issue four - Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

allegro 

MAGAZINE OF THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY 

Renée Fleming 

MARCH 17 – APRIL 30, 2012 – VOLUME 17 – ISSUE 4 

The VSO presents the 

Seoul Philharmonic 

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg 

Electrifying violinist makes her 

highly-anticipated return 

The Wizard of Oz 

Classic movie shown 

with music played live! 

Peter Serkin 

plays Brahms

vso lottery / full pg / 

new artwork to come

vancouver symphony orchestra 

BRAMWELL TOVEY MUSIC DIRECTOR 

KAZUYOSHI AKIYAMA CONDUCTOR LAUREATE 

JEFF TYZIK PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR 

* Pierre Simard ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR 

Marsha & George Taylor Chair 

* EDWARD TOP COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE 

first violins 

Dale Barltrop, 

Concertmaster 

Joan Blackman, 

Associate Concertmaster 

Jennie Press, Second 

Assistant Concertmaster 

Robin Braun 

Mary Sokol Brown 

Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee Chair 

Jenny Essers 

Jason Ho 

Akira Nagai, Associate 

Concertmaster Emeritus 

Xue Feng Wei 

Rebecca Whitling 

Yi Zhou 

Angela Cavadas ◊ 

Nancy DiNovo ◊ 

Ruth Schipizky ◊ 

second violins 

Brent Akins, Principal § 

Nicholas Wright, Principal ∆ 

Karen Gerbrecht, 

Associate Principal 

Jim and Edith le Nobel Chair 

Jeanette Bernal-Singh, 

Assistant Principal 

Adrian Shu-On Chui 

Daniel Norton 

Ann Okagaito 

Ashley Plaut 

DeAnne Eisch ◊ 

Erin James ◊ 

Pamela Marks ◊ 

§ Leave of Absence 

∆ One-year Position 

◊ Extra Musician 

violas 

Neil Miskey, Principal 

Andrew Brown, 


Stephen Wilkes, 


Lawrence Blackman 

Estelle & Michael Jacobson Chair 

Angela Schneider 

Professors Mr. and Mrs. 

Ngou Kang Chair 

Ian Wenham 

Chi Ng ◊ 

Reginald Quiring ◊ 

Marcus Takizawa ◊ 

cellos 

Principal Cello 

Nezhat and Hassan 

Khosrowshahi Chair 

Janet Steinberg, 


Zoltan Rozsnyai, 


Olivia Blander 

Natasha Boyko 

Mary & Gordon 

Christopher Chair 

Joseph Elworthy 

Charles Inkman 

Cristian Markos 

basses 

Dylan Palmer, 

Principal 

Chang-Min Lee, 


David Brown 

J. Warren Long 

Frederick Schipizky 

Christopher Light ◊ 

flutes 

Christie Reside, 

Principal 

Nadia Kyne, 


Rosanne Wieringa 

Michael & Estelle Jacobson Chair 

piccolo 

Nadia Kyne 

Hermann & Erika Stölting Chair 

oboes 

Roger Cole, Principal 

Wayne and Leslie Ann Ingram Chair 

Beth Orson, 


Karin Walsh 

Paul Moritz Chair 

english horn 

Beth Orson 

Chair in Memory of 

John S. Hodge 

clarinets 

Jeanette Jonquil, 

Principal 

Cris Inguanti, 


Todd Cope 

e-flat clarinet 

Todd Cope 

bass clarinet 

Cris Inguanti 

bassoons 

Julia Lockhart, 

Principal 

Sophie Dansereau, 


Gwen Seaton 

contrabassoon 

Sophie Dansereau 

french horns 

Oliver de Clercq, 

Principal 

Benjamin Kinsman 

Werner & Helga Höing Chair 

David Haskins, 


Fourth Horn 

Winslow & Betsy Bennett Chair 

Richard Mingus, 


trumpets 

Larry Knopp, Principal 

Marcus Goddard, 


Vincent Vohradsky 

W. Neil Harcourt in memory 

of Frank N. Harcourt Chair 

trombones 

Eloy Panizo Padron, 

Acting Principal 

Gregory A. Cox 

bass trombone 

Douglas Sparkes 

Arthur H. Willms Family Chair 

tuba 

Ellis Wean, Principal § 

Peder MacLellan, Principal ∆ 

timpani 

Aaron McDonald, Principal 

percussion 

Vern Griffiths, Principal 

Martha Lou Henley Chair 

Tony Phillipps 

harp 

Elizabeth Volpé, Principal 

Heidi Krutzen ◊ 

piano, celeste 

Linda Lee Thomas, 

Principal 

Carter (Family) Deux Mille 

Foundation Chair 

orchestra personnel 

manager 

DeAnne Eisch 

music librarian 

Minella F. Lacson 

Ron & Ardelle Cliff Chair 

master carpenter 

Pierre Boyard 

master electrician 

Leonard Lummis 

piano technician 

Thomas Clarke 

*Supported by The Canada 

Council for the Arts 

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MAGAZINE OF THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY 

allegro 

MARCH 17 – APRIL 30, 2012 – VOLUME 17 – ISSUE 4 

A SERIES FOR EVERY TA S T E 

C L ASSICS MAST E RWO R KS G O L D / MAST E RWO R KS D I AMON D / MAST E RWO R KS S I LV E R ON A 

L I GHTER NOT E M U S I CA L LY S P EA K I N G / BAC H & B EYO N D V SO POPS MATINEES TEA & 

TRUMPETS / SYMPHONY SU N DAYS R OA D T R I P S VS O AT T H E A N N EX / N O RT H S H O R E 

C L A S S I C S / S U R R EY N I G H TS K I DS RULE! TI NY TOTS / KI DS’ KONC ERTS SPECIALS 

C O N C E R T S 

9 MARCH 17, 19 

Masterworks Diamond 

Jun Märkl conductor 

Peter Serkin piano 

15 MARCH 21 

Specials 

Renée Fleming with the VSO 

Renée Fleming soprano 

Sebastian Lang-Lessing conductor 

20 MARCH 24, 26 

Masterworks Silver 

Andrew Litton conductor 

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg violin 

24 APRIL 2 

Specials 


Constantine Kitsopoulos conductor 

27 APRIL 12 

Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets 

Lehár: The Merry Widow 

Pierre Simard conductor 

Christopher Gaze host 

UBC Opera Ensemble 

31 APRIL 13, 14 

London Drugs VSO Pops 

Let’s Dance 

Jeff Tyzik conductor 

Carla Heiney director/choreographer 

37 APRIL 15 

Specials 

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra 

Myung-Whun Chung conductor 

Wu Wei sheng 

42 APRIL 2o, 21, 23 

Bach & Beyond 

Surrey Nights 

Dale Barltrop leader/violin 

47 APRIL 21 

Vancouver Sun Symphony at the Annex 

Songs Without Words 

Bramwell Tovey conductor 

Julia Nolan saxophone 

Stephanie Domingues soprano 

Beth Orson english horn 

Corey Hamm piano 

53 April 28, 29, 30 

Musically Speaking 

Rogers Group Financial Symphony Sundays 

North Shore Classics 


Peter Longworth piano 

Richard Suart judge 


47 BRAMWELL TOVEY 

4 allegro

42 VSO CONCERTMASTER 

dALE BARLTROP 

37 MYUNG-WHUN CHUNG & THE 

SEOUL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA 

15 RENEE FLEMING 

I N T H I S I S S U E 

2 vso lottery 

3 the orchestra 

5 allegro staff list 

6 government support 

7 message from the Chairman 

and the President & CEO 

12 vso online ordering 

13 corporate campaign 

19 advertise in allegro 

23 vancouver symphony foundation 

32 vso 2012/2013 season 

34 vso gift shop 

36 vso group sales 

41 patrons’ circle 

45 vso upcoming concerts 

56 vso school of music 

58 corporate partners 

60 at the concert / vso staff list 

63 board of directors / thanks / 

volunteer council 

20 NadJA SALERNO-SONNENBERG 

We welcome your comments on this magazine. Please forward them to: Vancouver Symphony, 500 – 833 Seymour Street, 

Vancouver, BC V6B 0G4 Allegro contact and advertising enquiries: vsoallegro@yahoo.com / customer service: 

604.876.3434 / VSO office: 604.684.9100 / website: www.vancouversymphony.ca Allegro staff: published by The Vancouver 

Symphony Society / editor / publisher: Anna Gove / contributors: Don Anderson, Sophia Vincent / art direction, design & 

production: basic elements design Pass it on: It’s the right thing to do! Please feel free to bring your Allegro Magazine 

home at the end of the concert. If you do not wish to keep it, please return it to an usher. Printed in Canada by Web 

Impressions. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written consent is prohibited. 

Contents copyrighted by the Vancouver Symphony, with the exception of material written by contributors. 

Allegro Magazine has been endowed by a generous gift from Adera Development Corporation. 

allegro 5

The Vancouver Symphony Society 

is grateful to the Government of Canada 

and the Canada Council for the Arts, 

Province of British Columbia and the BC Arts Council, 

and the City of Vancouver for their ongoing support. 

The combined investment in the VSO by the three levels 

of government annually funds over 28% of the cost of 

the orchestra’s extensive programs and activities. 

This vital investment enables the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to present over 140 

life-enriching concerts in 12 diverse venues throughout the Lower Mainland, attract 

some of the world’s best musicians to live and work in our community, produce Grammy ® 

and Juno ® award-winning recordings, participate in numerous CBC Radio broadcasts – 

bringing the sounds of the VSO to listeners across the country – and, through our 

renowned educational programs, touch the lives of over 50,000 children annually. 

Thank you!

M E S S A G E F R O M 

vso chairman and vso president & CEO 

Dear Friends, 

It is that time of year when Maestro Tovey 

announces the VSO’s plans for the upcoming 

season. Subscribers have already received or 

will soon be receiving a beautifully designed 

2012/2013 season brochure in the mail, with 

an invitation to renew their subscriptions and 

be the first to purchase tickets to the wide 

variety exciting specials. 

The 2012/2013 classical season is filled 

with many wonderful works by Bach, 

Beethoven, Brahms, Debussy, Dvořák, Elgar, 

Mahler, Mozart, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, 

Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi and more. 

Jeff Tyzik returns as our Principal Pops 

Conductor with tributes to Gershwin, Broadway, 

and Nat King Cole. 

We are pleased to continue our series of concerts 

at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at 

U.B.C., Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver, 

and Bell Centre for Performing Arts in Surrey, 

as well as the contemporary music series at the 

Orpheum Annex. 

And of course, the season also includes several 

programs for children and their families such as 

the Elementary School Concerts, Kids Koncerts 

and Tiny Tots series as part of our renowned 

education and community programs, experienced 

by over 50,000 children each year. 

Whether you prefer a Masterworks Series, 

Symphony Sundays, Tea & Trumpets, Musically 

Speaking or VSO Pops, there is something in 

the 2012/2013 season for every musical 

taste, along with the many benefits of being 

a VSO subscriber. 

If you have not received a brochure for next 

season, and would like one, simply call us 

at 604.876.3434, pick up a copy at the box 

office or in the lobby, or visit our web site 

at www.vancouversymphony.ca. 

At the VSO we work every day to fulfill our 

mission: to enrich the quality of life in, and bring 

prestige to our city, province and country through 

the presentation of high-quality performances of 

classical and popular music, and the delivery of 

excellent education and community programs. 

We look forward to having you with us for 

another season of great music and inspiration, 

and please enjoy today’s concert. 

Sincerely yours, 

Arthur H. Willms 

Chair, Board of Directors 

Jeff Alexander 

President & Chief Executive Officer 

ARTHUR H. WILLMS 

JEFF ALEXANDER 

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JUN MÄRKL 

PETER SERKIN 

CONCERT PROGRAM 

MASTERWOR KS DIAMON D / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

saturday & monday, march 17, 19 

JON KIMURA PARKER 


◆ Peter Serkin piano 

WAGNER The Flying Dutchman: Overture 

◆ BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 

I. Maestoso 

II. Adagio 

III. Rondo: Allegro non troppo 

INTERMISSION 

Schumann Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 97, Rhenish 

I. Lebhaft 

II. Scherzo: Sehr mässig 

III. Nicht schnell 

IV. Feierlich 

V. Lebhaft 

PRE-CONCERT TALKS free to ticketholders at 7:05pm. 

Visit the Symphony Gift Shop for CD selections 

allegro 9


Jun Märkl is Principal Conductor and Artistic 

Director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony, 

and 10/11 marked his sixth and final season 

as Music Director of the Orchestre National 

de Lyon. 

