Program Notes for Virginia Symphony Orchestra Classics #8 - 24-26 ...

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the hero Henrik, who is a clever precursor to Beaumarchais’s Figaro. Few works in the classical repertoire boast the perennial popularity of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16. “This is the quintessential Scandinavian piano concerto, an absolute masterpiece,” declares Ms. Falletta. “Grieg’s music is beautifully crafted, with all the brilliance you want from a virtuoso piano concerto, yet it is still all about the music. Every pianist plays it differently: some lingering on every phrase, others pushing forward. Music this rich in content allows for a wide variety of interpretations.” Grieg was born in Norway; however, like most 19 th -century Scandinavian composers, he pursued his formal musical education in Germany, modeling his early works on those of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Later, he worked with Niels Gade in Denmark, and the premiere of his concerto in 1869 took place in Copenhagen. It was a pivotal work. After this concerto, he realized that his Norwegian heritage must be a central component of his music. A hint of that realization found its way into the finale. Grieg revised the concerto several times, continuing to tinker with the orchestration until 1907, the year of his death. He must have realized how important this work would be to his legacy. Few of his compositions with orchestra appears with any regularity in the concert hall. For Grieg was a miniaturist, ill at ease writing in large forms. Generally speaking, his most successful compositions, such as the incidental music to Peer Gynt, consist of short dances and other concise movements. That is not the case in this splendid concerto, which has dramatic sweep and structural integrity along with a profusion of memorable melodies. Grieg’s muse was
definitely singing sweetly to him when he composed this work. From the piano’s dramatic opening salvo, through the delicate Chopinesque tracery of the slow movement, to the vitality of the finale, this concerto enchants and entertains. Grieg’s splendid coda to the last movement was influential on generations of composers from Tchaikovsky to Rachmaninoff. While his Piano Concerto falls squarely into the Austro-German romantic tradition, Grieg planted a strong personal imprint on its music, particularly in his Norwegian-tinged finale. Following intermission, Ms. Falletta and the VSO take on what is arguably Sergei Prokofiev’s greatest symphony: the Symphony No.5 in B-flat, Op.100. “Prokofiev could be dark, sardonic, and sarcastic in his music,” says Ms. Falletta. “All those qualities are present in this symphony, along with energy, humor, and a little bitterness. It’s a major challenge for the orchestra. For me, this symphony is about the power of life force, what is best in the human spirit. I feel its progression as a victory over adversity.” Prokofiev left Russia after Bolshevik Revolution and lived abroad for many years, first in the United States, then in Paris. He missed his homeland, however, and elected to return to the Soviet Union in the 1930s in spite of Stalin’s repressive regime. Like Shostakovich’s Leningrad Symphony, the Prokofiev Fifth was composed during the Second World War. Whereas the Shostakovich work is a salute to the suffering people of besieged Leningrad, however, Prokofiev’s symphony dates from a period of increasing optimism. The Allies had invaded Normandy and Soviet forces were about to initiative powerful offensives against the Nazis from the eastern front. While not without its moments of conflict,
Page 1: Program Notes for Virginia Symphony
Page 5 and 6: Bernstein’s beloved Candide overt
Page 7 and 8: The second and third movements dive
Page 9 and 10: Pacific Theatre followed in August.
Page 11: Despite the palpable "Russian-ness"

Program Notes for Virginia Symphony Orchestra Classics #8 - 24-26 ...

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