasion of the famous Leipzig trade fairs. The orchestra features a rich complement of
winds - trumpets and oboes - in addition to the standard string ensemble. More concise in its
movement structure than the other three orchestral suites, the work contains only three dances:
Gavotte, Bourrée, and Gigue. The stately Ouverture in traditional tri-partite form (slow-fastslow)
is not directly followed by a dance movement but departs from the norm by sporting an
instrumental Air. This unusual movement launches one of the most charming and captivating
melodies ever written by Bach. The extraordinary class of this simple, yet sophisticated piece
derives from its unusual combination of a tuneful and finely spun instrumental melody and its
subtle and unobtrusive polyphonic accompaniment.
Christoph Wolff
23

William H. Scheide
provided this succinct
explanation of the
significance of the vast
repertory of arias that
Johann Sebastian Bach left
for posterity as a part of the
annotations for the second
album of arias that the
Bach Aria Group recorded,
for the Vox label, in 1947,
soon after the ensemble’s
formation and debut.
24

Bach Aria Group c. 1960
left to right, standing:
Julius Baker, flute
Robert Bloom, oboe
Paul Ulanowsky, piano
Jan Peerce, tenor
Norman Farrow, bass-baritone
Bernard Greenhouse, cello
Maurice Wilk, violin
left to right, seated:
Eileen Farrell, soprano
William H. Scheide,
BAG founder/director
Carol Smith, contralto
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Ca n t a t a 205
Alto
Zweig’ und Äste zollen dir zu deinem Feste
Twigs and branches contribute to thy feast
Ihrer Gaben Überfluss
The abundance of their gifts
Tenor
Und mein Scherzen soll und muss
And my happy task shall be
Deinem August zu verehren, dieses Tages Lust
vermehren.
To honor your August and increase the joy of this
day.
Alto
Ich bringe fir Früchte mit Freuden herbei
I bring you fruits with joy
Ca n t a t a 3
Wenn Sorgen auf mich dringen
When cares press upon me
Will ich in Freudigkeit
Will I in joy
Zu meinem Jesu singen.
To my Jesus sing.
Mein Kreuz hilft Jesu tragen,
Jesus helps bear my cross,
Drum will ich gläubig sagen:
Therefore will I say in faith:
Es dient zum Besten allezeit.
It works out always for the best.
Tenor
Ich bringe mein Lispeln mit Freuden herbei
I bring my whispering with joy
Duet
Das Alles zum Scherzen vollkommener sei.
That everything with jollity may be more complete.
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Ca n t a t a 159
Es ist vollbracht, das Leid ist alle,
It is finished, the sorrow is ended,
Wir sind von unsern Sündenfalle
We are from our sinful nature
In Gott gerecht gemacht.
Justified in God.
Nun will ich eilen und meinem Jesu Dank
erteilen,
Now will I hasten and give thanks to my Jesus,
Welt, gute Nacht.
World, farewell.
Ca n t a t a 120a
Leit, o Gott, durch deine Liebe
Guide, O God, through your love
Dieses neuverlobte Paar;
This newly wedded pair;
Mach an ihnen kräftig wahr,
Make powerfully true to them,
Was dein Wort uns vorgeschrieben,
What your word has set forth to us,
Dass du denen, die dich lieben,
That you will do good forever,
Wohltun wollest immerdar.
To those that love you.
Can t a t a 109
Ich glaube, liebe Herr, hilf meinem Unglauben.
I believe, dear Lord, help my unbelief.
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Ca n t a t a 169
Stirb in mir,
Die in me,
Welt, und alle deine Liebe,
You world and all your loves
Daß die Brust
So that my heart
Sich auf Erden für und für
On earth for ever and ever
In der Liebe Gottes übe;
May practice God’s way of love;
Stirb in mir,
Die in me,
Hoffart, Reichtum, Augenlust,
Arrogance, wealth and greedy lust of the eyes,
Ihr verworfnen Fleischestriebe!
You abject promptings of the flesh.
Ca n t a t a 41
Woferne du den edlen Frieden
As far as thou hast allotted excellent peace
Für unsern Leib und Stand beschieden
For our body and station in life,
So lass der Seele doch dein seligmachsend Wort.
So give to the soul thy benediction.
Wenn uns dies Heil begegnet,
When this salvation meets us,
So sind wir hier gesegnet
So are we blest in this life
Und Auserwählte dort.
And among the elect in the life to come.
Translations prepared by William H. Scheide
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William H. Scheide’s 95th Birthday Concert
Mariam Nazarian, Producer
Angelika Baehr, A-B Culture Management Stuttgart
Natasha D’Schommer Studio, Poster, Program Design, Scheide Library Photographs
Taft and Partners, Publicity, Website and Video Production
Telequest, Video Production
Bach-Collegium Stuttgart / Internationale Bachakademie
Helmuth Rilling, Artistic Director
Christian Lorenz, General Manager
Elisabeth Janku, Orchestra Management
Centurion Ministries
James McCloskey, Executive Director
Kate Hill Germond, Director
Lisa Kurtz, Administrator
Dale Jacobs, Case Developer & Special Projects
Opera New Jersey
Scott Altman, General and Artistic Director, Co-Founder
Lisa Altman, Executive Director, Co-Founder
Dustin Jay Haugen, Director of Artistic Administration
Keith Chambers, Head of Music Staff
Jeffrey Dinsmore, Marketing Manager
Jennifer Basten, Company Manager
30

Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall
Delia Vayansky, Director
Jennifer Harper, Assistant Director
Gina Madore, Assistant Director
Christopher Gorzelnik, Production Supervisor
John Burton, Production Technician
Liz Lammer, Production Technician
Bill Pierce, Production Technician
James Allington, Audio Engineer
Mary Kemler, Assistant Director of University Ticketing
Sharon Maselli, Ticket Manager
Special Thanks
We would also like to acknowledge the time and dedication of the following individuals:
Judith McCartin Scheide
Anne O’Neill
Melanie Thompson
Christoph Wolff
Teri Noel Towe
Jamie Sapoch
Susan Spikes
Diane Bladecki
Jamie and Jaqueline Watson
Jessye Casale, The Nassau Inn
Law Offices of John Kuhn Bleimaier
Nicole Williams, District Offices of Representative Rush Holt
Jane McKinley, Dryden Ensemble
Julia Flesch, Joss and Jules Catering
Deborah Gichan, Deborah Gichan Photography
Paul Needham, Scheide Library
Johann Sebastian Bach, portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann 1748, courtsey of William H. Scheide
31