Highlights of his tenure in Lyon include an 

acclaimed Debussy cycle for Naxos, and 

touring to major European halls and festivals 

such as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, BBC 

Proms, Bad Kissingen, Rheingau and Luzern 

and to the Salle Pleyel every season. 

Born in Munich, his (German) father was 

a distinguished Concertmaster and his 

(Japanese) mother a solo pianist. Märkl 

studied violin, piano and conducting at the 

Musikhochschule in Hannover, going on to 

study with Sergiu Celibidache in Munich 

and with Gustav Meier in Michigan. In 1986 

he won the conducting competition of the 

Deutsche Musikrat and a year later won 

a scholarship from the Boston Symphony 

Orchestra to study at Tanglewood with 

Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. Soon 

afterwards he had a string of appointments in 

European opera houses followed by his first 

music directorships at the Staatstheater in 

Saarbrücken (1991-94) and at the Mannheim 

Nationaltheater (1994-2000). 

Peter Serkin piano 

Recognized as an artist of passion and 

integrity, the distinguished American pianist 

Peter Serkin is one of the most thoughtful and 

individualistic musicians appearing before the 

public today. Throughout his career he has 

successfully conveyed the essence of five 

centuries of repertoire and his performances 

with symphony orchestras, recital 

appearances, chamber music collaborations 

and recordings are respected worldwide. 

Peter Serkin’s rich musical heritage extends 

back several generations: his grandfather 

was violinist and composer Adolf Busch and 

his father pianist Rudolf Serkin. In 1958, at 

age eleven, he entered the Curtis Institute of 

Music in Philadelphia where he was a student 

of Lee Luvisi, Mieczyslaw Horszowski and 

Rudolf Serkin. He later continued his studies 

with Ernst Oster, Marcel Moyse and Karl 

Ulrich Schnabel. In 1959 Mr. Serkin made his 

Marlboro Music Festival and New York City 

debuts with conductor Alexander Schneider, 

and invitations to perform with the Cleveland 

Orchestra and George Szell in Cleveland 

and Carnegie Hall and with the Philadelphia 

Orchestra and Eugene Ormandy in 

Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall soon followed. 

Richard Wagner 

b. Leipzig, Germany / May 22, 1813 

d. Venice, Italy / February 13, 1883 

The Flying Dutchman: Overture 

Wagner patterned his early opera, The Flying 

Dutchman (1843), on the pioneering Romantic 

style of Carl Maria von Weber, rather than 

using it to make the type of innovations 

that would characterize his later works. 

A stormy voyage across the North Sea in 

1839 planted in his mind the idea of a work 

based on the legend of the Dutch sea captain 

whose defiance of the Devil led to his being 

condemned to sail the seas eternally. Wagner 

adapted the story to permit the Dutchman 

hope of salvation, a recurring theme in his 

output. The vividly dramatic overture is a 

capsule digest of the full piece, presenting not 

only the principal musical themes but also a 

synopsis of the plot. The howling winds of a 

stormtossed seascape are easily heard, as 

are the rollicking dances of the sailors, and 

the tender sentiments that blossom between 

the Dutchman and Senta, the woman whose 

true love redeems his soul. 

Johannes Brahms 

b. Hamburg, Austria / May 7, 1833 

d. Vienna, Austria / April 3, 1897 

Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 

Brahms had not yet become the sturdy 

conservative whom his supporters set up 

as the opponent of Wagner, Liszt and other 

revolutionary composers when in 1854, at 

twenty-one, he began composing a largescale 

work. He eventually decided that 

the ideal medium for the materials was a 

concerto for piano and orchestra. Four years 

10 allegro

passed before he felt sufficiently satisfied to 

bring it to performance. He first undertook 

a reading rehearsal in Hanover, Germany, 

on March 30, 1858. He played the piano 

part himself, and his close friend, violinist 

and composer Joseph Joachim, conducted 

the city’s Court Orchestra. The first public 

performance, involving the same artists, 

took place in the same city on January 22 

of the following year. The somewhat puzzled 

reaction earned by the debut of this big, 

serious, fully symphonic concerto might have 

been expected. Not until 1865, when he 

played it once again in Mannheim, did it begin 

to find a place in the repertoire. 

The vast opening movement begins with a 

stark orchestral introduction. The piano enters 

with a more resigned idea before it, too, is 

caught up in the emotional tumult. Contrast 

is provided by a warmer second theme. The 

sombre mood in which the movement began 

continues through to the final bars. 

The slow second section is a serene 

meditation. Scarcely a ripple of darker 

emotion disturbs its warm, placid surface. 

The concerto concludes with a big, bold 

rondo, lighter in tone than the preceding 

movements but substantial enough to fit 

into the overall ground-plan. Its Hungarian 

or gypsy flavouring anticipates the 

corresponding movements in several Brahms 

works, including the Piano Quartet in G minor. 

Robert Schumann 

b. Zwickau, Germany / June 8, 1810 

d. Endenich, Germany / July 29, 1856 

Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, 

Op. 97, Rhenish 

In September 1850, Schumann and his gifted 

wife, Clara, moved to Düsseldorf, Germany. 

Robert had been engaged there as the 

conductor of the local orchestra and chorus, 

his first public appointment. Enchanted with 

the city and the welcome opportunity of 

having his own orchestra to work with, he 

promptly began to compose again, something 

that recent illness had kept him from doing.

First came a cello concerto. Then in a 

typically rapid four weeks, he set down his 

impressions of his new home and its verdant 

setting on the banks of the Rhine river (as 

well as his happiness in being there) in a new 

symphony. This is the source of its nickname, 

the “Rhenish” or “Rhineland” Symphony. He 

conducted the premiere himself, in Düsseldorf 

on February 6, 1851. 

It is the only one of his symphonies with 

five movements rather than four. This may 

represent a tribute to Beethoven’s Sixth, the 

similarly picturesque and rustic Pastoral 

Symphony. The opening section, a sweeping 

piece with a genuine sense of joy, lays claim 

to be his finest orchestral creation. Renowned 

British musicologist Sir Donald Tovey draws 

a parallel between it and the first movement 

of Beethoven’s Third, the Eroica Symphony, 

with which it shares the same key. Although 

Schumann called the second movement a 

scherzo, it the leisurely air of a country dance 

rather than the boisterous energy of a musical 

joke. His original title for it was Morning on 

the Rhine. 

The first of two slow movements is a lyrical 

song without words, similar in character to 

his vocal and piano romances. The second 

is virtually a miniature tone poem or mood 

picture. It was inspired by a ceremony – the 

elevation of Archbishop Geissel to the office of 

Cardinal – that the Schumanns had witnessed 

the previous September at the magnificent 

(although at that time, unfinished) Gothic 

cathedral in the nearby city of Cologne. The 

addition of trombones to the orchestra lends 

it an aptly solemn, stately air. Schumann 

returns us to the sunlight of the Rhine valley 

for the vigorous and cheerful finale. 

In 1853, the young Brahms visited the 

Schumanns in Leipzig. They gave him the 

greatest encouragement, and helped him to 

gain major attention for the first time. ■ 

Program Notes © 2012 Don Anderson 

M U S I C D I R E C T O R 

L E S L I E D A L A 

Haydn 

Die Schöpfung 

(The Creation) 

MARCH 31 

8pm Orpheum Theatre 

www.vancouverbachchoir.com 

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vancouversymphony.ca 

12 allegro

Become a 

Corporate Partner 

And be a part of Vancouver’s rich cultural landscape 

Your sponsorship helps the VSO continue to: 

• Perform over 140 concerts each year 

• Reach 50,000 students through its music 

education programs 

• Make orchestral music accessible and 

affordable for seniors, students and kids 

“Our corporate partners help to ensure that the VSO 

can continue to produce world class music. I invite you 

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— Maestro Bramwell Tovey 

Change the way your corporation engages in the community. From client entertaining 

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• Build a relationship with a new audience while enhancing awareness 

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and gift in kind opportunities, 

please contact: Ryan Butt, Development Officer, Corporate and Donor Relations 

604 684-9100 extension 260 or ryanbutt@vancouversymphony.ca

RENÉE FLEMING 


SPEC IALS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

wednesday, march 21 


Sebastian Lang-Lessing conductor 

PRESENTS 

Renée Fleming with the VSO 

BERLIOZ Roman Carnival Overture 

RAVEL Shéhérazade 

I. Asie 

II. La flûte enchantée 

III. L’indifférent 

Gounod Ballet Music from Faust: 

III. Antique Dance: Allegretto 

II. Cleopatra and the Golden Cup: Adagio 

V. Dance of the Trojan Maidens: 

Moderato con anima 

VII. Dance of the Phryne: Allegro vivo 

Gounod Ô Dieu ! que de bijoux ! ...Ah ! je 

ris de me voir si belle (Jewel Song from Faust) 

INTERMISSION 

GORDON Night Flight to San Francisco 

BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide 

Bellamy, Howard, 

Wolstenholme Endlessly 

COHEN Hallelujah 

Benjamin Gibbard Soul Meets Body 

Korngold Overture to Captain Blood 

Lehár The Merry Widow: Vilja – Lied 

Korngold Die Tote Stadt: Marietta’s Lied, Op. 12 


allegro 15

SEBASTIAN LANG-LESSING 


One of the most beloved and celebrated 

musical ambassadors of our time, soprano 

Renée Fleming captivates audiences with 

her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, 

and compelling stage presence. Known as 

“the people’s diva” and named the number 

one female singer by Salzburger Festspiele 

Magazin in 2010, she continues to grace the 

world’s greatest opera stages and concert 

halls, now extending her reach to include 

other musical forms and media. Over the past 

few seasons, Ms. Fleming has hosted a wide 

variety of television and radio broadcasts, 

including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD 

series for movie theaters and television, and 

Live From Lincoln Center on PBS. 

A three-time Grammy winner, Ms. Fleming 

won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best 

Classical Vocal Performance for Verismo 

(Decca/September 2009), a CD featuring 

a collection of rarely heard Italian arias. In 

June 2010, Decca and Mercury records 

released the CD Dark Hope, which features 

Ms. Fleming covering songs by indie-rock and 

pop artists. 

Ms. Fleming is currently a member of the 

Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Hall 

Corporation, the Board of Sing for Hope, 

and the Advisory Board of the White Nights 

Foundation of America. In 2010, she was 

named the first ever Creative Consultant at 

Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

Sebastian Lang-Lessing 

conductor 

German conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing 

is among the most versatile and cultivated 

musical artists of his generation. Fluent in 

multiple languages, interested in a wide 

range of repertoire, and equally experienced 

in orchestra culture and opera theatre, his 

dynamic performances have garnered praise 

from the international press. 

In February 2010, Lang-Lessing was 

appointed music director of the San Antonio 

Symphony and began his tenure in the 

2010-11 season; he is the orchestra’s eighth 

director in its 70-year history. He also serves 

as chief conductor and artistic director of the 

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, a post that

he has held since 2004. Sebastian Lang- 

Lessing was awarded the Ferenc Fricsay Prize 

in Berlin at the young age of twenty-four, and 

he subsequently took up a conducting post at 

Hamburg State Opera. 

Lang-Lessing is also well known for his 

rediscovery of the music of French composer 

Joseph-Guy Ropartz; CD releases of his 

symphonies with Orchestre Symphonique et 

Lyrique de Nancy received critical acclaim. 

Hector Berlioz 

b. La Côte-St-André, Isère / December 11, 1803 

d. Paris, France / March 8, 1869 

Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 

As soon as Berlioz read the autobiography of 

Benvenuto Cellini, the spirited, unconventional 

sixteenth-century Italian goldsmith, artist and 

adventurer, he sensed such a deep personal 

affinity with him that he decided to compose 

an opera based on Cellini’s life. Its debut in 

Paris in 1838 proved a total fiasco. Six years 

later, Berlioz salvaged some of the score by 

fashioning a concert overture from two of the 

principal melodies: a love song (memorably 

transcribed for English horn), and an example 

of the vigorous Italian dance, the saltarello. 

He christened the result Roman Carnival, 

referring to the festive scene in the opera 

where the saltarello is performed. 

Maurice Ravel 

b. Ciboure, Basses Pyrénées, France / March 7, 1875 

d. Paris, France / December 28, 1937 

Shéhérazade 

Ravel loved the Arabian Nights fables and 

Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonic suite inspired 

by them. In 1903, he paid homage through 

a three-part song cycle based on poems 

from a large, recently published collection, 

entitled Shéhérazade, by Tristan Klingsor, the 

pen name of his friend, Arthur Justin Léon 

Leclère. These free-metre verses, inspired 

by a recent French translation of the Arabian 

Night stories, conjure the sights, sounds and 

philosophies of the east. Asia, the first and 

longest song, offers a dream-like journey 

through eastern lands. Ravel evoked them 

in dazzling orchestral colours, while 

alternating moods of excitement and languor. 

The Magic Flute, the second song, captures 

the stillness of a warm afternoon. A girl listens 

sadly to the haunting sound of a distant flute, 

played by her lover. The cycle concludes 

with a portrait of a potentially amorous, but 

eventually unfulfilled encounter between total 

strangers. Ravel scores The Indifferent One in 

soft, muted colours, but ones which, like the 

words, suggest levels of deeper, unspoken 

passions. 

Charles-François Gounod 

b. Paris, France / June 17, 1818 

d. Saint-Cloud, France / October 17 or 18, 1893 

Ballet Music and Jewel Song from Faust 

Gounod won his greatest successes with 

operas, Faust (1859) in particular. Adapted 

from the famous story by Goethe, about a 

learned doctor who sells his soul to the Devil 

in exchange for eternal youth and great 

knowledge, Gounod’s opera overflows with 

beautiful arias and stirring choruses. This 

evening you will hear the opera’s introduction; 

an excerpt from the richly melodic ballet 

suite; and the celebrated “Jewel Song,” 

in which the heroine, the innocent girl 

Marguerite, expresses her rapture upon 

receiving a gift of jewels. 

Ricky Ian Gordon 

b. Oceanside, New York, USA / May 15, 1956 

Night Flight to San Francisco 

Ricky Ian Gordon is a highly successful 

American composer of songs, musicals, and 

operas. His 2007 setting of John Steinbeck’s 

celebrated novel The Grapes of Wrath, for 

example, was hailed by Opera magazine as 

“a major or new American opera.” The 

moving text for the work which you will 

hear Renée Fleming perform this evening 

(she premiered it in 2000), is a dream-like 

monologue from Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer 

Prize-Winning play, Angels in America. 

allegro 17

Leonard Bernstein 

b. Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA / August 25, 1918 

d. New York, USA / October 14, 1990 

Overture to Candide 

Based on a satiric tale by the eighteenthcentury 

French author Voltaire, Bernstein’s 

comic operetta Candide premiered on 

Broadway in 1956, without much success. 

The sparkling overture, however, has been a 

concert favourite from the beginning. 

Benjamin Bellamy, 

Dominic Howard, 

Christopher Wolstenholme 

Endlessly 

Leonard Cohen 

Hallelujah 

Benjamin Gibbard 

Soul Meets Body 

These selections from Dark Hope, Renée 

Fleming’s 2010 “indie rock” CD, showcase 

her longstanding interest in popular music, 

and the astonishing range and versatility of 

her expressive talent. Regarding her purpose 

in making the CD, she has written, “I have 

always been inspired by artists who have 

shown musical and intellectual curiosity, 

especially those who have the courage 

to take risks.” She describes the idea of 

‘dark hope’ as “an outlook that comes with 

maturity, an outlook of someone who’s really 

lived. I love the title, because its paradox 

immediately makes you stop and think how 

the two concepts fit together.” 

Erich Wolfgang Korngold 

b. Brno, Bohemia / May 29, 1897 

d. Hollywood, California, USA / November 29, 1957 

Overture to Captain Blood 

Long sneered at by classical purists for 

“lowering himself” to write music for films, 

Korngold’s lush, ultra-romantic compositions 

for every field in which he worked (concert 

hall, opera house and silver screen) have 

undergone major reappraisal over the last 

forty years. His rousing music for Captain 

Blood (1935) marked his screen debut, and 

gave the career of swashbuckling heartthrob 

Errol Flynn a major boost, as well. 

Franz Lehár 

b. Komaron, Hungary / April 30, 1870 

d. Bad Ischl, Austria / October 24, 1948 

The Merry Widow: Vilja – Lied 

The popularity of nineteenth-century Viennese 

operetta continued well into the twentieth, 

with Lehár leading the way. His masterpiece, 

Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow, 1905), 

is second in popularity among operettas only 

to Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Die Fledermaus. The 

plot is typically complicated, but as usual 

it is little more than a coat-hanger for the 

music. Set in Paris, it concerns the courtship 

between Hanna, a wealthy widow, and the 

pleasure-seeking Count Danilowitsch. In this 

lovely aria, Hanna recounts the legend of the 

love between a hunter and a beautiful woodnymph, 

or vilja. 

“It is an intensely sad song 

about lost love, and how love 

can conquer death.” 

Erich Wolfgang Korngold 

Die Tote Stadt: Marietts’a Lied, Op. 12 

While still an adolescent, Korngold composed 

operas that were produced successfully 

all over Europe. In 1920, the most popular 

of them, Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) 

premiered on the same day in Hamburg and 

Cologne. The libretto concerns Paul, a young 

man who has recently lost his wife, Marie. 

He meets a dancer, Marietta, who bears a 

close physical resemblance to Marie. He tries 

to remake her in his dead wife’s image, but 

without success. Marietta sings this luscious 

aria when she and Paul first meet. It is an 

intensely sad song about lost love, and how 

love can conquer death. ■ 


18 allegro

A Canadian Youth Orchestra Extravaganza 

Sunday May 20, 2012 

2:30pm, Chan Centre for 

the Performing Arts at UBC 

Canada’s two largest Youth Orchestras, 

the Vancouver Youth Symphony 

Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony 

Youth Orchestra perform together at the 

Chan Centre in one exciting afternoon! 

* Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra 

Alain Trudel conductor 

° Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra 

Roger Cole conductor 

* Hindemith Symphonic metamorphosis 

of themes by C. M. Weber 

° Tchaikovsky Francesca da Rimini, op 32 

* ° Tchaikovsky Capriccio italien, op. 45 

604-737-0714 vyso.com or 1.855.985.5000 ticketmaster.ca 

allegro 

Speak directly to your audience: 

Advertise in Allegro Rates starting at only $600! 

ALLEGRO DEMOGRAPHICS 

◆ Affluent 

◆ Educated 

◆ Home Owners 

◆ Culturally Diverse 

◆ Influential 

ALLEGRO FACTS 

◆ 5 Issues per Season 

◆ Each Issue Active 2 Months 

◆ Read by Over 200,000 People Each Year 

◆ Distributed at the Orpheum, Chan Centre, 

and ten other venues around the 

Lower Mainland 

Highly targeted and highly effective, advertising in Allegro makes 

sense for your business. Email allegro@vancouversymphony.ca 

for details and a rate kit. 

vancouversymphony.ca/allegro

NADJA 

SALERNO-SONNENBERG 

ANDREW LITTON 


MASTERWOR KS SI LVER / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

saturday & monday, march 24, 26 

◆ 


Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg violin 

GLINKA Russlan and Ludmilla: Overture 

◆ Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 

I. Nocturne: Moderato 

II. Scherzo: Allegro 

III. Passacaglia: Andante 

IV. Burlesque: Allegro con brio 

I NTERMISSION 

Prokofiev Symphony No. 4 in C Major, Op. 112 

I. Andante assai – Allegro eroico 

II. Andante tranquillo 

III. Moderato quasi allegretto 

IV. Allegro risoluto 


20 allegro


Andrew Litton is currently in his eighth 

season as the first American Music Director 

of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra of 

Norway with whom he has already led 

several major international tours including the 

London Proms, several visits to the Vienna 

Musikverein and New York’s Carnegie Hall. 

Litton also serves as the highly acclaimed 

Artistic Director of the Minnesota Orchestra’s 

Sommerfest where, thanks to his multiple 

talents as conductor, solo pianist and 

chamber musician, he has singly raised the 

artistic profile and public success of the 

festival. 

Andrew Litton, a graduate of the Fieldston 

School, New York, received his bachelor’s and 

master’s degrees from Juilliard in piano and 

conducting. The youngest-ever winner of the 

BBC International Conductors Competition, he 

served as Assistant Conductor at Teatro alla 

Scala and Exxon/Arts Endowment Assistant 

Conductor for the National Symphony 

under Rostropovich. Andrew Litton holds 

an honorary Doctorate from the University 

of Bournemouth and is a recipient of Yale 

University’s Sanford Medal for his musical 

achievements. 

Nadja Salerno- 

Sonnenberg violin 

One of the leading violinists of our time, 

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is best known for 

her exhilarating performances, passionate 

interpretations, musical depth and unique 

charisma. 

A powerful and innovative presence on the 

recording scene, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg 

started NSS Music in 2005. This record label 

continues to grow, with the most recent 

release being Schubert’s Echo featuring the 

American String Quartet released in August 

2010. Additionally, Salerno-Sonnenberg 

has over twenty releases on the EMI and 

Nonesuch labels. 

On the publishing front, Nadja: On My Way, 

her autobiography written for children 

discussing her experiences as a young 

musician building a career, was published by 

Crown Books in 1989. 

Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg’s professional 

career began in 1981 when she won the 

Walter W. Naumburg International Violin 

Competition. In 1983 she was recognized 

with an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and in 

1988 was Ovations Debut Recording Artist of 

the Year. An American citizen, Ms. Salerno- 

Sonnenberg was born in Rome and emigrated 

to the United States at the age of eight to 

study at The Curtis Institute of Music. She 

later studied with Dorothy DeLay at The 

Juilliard School. 

Mikhail Glinka 

b. Novospasskoye, Russia / June 1, 1804 

d. Berlin, Germany / February 15, 1857 

Russlan and Ludmilla: Overture 

Sporting melodies patterned on folk music, 

and scored in lavish orchestral colours, 

Russlan and Ludmilla established the Russian 

national school of opera. The wedding 

between Ludmilla, daughter of the grand 

prince of Kiev, and Russlan, a knight in the 

prince’s service, is disrupted when the bride 

is abducted by Chernomor, an evil magician. 

Russlan locates the magician’s castle and 

cuts off Chernomor’s beard, the source of 

his evil power, then revives Ludmilla with the 

help of a magic ring. Glinka sets the scene 

for these fanciful goings-on with the perfect 

curtain-raiser: brisk, compact and tuneful. 

Dmitry Shostakovich 

b. St. Petersburg, Russia / September 25, 1906 

d. Moscow, Russia / August 9, 1975 

Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 77 

Shostakovich lived through two dire artistic 

crises brought about by clashes between 

the Soviet government’s strict dictates and 

his need to express himself freely. The first 

began in 1936, when the Communist party 

newspaper, Pravda, published a withering 

critique of his opera Lady Macbeth of 

Mtsensk. He remained persona non grata 

until the premiere of his Fifth Symphony 

the following year returned him to the good 

graces of the bureaucrats. 

allegro 21

In February 1948, at a special Communist 

Party congress, Shostakovich found himself 

back in trouble, charged with virtually the 

same “offences” that had been leveled 

against him a decade earlier. The following 

month, he completed Violin Concerto No. 1, 

Op. 77, which he had begun the year before. 

Sensing that if he presented so personal a 

work during the current political climate it 

would cause him further trouble, he put it 

aside, hoping for a more appropriate time to 

launch it. 

The death of dictator Joseph Stalin in 1953 

ushered in a thaw in attitudes to artistic 

expression. The concerto received its belated 

premiere on October 29, 1955, with David 

Oistrakh, the violinist for whom Shostakovich 

had composed it, as the soloist. By then 

Shostakovich had revised it slightly, and had 

given it a new catalogue number, Op. 99, in 

order to conceal the date of its composition. 

Reflecting the events surrounding its creation, 

it is a more shadowed and inward piece than 

Shostakovich’s only previous concerto, the 

first for piano (1932). For example, three of 

the earlier piece’s four movements are brisk 

and animated; that quality is reflected in only 

two sections of the violin work. Note too, 

that even they have an overlay of bitterness 

compared to the earlier piece, and that 

they are by far the briefest portions of the 

concerto. Violin Concerto No. 1 consists of a 

dreamlike yet anxious Nocturne; a bustling 

Scherzo; and a powerful, impassioned 

Passacaglia which leads, via an extended and 

highly demanding solo cadenza, to a raucous 

concluding Burlesque. 

Sergei Prokofiev 

b. Sontsovka, Ukraine / April 27, 1891 

d. Moscow, Russia / March 5, 1953 

Symphony No. 4 in C Major, Op. 112 

Prokofiev regularly re-worked materials 

from his compositions, and also revised 

several works extensively. He based the 

third symphony (1928), for example, on 

music from The Fiery Angel, an opera that 

had not yet been performed. In 1930, he 

received a commission to celebrate the 

fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony 

Orchestra. He responded with another 

symphony based on music from a stage 

work. This time the source was the 1929 

ballet, The Prodigal Son. One of his main 

reasons for reworking it was his feeling that 

the themes had potential for greater, more 

satisfying development within a symphonic 

setting than they had in the ballet. Due partly 

to the ballet’s uplifting subject matter (the 

familiar parable from the Gospel of St. Luke), 

and partly to Prokofiev’s expressed wish to 

find a new, simpler style, the ballet marked a 

creative shift, moving away from the previous 

brashness towards an increased lyricism. 

So too did the symphony whose themes it 

shares. It also made use of music intended 

for, but not used, in the ballet, plus other, fully 

original material. 

Neither the symphony’s premiere in Boston on 

November 14, 1930, nor the few subsequent 

performances, were met with anything 

better than indifference. Prokofiev’s strong 

affection for the piece led him to give it a 

thorough revision in 1947. By then, he had 

earned considerable additional experience in 

symphonic composition through the creation 

of the well-received Fifth and Sixth. In the 

Fourth’s revision process, he expanded the 

orchestration and increased the length by 50 

percent. The outer movements in particular 

received major expansions and re-workings. 

This is the version you will hear at these 

concerts. 

The first movement opens with a substantial 

introduction in slow tempo. This is followed 

by a main section made up of equal parts 

vigour, humour and lyricism. In the ballet, 

it accompanied the antics of the riotous 

young men who led the main character 

astray during his visit to the city. Prokofiev 

drew upon the tender music for the prodigal 

son’s homecoming to his loving family for 

the symphony’s slow, expressive second 

movement. 

The third movement displays a subdued, 

at times dance-like wit. The finale offers 

abundant, forward-pressing energy, a slow, 

satirically pompous march theme, and a 

grandiose coda. ■ 


22 allegro

vancouver symphony foundation 

Ensure the VSO’s future 

with a special gift to the 

Vancouver Symphony 

Foundation, established 

to secure the long term 

success of the Vancouver 

Symphony Orchestra. 

Tax creditable gifts of cash, securities and planned gifts 

are all gratefully received by the Vancouver Symphony 

Foundation, and your gift is enhanced by the availability 

of matching funds from the Federal Government. 

Please call Leanne Davis at 

604.684.9100 extension 236 

or email leanne@vancouversymphony.ca to make a gift or 

learn more about the naming opportunities that are available 

to honour a family member, celebrate the memory of a loved 

one or simply recognize your generosity. 

Support the Power of Music We extend our sincere thanks to these donors, whose gifts will ensure the 

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra remains a strong and vital force in our community long into the future: 

$1,000,000 or more 

Martha Lou Henley 

Government of Canada through the 

Department of Canadian Heritage 

Endowment Incentives Program 

Province of BC through the BC Arts 

Renaissance Fund under the 

stewardship of the Vancouver 

Foundation 

$500,000 or more 

Wayne and Leslie Ann Ingram 

The Estate of Jim and Edith le Nobel 

$250,000 or more 

Estate of Ruth Ellen Baldwin 

Carter (Family) Deux Mille Foundation 

Chan Foundation of Canada 

Ron and Ardelle Cliff 

Estate of Steve Floris 

Werner (Vern) and Helga Höing 

Mr. Hassan and Mrs. Nezhat Khosrowshahi 

The Tong and Geraldine Louie 

Family Foundation 

Hermann and Erika Stölting 

Arthur H. Willms Family 

$100,000 or more 

Estate of Winslow W. Bennett 

Mary and Gordon Christopher 

Janey Gudewill & Peter Cherniavsky 

in memory of their Father 

Jan Cherniavsky and Grandmother 

Mrs. B.T. Rogers 

In memory of John S. Hodge 

Michael and Estelle Jacobson 

S.K. Lee in memory of Mrs. Cheng Koon Lee 

Katherine Lu in memory of Professors 

Mr. and Mrs. Ngou Kang 

William and Irene McEwen Fund 

Sheahan and Gerald McGavin, C.M., O.B.C. 

McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund 

Estate of John Rand 

Nancy and Peter Paul Saunders 

Ken and Patricia Shields 

George and Marsha Taylor 

Whittall Family Fund 

$50,000 or more 

Adera Development Corporation 

Brazfin Investments Ltd. 

Mary Ann Clark 

Estate of Rachel Tancred Rout 

Estate of Mary Flavelle Stewart 

Leon and Joan Tuey 

In memory of John Wertschek, 

Cello Section Player 

$25,000 or more 

Jeff and Keiko Alexander 

Estate of Dorothy Freda Bailey 

Mrs. May Brown, C.M., O.B.C. 

Mrs. Margaret M. Duncan 

W. Neil Harcourt in memory 

of Frank N. Harcourt 

Daniella and John Icke 

Mollie Massie and Hein Poulus 

Estate of Margot Lynn McKenzie 

Paul Moritz 

Mrs. Gordon T. Southam, C.M. 

Maestro Bramwell Tovey and 

Mrs. Lana Penner-Tovey 

Anonymous (1) 

$10,000 or more 

Mrs. Marti Barregar 

Kathy and Stephen Bellringer 

Mrs. Geraldine Biely 

K. Taryn Brodie 

Robert G. Brodie and K. Suzanne Brodie 

Douglas and Marie-Elle Carrothers 

Mr. Justice Edward Chiasson and 

Mrs. Dorothy Chiasson 

Dr. Marla Kiess 

Chantel O’Neil and Colin Erb 

Dan and Trudy Pekarsky 

Bob and Paulette Reid 

Nancy and Robert Stewart 

Beverley and Eric Watt 

Anonymous (1) 

$5,000 or more 

Estate of Clarice Marjory Bankes 

Charles and Barbara Filewych 

Estate of Muriel F. Gilchrist 

Edwina and Paul Heller 

Kaatza Foundation 

Prof. Kin Lo 

Rex and Joanne McLennan 

Marion L. Pearson and James M. Orr 

Melvyn and June Tanemura 

$2,500 or more 

In memory of Lynd Forguson 

Stephen F. Graf 

John and Marietta Hurst 

Mr. Gerald A. Nordheimer 

Harvey and Connie Permack 

Robert and Darlene Spevakow 

Winfred Mary (Mollie) Steele 

Estate of Jan Wolf Wynand 

Anonymous (1) 

Due to space limitations, donations 

of $2,500 or more are listed, but every 

gift is sincerely appreciated and 

gratefully received. THANK YOU. 

allegro 23

SCENES FROM 

THE WIZARD OF OZ 


SPEC IALS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

monday, april 2 

Constantine Kitsopoulos conductor 


COME IN COSTUME to Oz with the Orchestra! Follow the yellow brick road to the 

Orpheum to watch this beloved classic, beautifully restored in full colour, on the big 

screen with live music performed by the VSO. Dress up as your favourite character 

for the Wizard of Oz as you’ve never seen (or heard) it before! 


24 allegro

CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS 

Constantine Kitsopoulos 

conductor 

Constantine Kitsopoulos has made a name 

for himself as a conductor whose musical 

experiences comfortably span the worlds of 

opera and symphony, where he conducts in 

such venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall 

and Royal Albert Hall, and musical theater, 

where he can be found leading orchestras on 

Broadway. Mr. Kitsopoulos is in his sixth year 

as music director of the Queens Symphony 

Orchestra and continues as General Director 

of Chatham Opera, which he founded in 2005. 

Mr. Kitsopoulos has also continued to show 

his ability and interest in performing new 

works and conducting a wide variety of 

genres. He conducted the Red Bull Artsehcro, 

an orchestra consisting of students from 

the top conservatories and university music 

programs in the country, in a concert at 

Carnegie Hall. In addition to his orchestral 

and classical commitments, Mr. Kitsopoulos 

is much in demand as a theatre conductor, 

both on Broadway and nationwide, and was 

Conductor and Musical Director of the Tony © 

-nominated musical A Catered Affair. ■ 

allegro 25

PIERRE SIMARD 

CHRISTOPHER GAZE 


PAC I FIC AR BOU R TEA & TRUMPETS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 2PM 

thursday, april 12 




Lehár: The Merry Widow 

ACT I 

Introduction, Pontevedro in Paree (Solos/Chorus) 

Duet (Valencienne, Camille) A Highy Respectable Wife 

Auftrittslied (Danilo) I’m Off to Chez Maxime 

Finale Act I (Chorus) Ladies Choice! Young Lovers All, Awake! 

Come Away to The Ball 

ACT II 

Introduction, Tanz and Vilja-Lied (Anna) Vilia 

March-Septet Wie die Weiber man behandelt (You’re Back Where You First Began) 

Duet & Romanze (Valencienne, Camille) Red as the Rose of Maytime 

Finale Act II (Grisettes) There Once were Two Royal Children 

ACT III 

(Solos/Chorus) Eh, Voila Les Belles Grisettes 

Duet (Anna, Danillo) Lippen Schweigen (Love Unspoken) 

Finale Ja, das Studium der Weiber (You’re Back Where You First Began – reprise) 

Tea & Cookies Don’t miss tea and cookies served in the lobby one hour 

before each concert, compliments of Tetley Tea and LU Biscuits. 


TEA & TRUMPETS SERIES SPONSOR 

allegro 27

UBC OPERA ENSEMBLE 


This is Pierre Simard’s second season 

as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver 

Symphony Orchestra. He is also Artistic 

Director of both the Vancouver Island 

Symphony (BC) and the Orchestre 

Symphonique de Drummondville (QC). 

Having served as Associate Conductor with 

the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, he also 

performs as guest conductor with major 

orchestras in Milwaukee, Toronto, Ottawa 

(National Arts Centre), Victoria, Hamilton, 

Okanagan, Hot Springs (AR), Trois-Rivières, 

Québec’s Les Violons du Roy and Montreal’s 

Orchestre Métropolitain. Pierre Simard was 

awarded the Canada Council’s Jean-Marie 

Beaudet Award in Conducting, recognizing his 

work on a national scale. He is also grantee 

of the Québec Music Council, the Québec Arts 

Council and the Montreal Mayor’s Foundation. 

A passionate defender of orchestral 

repertoire, Pierre Simard devotes himself 

to reinventing the concert form, combining 

his fresh ideas, fantasy and humour with 

music. Holder of a Master’s Degree in 

Conducting from the Peabody Institute 

and five Conservatory Prizes from the 

Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Pierre 

Simard studied with Raffi Armenian, Frederik 

Prausnitz, JoAnn Falletta and Marin Alsop. 

The VSO’s Assistant Conductor position is 

made possible with the support of the Canada 

Council for the Arts. 


Best known as Artistic Director of Vancouver’s 

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, 

Christopher Gaze has performed in England, 

the USA and across Canada. Born in England, 

28 allegro 

he trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre 

School before coming to Canada in 1975 

where he spent three seasons at the Shaw 

Festival. He moved to Vancouver in 1983 and 

in 1990 founded Bard on the Beach which 

he has since nurtured to one of the most 

successful not-for-profit arts organizations 

in North America, with attendance exceeding 

91,000. In addition to performing and 

directing for Bard, Christopher’s voice is heard 

regularly in cartoon series, commercials and 

on the radio. Aside from Tea & Trumpets, he 

also hosts Vancouver Symphony’s popular 

Christmas concerts. 

As an Olympic ambassador, Christopher was 

honoured to run with the Olympic flame for 

the 2010 Games. A gifted public speaker, 

Christopher frequently shares his insights 

on Shakespeare and theatre with students, 

service organizations and businesses. 


The University of British Columbia Opera 

Ensemble was founded by Canadian lyric 

coloratura Nancy Hermiston in 1995. 

Beginning with a core of seven performers, 

Ms. Hermiston has built the program to 

a 70-member company, now performing 

three main-stage productions at UBC every 

season, seven Opera Tea Concerts, and 

several engagements with local community 

partners. The Ensemble’s mission is to 

educate young gifted opera singers preparing 

them for international careers. Past mainstage 

productions have included Le Nozze 

di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Die Gärtnerin aus 

Liebe, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Robert 

Ward’s The Crucible based on the Pulitzer 

Prize winning play by Arthur Miller, Gianni 

Schicchi, Suor Angelica, La Bohème, Dido 

and Aeneas, The Merry Widow, The Bartered 

Bride, Manon, Eugene Onegin, Florence Lady 

with the Lamp, Dreamhealer, Falstaff and the 

Western Canadian Premiere of Harry Somer’s 

Louis Riel. In the 2010-2011 Season, the 

Ensemble presented Mozart’s Don Giovanni, 

and Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, in the 

renewed Old Auditorium and Massenet’s 

Cendrillon in the Chan Center. ■


LON DON DRUGS VSO POPS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

friday & saturday, april 13, 14 


◆ Tom Arntzen, vocalist 

● Rebecca Shoichet, vocalist 

Carla Heiney director/choreographer 

Dancers: 

Stephen Edward Sayer Eva Lucero 

Chandrea Roettig 

F.J. Abaya 

Patricio Touceda 

Catherine Abaya 

Alex Dugdale 

Let’s Dance! 

Bernstein/Peress “West Side Story” 

Strauss II Blue Danube Waltz 

Arr. TYZIK Charleston/Shimmy 

Arr. TYZIK Kiss of Fire 

◆ Arr. TYZIK Sway 

Gliere Russian Sailors Dance 

◆ Arr. TYZIK 50’s Medley (Blue Suede Shoes, I’ve Got a Woman, Johnny B. Good, 

Twistin’ the Night Away) 

INTERMISSION 

Arr. TYZIK Swing Dance Medley 

Saint-Saëns Bacchanale From “Samson And Delilah” 

● Arr. TYZIK Fever 

Arr. Williams Tango 

Arr. TYZIK Cute/Sing Sing Sing 

◆ ● Arr. TYZIK I’ve Had the Time of My Life from “Dirty Dancing” 


VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR 

APRIL 13 CONCERT SPONSOR 

VSO POPS RADIO SPONSOR 

allegro 31

the VSO’s bold 

2012/ 

BRAMWELL TOVEY WITH THE VSO 

Jon Kimura Parker 

BARRY DOUGLAS 

Midori 

KAREN GOMYO 

Bramwell TOVEY & members of the vso 

John Pizzarelli 

pick up your FREE brochure in the 

or visit the vso online at vancouversymphony.ca

, spectacular 

2013 Season! 

subscriptions 

o n - s a l e n ow 

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Music 

Director Bramwell Tovey present the exhilarating 

2012/2013 Season! 

The 2012/2013 Season is a celebration of great 

music-making, featuring acclaimed classical and 

Pops artists, extraordinary classical masterpieces, 

the very best in concerts for children and families, 

matinees, concerts throughout the Lower Mainland 

– and of course, your Vancouver Symphony 

Orchestra! 

ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN 

Alondra de la parra 

vso season 

20 12 

20 13 

lobby 

VSO Customer Service 604.876.3434

JEFF TYZIK 

CARLA HEINEY 


Grammy ® Award winner Jeff Tyzik is 

recognized as one of America’s most 

innovative pops conductors. Tyzik is known 

for his brilliant arrangements, original 

programming, and engaging rapport with 

audiences of all ages. Now in his 17th 

season as Principal Pops Conductor of the 

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Tyzik also 

currently serves as Principal Pops Conductor 

of the Oregon Symphony and the Vancouver 

Symphony Orchestra. 

A native of Hyde Park, New York, Tyzik began 

his life in music at nine years of age, when 

he first picked up a cornet. He studied both 

classical and jazz throughout high school, 

and went on to earn both his bachelor’s and 

master’s degrees from the Eastman School 

of Music, where he studied composition/ 

arranging with Radio City Music Hall’s Ray 

Wright and jazz studies with the great band 

leader Chuck Mangione, both of whom 

profoundly impacted him as a musician. 

Tyzik currently serves on the Board of 

Managers of the Eastman School of Music, 

and as a board member of the Hochstein 

School of Music and Dance. He lives in 

Rochester, New York, with his wife Jill. 

Carla Heiney 

director/choreographer 

Among many of her accomplishments, 

Carla Heiney has choreographed for Fox’s 

hit T.V. show, “So You Think You Can Dance” 

Season 6. She is founder of LindyCentral.com, 

which hosts a variety of classes & workshops 

specializing in the vintage dance era. During 

the summer of 2010, Carla taught several 

sessions at the prestigious Google Danceplex 

and even choreographed a routine for Google 

employees. 

Carla is the 2010 National Jitterbug 

Champion, 2008 Camp Jitterbug Champion, 

2008 Canadian Swing Dance Champion 

& 2008 & 2009 International Lindy Hop 

Champion. She is also the 2007 National 

Jitterbug Champion, 2007 American Lindy 

Hop Champion, & 2006 US Open Showcase 

Champion. She has also won the US Open 

Lindy Showcase division with in 2001, 2002, 

2004 and the US Open Strictly Lindy division 

in 2003. She is a 6-time American Lindy Hop 

Champion and the 2005 World Lindy Hop 

Champion in the Improvisational division. 

Carla has worked with great artists such as 

Aretha Franklin, Jeff Tyzik, B.B. King, Erich 

Kunzel, Nell Carter, and Rita Moreno. She has 

appeared on ABC’s revival of the TV show 

“Dance Fever” in 2003 and was a featured 

dancer using Motion Capture technology in 

the 2004 Feature Film “The Polar Express.” ■ 

VSO Gift Shop 

VISIT US IN THE ORPHEUM LOBBY 

ON THE ORCHESTRA LEVEL 

34 allegro 

Specially selected CDs including classics 

and current best-sellers. Unique giftware, 

books and musically themed items. 

Open 1 hour prior to concert, 

during intermission & post concert. 

Your purchases support the VSO. Staffed by VSO Volunteers.

Passion & 

POWER 

THE THRILLING 2011/2012 SEASON 

LET OUR GROUP ENTERTAIN YOUR GROUP! 

Great Classics, swingin’ Pops, concerts for children and families – the VSO’s 

2011/2012 Season offers all this and more! Don’t miss extraordinary guest artists 

like Chris Botti, Yevgeny Sudbin, Jeffrey Kahane, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg 

and many more, in a Spring season filled with musical treasures. 

Call Katherine at 604.684.9100 ext 252 for more information about 

Group Sales discounts. 

DISCOUNTS AND PREFERRED SEATING! 

YEVGENY SUDBIN 


Katherine Houang, 

Group Sales & 

Special Ticket Services 

Contact Group Sales at 604.684.9100 ext 252 

or groupsales@vancouversymphony.ca 

vancouversymphony.ca

MYUNG-WHUN CHUNG 


SPEC IALS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 7:30PM 

sunday, april 15 

◆ 

Myung-Whun Chung conductor 

Wu Wei sheng 

PRESENTS 

Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra 

Ravel Ma Mere l’Oye 

I. Pavane de la Belle au bois dormant (Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty) 

II. Petit Poucet (Tom Thumb) 

III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des pagodes (Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas) 

IV. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversations of Beauty and the Beast) 

V. Le Jardin féerique (The Enchanted Garden) 

◆ Unsuk Chin Šu for Chinese Sheng and Orchestra 

I NTERMISSION 

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, Pathetique 

I. Adagio - Allegro non troppo 

II. Allegro con grazia 

III. Allegro molto vivace 

IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso 


THE SEOUL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA IS 

SPONSORED BY HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY 

allegro 37

WU WEI 

Myung-Whun Chung 

conductor 

Myung-Whun Chung began his musical 

career as a pianist, making his debut with 

the Seoul Philharmonic at the age of seven. 

In 1974 he won the second prize at the 

Tchaikovsky piano competition in Moscow. 

In 1979, after completing his musical studies 

at the Mannes School and at the Juilliard 

School in New York, he became Carlo 

Maria Giulini’s assistant at the Los Angeles 

Philharmonic, and two years later he was 

named Associate Conductor. 

The year 2000 marked his return to 

Paris as Music Director of the Orchestre 

Philharmonique de Radio France. His love 

for Italy has been at the basis of his extensive 

work there for many years, including, from 

1997 to 2005, his position as Principal 

Conductor of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra 

in Rome. 

An exclusive recording artist for Deutsche 

Grammophon since 1990, many of his 

numerous recordings have won international 

prizes and awards. Recent releases include 

Messiaen’s La transfiguration de Notre 

Seigneur Jésus-Christ and Des canyons aux 

étoiles with the Orchestre Philharmonique de 

Radio France. 

Wu Wei sheng 

Wu Wei is an avant-garde sheng soloist. He 

has helped to develop the four thousand year 

old ancient instrument into an innovative 

force in contemporary music, through the 

creation of new techniques, expanding the 

repertoire and integrating different styles 

and genres. His achievements have been

ecognized with the German folk prize, the 

Global Root award. 

Among forthcoming highlights are, the French 

premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Su (Concerto for 

Chinese Sheng and Orchestra) in Paris with 

the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra 

under Myung-Whun Chung, and a tour of the 

work with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra 

and Myung-Whun Chung to Europe, Canada 

and the USA. 

Wu Wei has given world premieres of more 

than 150 works (including 10 concertos for 

sheng) by composers such as John Cage, 

Unsuk Chin, Toshio Hosokawa, Jörg Widmann, 

Guus Janssen, Enjott Schneider, Qin Wenchen, 

Tan Dun, Chen Qigang, Guo Wenjing and 

Huang Ruo. 

Wu Wei studied sheng at Shanghai Music 

Conservatory, becoming the soloist of the 

Shanghai Traditional Chinese Orchestra, 

before completing his studies in Berlin at the 

Hanns Eisler Academy of Music with a DAAD 

scholarship. 

Maurice Ravel 

b. Ciboure, Basses Pyrénées, France / March 7, 1875 

d. Paris, France / December 28, 1937 

Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose) Suite 

Ravel’s music mirrors the face he showed 

to the world: cool, dapper, sophisticated. Yet 

beneath this façade beat a heart that yearned 

for the innocence and simplicity of youth. This 

nostalgia took concrete form in Mother Goose, 

a delicate suite of five miniatures for piano 

duet inspired by fairy tales. He composed it 

between 1908 and 1910, and prepared this 

arrangement for small orchestra in 1911. 

The opening Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty 

sets the once-upon-a-time scene in gentle, 

pastel hues. This mood continues in the 

second section. The tiny boy Hop-o’-mythumb 

(known in English as Tom Thumb), 

lost in the forest, discovers to his dismay that 

birds have eaten up the trail of breadcrumbs 

he left to help find his way back home. 

Animation enters in the third section, spiced 

with a far eastern accent. Laideronnette (Little 

Ugly One), Empress of the Pagodas, takes 

her bath, accompanied by a gamelan-like 

orchestra of instruments made from nuts and 

shells. Next, Beauty and the Beast converse. 

She sings a warm, airy clarinet waltz; he 

growls coarsely via the contrabassoon, 

making a rare solo appearance. The final 

section, The Fairy Garden, bids a wistful 

farewell to the land of enchantment as it rises 

to a shimmering, radiant climax. 

Unsuk Chin 

b. Seoul, Korea / July 14, 1961 

Šu, for Chinese sheng and orchestra 

In 1985, Unsuk Chin moved to Europe. For 

three years, she took composition lessons 

with György Ligeti, who encouraged her to 

look beyond the aesthetics of the current 

avant-garde. Since then, she has lived and 

worked in Berlin. Her music is modern in 

language, but lyrical and non-doctrinaire 

in communicative power. Her compositions 

have been performed at numerous festivals 

and concert series in Europe, the Far East, 

and North America. She has been composerin-residence 

with the Seoul Philharmonic 

Orchestra since 2006. Her opera Alice in 

Wonderland is available on DVD, and the 

Violin Concerto and Rocaná were released in 

an Analekta recording with Viviane Hagner 

and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal 

conducted by Kent Nagano. 

She composed the one-movement concerto 

Šu (named after an ancient Egyptian symbol 

for air) for the sheng player Wu Wei, who has 

done much to transform this ancient mouth 

organ into a modern performance instrument. 

He premiered the piece in Tokyo in 2009. 

The composer describes how she came to 

write for the sheng: “I’ve been fascinated by 

the instrument for many decades, but my 

interest in writing a concerto was sparked 

when I heard Wu Wei for the first time, as 

he introduced me to the great virtuosic 

possibilities and multi-faceted nature of this 

instrument…Unlike its Korean and Japanese 

counterparts, the Chinese sheng – which 

is more than 4000 years old – has been 

developed into a modernised and highly 

versatile instrument… At times, it can 

sound like electro-acoustic music and the 

instrument is capable of the eeriest of sounds 

and of explosive power.” 

allegro 39

Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky 

b. Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia / May 7, 1840 

d. St. Petersburg, Russia / November 6, 1893 

Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, 

Pathétique 

Tchaikovsky believed himself the victim of 

a cold, implacable fate. In the last three of 

his six symphonies, he depicted his struggle 

against it. In the sixth, his greatest work 

(which could be taken as his last will and 

testament), fate reigned supreme. 

He conducted the premiere himself, in St. 

Petersburg on October 28, 1893. It met with 

a puzzled reaction, especially regarding the 

unprecedented act of concluding a symphony 

with a slow movement. Nine days later 

Tchaikovsky was dead, perhaps by suicide. 

The second performance took place at his 

memorial service, and made a much deeper 

impression than the first. 

According to Tchaikovsky’s brother, Modest, 

on the day after the premiere, the composer 

was still searching for an appropriate title for 

the piece. Modest suggested “pathétique,” a 

French word of Greek origin that is commonly 

used in Russian. The composer inscribed 

this immediately on the score. Translating it 

into English simply as “pathetic” reduces the 

original word’s undercurrent of passion and 

suffering. 

“The explosive start of the 

development heralds many 

pages of mounting hysteria.” 

The symphony opens with a slow, mournful 

introduction. The expansive exposition 

section contrasts a restless first subject 

with a consoling second. The explosive start 

of the development heralds many pages of 

mounting hysteria. It is crowned by a passage 

of slow, stern grandeur, where the trombones 

and tuba sound like nothing so much as 

funeral orators. 

“...the mood is thrown 

off kilter, with disturbing, 

bittersweet results.” 

At first, the next movement, a waltz, promises 

graceful contrast. But with five beats to the 

bar instead of the usual three, the mood is 

thrown off kilter, with disturbing, bittersweet 

results. 

The third movement begins as a dynamic 

scherzo. Gathering momentum, it appears 

to become a blazing march of triumph, 

sweeping all before it. Yet this is not the only 

possible way of looking at it. David Brown, 

author of an authoritative, four-volume 

biography of Tchaikovsky, comments, “... 

this march is, in fact, a deeply ironic, bitter 

conception – a desperate bid for happiness 

so prolonged and vehement that it confirms 

not only the desperation of the search, but 

also its futility.” 

The symphony’s slow, anguished finale 

confirms this view. Despite repeated protests, 

resignation becomes complete. A quiet stroke 

on the tam-tam announces fate’s victory; the 

music sinks back into the dark depths of the 

orchestra where it began. ■ 


TONI STANICK 

VIOLIN STUDIO 

www.tonistanick.ca 

for highly motivated students 

“Toni is an exceptional violinist and teacher. It has been a privilege to study with her.” 

Soo Young Kim, MMus Juilliard, Assistant Principal 2nd Violin, Seoul Philharmonic 

40 allegro

patrons’ circle 

The Vancouver Symphony is grateful for the generosity shown by the following individuals and 

foundations, whose annual investment in the VSO has helped this orchestra reach new heights 

and garner national and international recognition. 

PLATINUM BATON 

$50,000 and above 

Dr. Peter and Mrs. Stephanie Chung 

Jemini Foundation 

Grenville Thomas 

GOLD BATON 

$25,000—$49,999 

Michael Audain, O.C., O.B.C. and 

Yoshiko Karasawa 

Mary and Gordon Christopher Foundation* 

Heathcliff Foundation* 

Mr. Gerald McGavin, C.M., O.B.C. and 

Mrs. Sheahan McGavin* 

Jane McLennan 

Michael O’Brian Family Foundation 

Mr. Alan and Mrs. Gwendoline Pyatt 

Mr. Ronald N. and Mrs. Janet Stern 

Arthur H. Willms Family* 

MAESTRO’S CIRCLE 

$10,000—$24,999 

Larry and Sherrill Berg 

Mrs. Joyce E. Clarke 

The Christopher Foundation (Education Fund) 

Mrs. Margaret M. Duncan 

Martha Lou Henley* 

Werner (Vern) and Helga Höing* 

Lagniappe Foundation 

Meriem Foundation 

Mr. Brian W. and Mrs. Joan Mitchell 

Mollie Massie and Hein Poulus* 

Maestro Bramwell Tovey and 

Mrs. Lana Penner-Tovey* 

Gordon Young 

Anonymous* (1) 

Anonymous (1) 

CONCERTMASTER’S CIRCLE 

$5,000—$9,999 

Dr. and Mrs. J. Abel 

Jeff and Keiko Alexander* 

Ann Claire Angus Fund 

Dave Cunningham 

Hillary Haggan 

In Memory of John Hodge* 

Diane Hodgins 

Kaatza Foundation* 

Dr. Marla Kiess* 

Robert H. Lee, C.M., O.B.C. and Lily Lee 

The Lutsky Families 

Kenneth W. and Ellen L. Mahon* 

Mrs. Irene McEwen* 

Dr. Katharine Mirhady 

John Hardie Mitchell family foundation 

Joan and Michael Riley 

Ms. Nina Rumen 

Mr. Ken and Mrs. Patricia Shields* 

Thomas and Lorraine Skidmore 

Rick and Denise Turner 

Mr. Fred Withers & Ms. Kathy Jones 

Bruce Munro Wright 

Anonymous (2) 

PRINCIPAL PLAYER 

$2,500—$4,999 

Mr. and Mrs. Francesco Alongi 

Kathy and Stephen Bellringer* 

Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl 

Dr. and Mrs. Cameron 

Marnie Carter* 

Joan and Darryl Chambers 

Janis and Bill Clarke 

Edward Colin and Alanna Nadeau 

Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Cooper 

Ian and Frances Dowdeswell 

Charles and Barbara Filewych* 

Drs. B. Forster and K. Mayson 

Yuri Fulmer 

Jon and Lisa Greyell 

Alasdair and Alison Hamilton 

Heather Holmes 

John and Daniella Icke* 

Olga Ilich 

Gordon and Kelly Johnson 

Prof. Kin Lo* 

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Menten* 

Andrè and Julie Molnar 

Hugh and Joan Morris 

Mrs. Dorothy Nairne 

Christine Nicolas 

Chantel O’Neil and Colin Erb* 

Mrs. Lorraine Redmond, in loving memory 

of Mrs. M. Quast 

Mr. and Mrs. Maurice A. Roden 

Bernard Rowe and Annette Stark 

Dorothy Shields 

Wallace and Gloria Shoemay 

Dr. Peter and Mrs. Sandra Stevenson-Moore 

Mel and June Tanemura* 

George and Marsha Taylor* 

Mr. and Mrs. David H. Trischuk 

Leon and Joan Tuey* 

Beverley and Eric Watt* 

Michael and Irene Webb 

Dr. and Mrs. Edward Yeung 

Anonymous* (1) 

Anonymous (1) 

PATRON 

$1,500—$2,499 

Gordon and Minke Armstrong 

The Honourable Jack Austin and 

Ms. Natalie Freeman 

Mr. R. Paul and Mrs. Elizabeth Beckmann 

Roberta Lando Beiser* 

Betsy Bennett* 

Dr. and Mrs. J. Deen Brosnan 

Mrs. May Brown, C.M., O.B.C.* 

Mr. Peter Cherniavsky* 

Mr. Justice Edward Chiasson and 

Mrs. Dorothy Chiasson* 

Gerry and Barbara Clow 

Doug and Anne Courtemanche 

Leanne Davis and Vern Griffiths 

Barbara J. Dempsey 

Erik and Debbie Dierks* 

Count and Countess Enrico and 

Aline Dobrzensky 

Sharon F. Douglas 

Darren Downs and Jacqueline Harris 

Miryam and Rafael Filosof 

Ms. Judy Garner 

Mrs. San Given 

Mr. Brian Gusko 

Dr. Donald G. Hedges 

In Memory of Betty Howard 

John and Marietta Hurst* 

Michael and Estelle Jacobson* 

D.L. Janzen in memory of Jeannie Kuyper 

Herbert Jenkin 

C.V. Kent 

Hank and Janice Ketcham 

Mr. Hassan and Mrs. Nezhat Khosrowshahi* 

Drs. Colleen Kirkham & Stephen Kurdyak 

Sherry and Alex Klopfer 

Uri and Naomi Kolet 

Judi and David Korbin 

Don and Lou Laishley 

Robert M. Ledingham 

Bill and Risa Levine 

Mrs. Maria Logan 

Hugh and Judy Lindsay 

Nancy and Frank Margitan 

Mrs. Pamela Metal 

M. Lois Milsom 

Nancy Morrison 

Dal and Muriel Richards 

Dr. Bill and Ruthie Ross 

Dr. Robert S. Rothwell* 

Mrs. Joan Scobell 

David and Cathy Scott 

Dr. Earl & Mrs. Anne Shepherd 

Mrs. Mary Anne Sigal 

Randall Takasaki 

L. Thom 

Garth and Lynette Thurber 

Dr. Johann Van Eeden 

Nico & Linda Verbeek* 

Michael Williams 

Dr. Brian Willoughby 

Eric and Shirley Wilson 

Milton and Fei Wong 

Dr. I.D. Woodhouse 

Anonymous (9) 

* Members of the Patrons’ Circle 

who have made an additional gift to 

the VSO’s endowment campaign, 

for which we are most thankful. 

For more information about the patrons’ circle and the exclusive benefits associated 

with this program, please contact Leanne Davis at 604.684.9100 extension 236 

or email leanne@vancouversymphony.ca 

allegro 41

DALE BARLTROP 


BAC H & BEYON CONCERT D / C PROGRAM 

HAN C ENTR E FOR TH E PER FORMI NG ARTS AT U BC, 8PM 

friday & saturday, april 20, 21 

SU R R EY N IGHTS / BELL PER FORMI NG ARTS C ENTR E, 8PM 


◆ Dale Barltrop leader/violin 

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048 

I. Allegro 

II. Andante 

III. Allegro 

Mendelssohn String Symphony (Sinfonia) No. 13 in C minor 

◆ BACH Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042 

I. Allegro 

II. Adagio 

III. Allegro assai 

INTERMISSION 

Mendelssohn Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 

I. Allegro moderato ma con fuoco 

II. Andante 

III. Scherzo: Allegro leggierissimo 

IV. Presto 


42 allegro 

The presentation of tHE 

BACH & BEYOND Series is 

made possible, in part, 

through the generous 

ASSISTANCE of the Chan 

Centre for the Performing 

Arts of the University of 

British Columbia. 

The VSO’s Surrey Nights Series has 

been endowed by a generous gift 

from Werner and Helga Höing.

Dale Barltrop leader/violin 

Hailing from Brisbane, Australia, Dale Barltrop 

has performed across North America, 

Europe and Australia. He had served as 

Principal Second Violin in the Saint Paul 

Chamber Orchestra for six years prior to his 

appointment with the Vancouver Symphony. 

During this time, Barltrop appeared regularly 

as soloist with the SPCO, including a series 

of baroque concerts under his direction and 

a performance of his own orchestration of 

Schubert’s Rondo in B minor. 

Barltrop is a regular artist at the Mainly 

Mozart Festival in San Diego and the Festival 

Mozaic in San Luis Obispo. He has also 

performed at the Yellow Barn, Kneisel Hall, 

Swannanoa and Tanglewood music festivals, 

Music in the Vineyards and the New York 

String Orchestra Seminar. As a soloist, 

Barltrop has performed with the Bloomington 

Symphony, Maryland Chamber Orchestra, 

University of Maryland Symphony and back 

home with the Queensland Orchestra and 

Queensland Pops Orchestra. He served 

as associate concertmaster of the Akron 

Symphony Orchestra and 1st violinist of the 

Verklärte Quartet, which won the grand prize 

at the 2003 Fischoff National Chamber Music 

Competition. 

Barltrop moved to the United States in 

1998 to attend the University of Maryland 

as a student of Gerald Fischbach and the 

Guarneri Quartet. He continued his studies 

at the Cleveland Institute of Music with 

William Preucil. Barltrop has a keen interest 

in teaching and has served on the faculty of 

the National Orchestral Institute and worked 

regularly with the Greater Twin Cities Youth 

Symphonies. In addition to playing the violin, 

Dale loves to travel and enjoys swimming, 

running, hiking and skiing. 

Johann Sebastian Bach 

b. Eisenach, Germany / March 21, 1685 

d. Leipzig, Germany / July 28, 1750 

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, 

BWV 1048 

Bach arrived in the German town of Anhalt- 

Cöthen in 1717, to take up the position 

of Director of Music to Prince Leopold. 

This enlightened young monarch loved 

instrumental music more than any other kind, 

and Bach was only too happy to provide him 

with many outstanding examples. In 1719, 

the Prince sent Bach to Berlin. During Bach’s 

visit, he made the acquaintance of Christian 

Ludwig, Margrave (or ruler) of Brandenburg, a 

town in Prussia. That gentleman asked Bach 

to send him some examples of his music. 

Bach assembled a set of six concertos for 

various instruments, revised and polished 

them, and sent them off to Brandenburg, a 

lavish dedication attached. That inscription 

has earned them the nickname Brandenburg 

Concertos. The Margrave showed little 

interest in them, alas. They passed, probably 

unplayed, into a library in Berlin following his 

death. They were published for the first time 

in 1850, in an edition marking the centenary 

of Bach’s birth. Bach scored Concerto No. 3 

for an orchestra of strings, divided into nine 

parts. The vigorous, richly textured opening 

movement and the sprightly, dance-like finale 

are separated by two chords. Bach probably 

intended them as a guideline for a brief 

improvisation to introduce the finale. 

Felix Mendelssohn 

b. Hamburg, Germany / February 3, 1809 

d. Leipzig, Germany / November 4, 1847 

String Symphony (Sinfonia) No. 13 

in C minor 

Mendelssohn played a major role in reviving 

the reputation of Bach. In 1829, for example, 

when he was 20, he conducted the first 

performance of the St. Matthew Passion in 

the 79 years since Bach’s death. 

He ranked second only to Mozart in the 

annals of child prodigies. In 1950, the 

manuscripts of his previously unknown 

symphonies (or sinfonias) for strings were 

discovered in the State Library of East Berlin. 

He composed them between 1821 and 1823, 

his twelfth and fourteenth years. Additional 

compositions from that immensely productive 

period included concertos, a string quartet, 

piano quartets, and a piano sextet. 

The attractive and progressively more 

assured sinfonias may have come into being 

as composition exercises requested by his 

teacher, Carl Friedrich Zelter. If so, they far 

transcend any purely educational purpose. 

Reflecting Zelter’s taste for older music, the 

allegro 43

sinfonias frequently incorporate Baroqueperiod 

practices such as counterpoint, the 

simultaneous presentation of two or more 

independent musical lines. No. 13 has just 

one movement. Whether Mendelssohn 

planned to make it part of a larger work is 

unknown. It opens with a stately introduction 

in slow tempo, and continues with a vigorous, 

intricately textured section that adopts 

another prominent Baroque form, the fugue. 

Johann Sebastian Bach 

Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042 

No direct evidence is available to place 

Bach’s violin concertos at a particular time 

in his career. In terms of style and activities, 

however, the six years he spent in the German 

town of Anhalt-Cöthen seem the most likely 

period. He was a skillful violinist, although 

he was far better known as an organist. Carl 

Philipp Emanuel, the most famous of his sons, 

stated: “In his youth, and until the approach 

of old age, he played the violin cleanly and 

penetratingly.” Bach wrote exceptionally well 

for the violin because as Carl continues, “He 

understood to perfection the possibilities of all 

In Memoriam 

EdwINA HELLER 

February 14, 1914 – January 4, 2012 

MILTON K. wONg, C.M., O.B.C. 

February 12, 1939 – December 31, 2011 

Edwina Heller and Milton Wong were 

both avid supporters of the VSO for over 

60 and 40 years respectively. Their desire 

for our community to experience great 

music is a testament to their generosity, 

making our city a better place in which 

to live and work. 

Individually, and with their families, 

their contributions to the VSO and the 

arts community have made a significant 

impact, for which we will forever be 

grateful. 

Vancouver Symphony Society 

stringed instruments.” Many Bach concertos 

exist in arrangements featuring a variety of 

solo instruments. He transcribed this glowing 

Violin Concerto in E Major for harpsichord. 

The outer sections bustle with energy. The 

most remarkable portion is the slow second 

movement, an especially beautiful creation 

with the character of a vocal aria. 

Felix Mendelssohn 

Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 

The beautifully polished Octet for Strings 

(1825) and the magical overture to 

Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, A 

Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826), announced 

Mendelssohn’s full maturity. The octet 

is true chamber music, not a symphony 

in disguise. Each of the eight parts is a 

separate and indispensable component of 

the whole (although he does grant the first 

of the four violins especially brilliant status). 

This sets it apart from the similarly scored 

but conceptually different series of double 

quartets that Louis Spohr had begun to 

create two years earlier. The octet’s textures 

regularly display numerous imaginative and 

intricate combinations, without ever growing 

dense or heavy. It remained Mendelssohn’s 

own favourite among his youthful works. 

The first movement, quite the longest of 

the four, balances energy and warmth. A 

melancholy andante follows, the principal 

theme cast in the lilting style of a siciliano. 

Mendelssohn told his sister Fanny that the 

third movement, a quiet yet exhilarating 

scherzo, was inspired by a stanza from 

Goethe’s Faust: 

Trails of cloud and mist brighten from above; 

Breeze in the foliage and wind in the reeds – 

And everything is scattered. 

Fanny wrote of it, “Everything is new, strange, 

yet so attractive, so sympathetic. One 

feels so close to the spirit world, so lightly 

drawn up into the sky, one might even wish 

for a broomstick, the better to follow the 

mischievous host.” A finale that outshines the 

previous movements for textural ingenuity 

and sheer exuberance concludes the octet. ■ 


44 allegro

UPCOMING CONCERTS 

Highlights of the next issue of Allegro... 

Chris Botti 

Chris Botti with the VSO! 

Wednesday, May 2 

Pierre Simard conductor Chris Botti trumpet 

The one and only Chris Botti makes his highly-anticipated return to 

the Orpheum to perform with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra! 

His last VSO performance – a sold-out concert in 2010 – had 

audiences leaping to their feet for multiple standing ovations. 

Allen Vizzutti 

Yevgeny Sudbin 

Essential Brass 

with Allen Vizzutti 

Friday & Saturday, May 11 & 12 

Jeff Tyzik conductor Allen Vizzutti trumpet 

Internationally-acclaimed as one of the world’s very best trumpet 

players, Allen Vizzutti makes his much-anticipated return to the VSO, 

performing an eclectic concert that includes Carnival of Venice, Aventure 

Español, selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and more! 

Yevgeny Sudbin! 

Saturday, Sunday & Monday, May 26, 27 & 28 

Kazuyoshi Akiyama conductor Yevgeny Sudbin piano 

Mozart The Magic Flute: Overture 

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 

Debussy L’isle joyeuse 

Debussy La Mer 

VAncouver Bach Choir 

Bramwell Tovey 

LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS 

Wednesday, may 30 

Bramwell Tovey conductor Vancouver Bach Choir 

Last Night of the Proms is a traditional concert celebrating the last 

night of the BBC Promenades series of concerts in London’s Royal 

Albert Hall, a beloved concert series that began in 1895. Maestro 

Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra proudly 

uphold that tradition in a fun and fantastic concert featuring Pomp 

& Circumstance, Rule Britannia, Jerusalem, and much more! 

Bramwell Tovey’s The Inventor 

Saturday & Monday, June 9 & 11 


Maestro Bramwell Tovey’s spectacular opera The Inventor opened 

at the Calgary Opera in January 2011 to critical acclaim. The VSO 

presents the concert version of this new opera, featuring the original 

cast and, of course, Maestro Tovey conducting. 

Full concert listings and tickets at: vancouversymphony.ca 

or call 604.876.3434

BRAMWELL TOVEY 


VANCOUVER CONCERT SU N SYMPHONY PROGRAM 

AT TH E AN N EX / OR PH EUM AN N EX, 8PM 

◆ 

● 

▲ 

◗ 

◆ 

● 

▲ 

◗ 

saturday, april 21 



Stephanie Domingues soprano 



Songs Without Words 

Jeffrey RYAN Brazen, Concerto for Saxophone (World Premiere) 

Edward Top Songs of an Egyptian Princess (World Premiere) 

I NTERMISSION 

Rodney Sharman Songs without Words 

Jordan Nobles Idée Fixe, Piano Concerto (World Premiere) 


SYMPHONY AT THE ANNEX 

SERIES SPONSOR 

FINANCIAL SUPPORT 

FOR THIS SERIES PROVIDED BY 

allegro 47


Grammy ® Award winning conductor 

Bramwell Tovey is acknowledged around the 

world for his artistic vision and depth, and 

his warm, charismatic personality. Tovey’s 

career as a conductor is uniquely enhanced 

by his extensive work as a composer and 

pianist, lending him a remarkable musical 

perspective. His tenures as music director 

with the Vancouver Symphony, Luxembourg 

Philharmonic and Winnipeg Symphony 

Orchestras and as Principal Guest Conductor 

of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the 

Hollywood Bowl have been characterized by 

his expertise in operatic, choral, British and 

contemporary repertoire. 

Mr. Tovey, who is entering his twelfth season 

as Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony, 

celebrated his 100th concert this past July as 

a guest conductor of the New Philharmonic. 

He is founding host and conductor of the New 

York Philharmonic’s Summertime Classics 

series at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center. 

In 2008, the New York and Los Angeles 

Philharmonics co-commissioned him to 

write a new work, Urban Runway, which has 

been played across Canada, the US and in 

Australia. He was awarded the Best Canadian 

Classical Composition Juno ® Award in 2003 

for his Requiem for a Charred Skull. 

An esteemed guest conductor, Mr. Tovey has 

worked with orchestras in the United States 

and Europe including the City of Birmingham, 

London Philharmonic, London Symphony and 

Frankfurt Radio orchestras. In North America, 

Mr. Tovey has made guest appearances with 

the orchestras of Baltimore, Philadelphia, 

St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Seattle and 

Montreal as well as ongoing performances 

with Toronto, where his trumpet concerto, 

Songs of the Paradise Saloon commissioned 

by the TSO, received its premiere in 

December of 2009 as a preview of his first 

full-length opera The Inventor which was 

commissioned and premiered by Calgary 

Opera in January 2011. During the summer 

of 2011 he debuted with the Cleveland 

Orchestra at the Blossom Festival and the 

Boston Symphony at Tanglewood and made 

a return visit to the Philadelphia Orchestra, 

48 allegro 

this time in their summer series in Saratoga, 

NY. This season he will guest conduct the 

Melbourne, Western Australia (Perth) and 

Sydney Symphony orchestras in Australia. 

Tovey has been awarded honourary degrees, 

including a Fellowship from the Royal 

Academy of Music in London, honourary 

Doctorates of Law from the universities 

of Winnipeg and Manitoba, and Kwantlen 

University College, as well as a Royal 

Conservatory of Music Fellowship in Toronto. 

He is a member of the Order of Manitoba. 

In 1999, he received the M. Joan Chalmers 

National Award for Artistic Direction, 

a Canadian prize awarded to artists for 

outstanding contributions in the 

performing arts. 


Julia Nolan maintains an active performing 

schedule committed to promoting new works 

for saxophone. She has commissioned works 

by many Canadian composers including 

Stephen Chatman, Keith Hamel, Robert 

Pritchard, Nicolas Scherzinger, Jacquie 

Leggatt, Hope Lee, Fred Stride, Neal Currie, 

Alain Mayrand, Alan Matheson, and now 

Jeffrey Ryan. 

Julia Nolan studied with Dr. Eugene 

Rousseau at Indiana University and has had 

study sessions with Claude Delangle (Paris 

Conservatory) and Dr. Frederick Hemke 

(Northwestern University). 

Of her compact disc recording of Paule 

Maurice’s Tableaux de Provence as soloist 

with the CBC orchestra (CBC SM5135) under 

the direction of Mario Bernardi, Bob Kerr, host 

of CBC’s Off the Record praised Julia Nolan as 

“a brilliant and mellifluous sounding soloist.” 

Interdisciplinary works are a new area of 

interest. Works commissioned by Nolan 

for saxophone in this genre include: Keith 

Hamel’s WindoW for saxophone and 

interactive computer; Robert Pritchard’s 

Strength for saxophone and video; and 

Dorothy Chang’s Beyond and through… for 

saxophone and dancer, created especially 

for Julia Nolan and Kathryn Ricketts, 

collaborators in improvised music and 

dance/movement for the past five years.

JULIA NOLAN 

STEPHANIE DOMINGUES 

BETH ORSON 

COREY HAMM 

Stephanie Domingues 

soprano 

Upcoming Canadian soprano, Stephanie 

Domingues made her European debut 

in Freiberg, Germany as Mademoiselle 

Silberklang in Der Schauspieldirektor. 

She has performed in the Canadian Opera 

Company’s production of Turandot, Queen 

of Spades and Die Zauberflöte and in the 

Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre for the 

opening of the Four Seasons Center for the 

Performing Arts in Toronto, Ontario. She has 

also performed in the prestigious Luminato 

Festival Concert Series at Roy Thomson 

Hall in Toronto, Ontario. 

Stephanie was chosen to train and performed 

under full sponsorship at the prestigious 

Tanglewood Institute in the Young Artist 

Vocal Program studying with celebrated 

performers and teachers such as Phyllis 

Curtin, Sharon Daniels and Simone Estes. 

She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from 

the University of Toronto where she studied 

under the tutelage of Lorna MacDonald. 

In September 2011, Stephanie joined the 

University of British Columbia’s Opera 

Ensemble where she is a Master of Music 

candidate studying with Nancy Hermiston. 


Beth Orson has played Assistant Principal 

Oboe and English Horn with the Vancouver 

Symphony Orchestra since 1990. She has 

taught on the faculties of the UBC School of 

Music and the Vancouver Academy of Music 

for many years and joined the faculty of the 

National Youth Orchestra of Canada in 2008. 

As a chamber musician, Ms. Orson often 

performs with the Turning Point Ensemble 

and in recital at the University of British 

Columbia. Principal Oboe of the NY 

Symphonic Ensemble from 1988-2005, 

she completed 19 tours to Japan with this 

renowned chamber orchestra, performing 

in every major concert hall in Japan, often 

as soloist. 

Ms. Orson has recorded for CBC Records, 

Deutsche Grammophon, Essay, New World, 

Parnassus and Technics Records. A graduate 

of the Oberlin Conservatory and winner 

of the Oberlin Concerto Competition, 

Ms. Orson’s principal teachers were 

Laurence Thorstenberg, James Caldwell, 

and Elaine Douvas. 


Corey Hamm has commissioned, premiered 

and recorded over one hundred solo, chamber 

and concerto works, collaborating with the 

composers in each case. He has given over 

thirty performances of Frederic Rzewski’s 

hour long solo piano epic The People United 

Will Never Be Defeated!, including one for 

Rzewski himself. 

Hamm is pianist with the new music 

ensembles The Nu:BC Collective and 

Hammerhead Consort, the second of 

which were winners of the National Music 

Competition and Sir Ernest MacMillan 

Foundation Chamber Music Award. 

Dr. Hamm is Assistant Professor of Piano 

and Chamber Music at the University of 

British Columbia where he is also Director 

of The UBC Contemporary Players. He 

was winner of the 2009 Killam Award for 

allegro 49

Teaching Excellence. He has also been on 

the Piano Faculty of The Summer Institute 

for Contemporary Performance Practice 

(SICPP, or Sick Puppy!) at the New England 

Conservatory of Music in Boston, and is Co- 

Director of The Young Artist Experience (YAE). 

Corey is also in demand for masterclasses 

and juries in North America, Asia, and Europe. 

Dr. Hamm’s beloved teachers include Lydia 

Artymiw, Marek Jablonski, Stephane Lemelin, 

Ernesto Lejano, and Thelma Johannes O’Neill. 

Notes on Tonight’s Concert 

The VSO chamber orchestra performs four 

exciting, new compositions of Vancouver 

composers with four Vancouver soloists. 

Jeffrey Ryan revisits an old love, the 

saxophone, to create a dynamic new work. 

Edward Top delves into a nebulous journey of 

a young Egyptian Princess. Rodney Sharman 

explores the rich sounds of the English Horn 

and its parallels to youth. Jordan Nobles 

surrenders to the grand, augmented chord on 

the piano. Take a plunge into the refreshing 

music composed in the home city of the VSO! 

Jeffrey Ryan Composer Laureate 

of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 

b. Toronto, Ontario / 1962 

Brazen, Concerto for Saxophone 

(World Premiere) 

In my high school concert band, I played alto 

saxophone. In fact it was the first instrument 

I really learned how to play. In Grade 13, 

I wrote an alto saxophone duet, which I 

performed with the band teacher on the 

annual Music Night concert. But somehow 

in my professional career, the opportunity to 

write for the saxophone never came my way, 

aside from its inclusion in one band piece. 

So when saxophonist Julia Nolan approached 

me about writing a concerto for her, I jumped 

at the chance. 

While thinking about the instrument and 

scouting around for inspiration, I came across 

a reference to the Brazen Age, one of the 

Ages of Man in Greek mythology. A piece 

about Greek mythology didn’t interest me, 

but the word “brazen” stuck. It can mean 

simply “made of brass” which was certainly 

appropriate for a saxophone piece. But no 

one thinks of that when they hear that word. 

They think of its other meaning: “bold and 

shameless”. They think “Brazen Hussy”. 

This provided me with the perfect character 

for the solo music: bold and brash, sexy and 

seductive, calculating and manipulative. 

A single-reed Eve Harrington surrounded 

by strings and metallic percussion. 

Brazen was commissioned by Julia Nolan, 

and supported in part by the BC Arts Council. 

Program Notes © 2012 Jeffrey Ryan 

Siemon Edward Top 

Composer-in-Residence of the Vancouver 

Symphony Orchestra 

b. Ommen, Overijssel, Holland / January 1, 1972 

Songs of an Egyptian Princess 

For Soprano and chamber orchestra 


Songs of an Egyptian Princess is composed 

from an excerpt of a play called True Mummy, 

written by local playwright and my good 

friend Tom Cone. The songs are narrations 

50 allegro

y a young Egyptian Princess about her brief 

life, premature death, and the “re-purposing” 

of her ashes as varnish for a Turner painting. 

This composition attempts to portray 

primordial emotions of fear and anxiety; 

these nebulous feelings are made even more 

poignant through the innocent voice of the 

child Princess. 

I have composed musical references, 

archetypes that represent what the Princess 

goes through in each song: her head bound 

in linen, a procession, playing hide and seek, 

preparation for mummification, taken by 

grave robbers and shipped to England, burnt 

in a London warehouse. These references 

are absorbed by slowly moving spheres of 

portentous strings harmonies, whilst harp and 

percussion carry out tinkling garlands within 

a static modal framework. 

The melodies of the Princess, a soprano, 

are expanded by shadow players. These are 

instrumental doubles that anticipate and 

extend the pitches of the soloist. The doubles 

are a solo violin (later cello), piccolo and a 

harp, instruments accompanying the Princess 

to the afterlife. This technique of vocal 

expansion creates the suggestion of endless 

melodic lines that grow from the orchestral 

accompaniment into the vocalist, who in her 

turn then passes them back to the orchestra. 

Program Notes © 2012 Edward Top 

Dr. Rodney Sharman 

Former Resident Composer with the 

Vancouver and Victoria Symphony Orchestras 

b. Biggar, Saskatchewan / May 24, 1958 

Songs without Words 

For English Horn and chamber orchestra 

Songs without Words was written during 

my composer residency with the Victoria 

Symphony Orchestra, funded in part through 

the Canada Council for the Arts. The piece 

is dedicated to Victoria’s excellent English 

Horn player, Russell Bajer. I am delighted that 

Beth Orson is giving the second performance 

tonight with my home orchestra and 

Maestro Tovey. 

The piece traces the arc of life in four 

movements: Cradle Song, Hopscotch, 

Simple Song, and Funeral March. The first 

and second movement are joined, as are the 

third and fourth. There are cadenzas at the 

ends of the second and fourth movements. 

The English Horn is not only a solo melodic 

instrument in the piece, it is sometimes a 

basis for orchestral lattice work above the 

instrument’s rich and soulful sound. In more 

lyrical sections, the orchestra accompanies 

sparingly, as one does with middle voices. 

In Romantic music the English horn is 

conventionally used to portray young love, 

the pastoral, melancholy, and loss. There 

is, I think, something to this; more than any 

other instrument, it evokes (at least to me) 

imaginary landscapes, shepherds, youth— 

and youth’s passing. 

Program Notes © 2012 Rodney Sharman 

Jordan Nobles Composer 

b. Surrey, British Columbia / 1969 

Idée Fixe 

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra 


An idée fixe is a ‘fixed idea’, a preoccupation 

of mind that persists and resists attempts to 

leave or modify it. 

I have, in my work, a number of recurring 

musical ideas, which, although I love them, 

I try to push away and think of new and 

different ones. They always come back 

however and hover in the periphery of 

my mind’s eye. Chief among them is the 

augmented chord. I have used an augmented 

triad more times then I care to admit. I love 

its symmetry, how it is always a minor second 

away from any minor or major chord, and 

I love using it to pivot to a new harmony. 

This piece is about not fighting the fixed idea 

but letting it happen whenever it wishes. It 

starts with an augmented chord and never 

looks back. It is a complete surrender to that 

which will not go away. I can no longer resist. 

The piece is dedicated, with thanks, to 

Corey Hamm whose invaluable assistance 

made it possible. ■ 

Program Notes © 2012 Jordan Nobles 

allegro 51



MUSICALLY SPEAKI NG / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 8PM 

saturday, april 28 

ROGERS GROU P FI NANC IAL SYMPHONY SU N DAYS / OR PH EUM TH EATR E, 2PM 

sunday, april 29 

NORTH SHOR E C LASSICS / C ENTEN N IAL TH EATR E, 8PM 



◆Peter Longworth piano 

◗ Richard Suart baritone (playing “The Judge”) 

◗ UBC Opera Ensemble 

WALTON Crown Imperial 

◆IRELAND Piano Concerto in E-flat Major 

I. In tempo moderato 

II. Lento espressivo 

III. Allegro 

INTERMISSION 

◗ Gilbert and Sullivan Trial by Jury 


SYMPHONY SUNDAYS 

SERIES SPONSOR 

MUSICALLY SPEAKING 

VIDEO SCREEN SPONSOR 

allegro 53


For a biography of Maestro Tovey, please 

refer to page 48. 

Peter Longworth piano 

Pianist Peter Longworth has established 

himself as one of the most sought after 

performers of his generation. Equally 

comfortable as soloist and chamber musician, 

he has performed in cities around the world. 

Mr. Longworth is a founding member of 

the Duke Piano Trio, which has performed 

throughout the United States and Canada, 

and he has appeared in collaboration with 

many of today’s finest instrumentalists. He 

can be heard on a recent recording of the 

complete Brahms violin and piano sonatas 

with violinist Mark Fewer. 

Born in 1964 in London, Mr. Longworth 

began his piano studies in Brussels. He 

studied at Northwestern University with 

Arthur Tollefson and at the University of 

Michigan with Eckhart Sellheim and after 

a year at the Banff Centre for the Fine Arts, 

he completed his studies at the Royal 

Conservatory with Marek Jablonski, Leon 

Fleisher and Marc Durand. Mr. Longworth 

was a finalist in the International Busoni 

Piano Competition in Italy. 

Richard Suart 

baritone (playing “The Judge”) 

Richard Suart was born in Lancashire, and 

studied at St John’s College, Cambridge, 

and the Royal Academy of Music. He began 

his operatic career with the English Music 

Theatre Company and Opera Factory, and 

is now much sought after, particularly in 

music theatre, contemporary opera and, 

of course, as a comedian in the more 

standard repertoire. 

He has enjoyed a long association with 

Diva Opera for whom he has appeared as 

Dr. Bartolo, Gianni Schicchi and Dulcamara; 

he has also directed and appeared in three 

operettas for the company, Trial by Jury, Die 

Fledermaus and Cox and Box in the UK, the 

Channel Islands, Switzerland and France. 

PETER LONGWORTH 

RICHARD SUART 

Current and most recent engagements 

include Mr. Walter Afterlife in the Holland 

Festival and with L’Opéra National de Lyon, 

Playing Away in Bregenz and St Pölten, 

French Ambassador Of thee I Sing, General 

Snookfield Let Them Eat Cake and Barabaskin 

Paradise Moscow at Opera North and in 

Bregenz, Baron Zeta The Merry Widow, Lesbo 

Agrippina at ENO, The Mayor Jenufa for Opera 

Holland Park and Lord Chancellor Iolanthe 

with the San Francisco Symphony. 


For a biography of UBC Opera Ensemble, 

please refer to page 28. 

Sir William Walton 

b. Oldham, England / March 29, 1902 

d. Ischia, Italy / March 8, 1983 

Crown Imperial 

Walton’s stirring coronation marches, Crown 

Imperial (1937) and Orb and Sceptre (1953) 

link him strongly to fellow Englishman 

Sir Edward Elgar’s tradition of pomp and 

circumstance. He added to it his own touches 

of brilliance and sophistication. Crown 

Imperial was commissioned by the BBC, to be 

performed at the coronation of King George VI 

and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother). 

It was premiered at the coronation service in 

London’s Westminster Abbey on May 12, Sir 

Adrian Boult, conducting. The outer panels 

are based on a sturdy processional theme 

that builds in volume and fervour to a pair of 

magnificent climaxes. A memorable, flowing 

melody representing a more subdued manner 

of rejoicing appears in between. 

54 allegro

John Ireland 

b. Bowdon, England / August 13, 1879 

d. Rock Mill, England / June 12, 1962 

Piano Concerto in E-flat Major 

Ireland created a distinctive catalogue of 

music (orchestral pieces, songs and choral 

works, chamber music and piano solos) 

that made him one of the foremost British 

composers of his generation. Much of it 

bears descriptive titles (The Forgotten Rite, 

Legend, etc.), since evoking atmosphere, 

born of his deep interest in such things as 

Celtic mysticism and the distant past, was 

one of his foremost concerns. 

His non-descriptive works, such as the 

Piano Concerto, are equally intriguing. He 

composed it in 1930, and dedicated it to a 

young pianist, Helen Perkin. He had become 

closely acquainted with her while she was 

studying at the Royal College of Music in 

London, where he taught. She gave the 

concerto’s premiere at a Proms concert on 

October 2, with Sir Henry Wood conducting. 

It was Ireland’s longest work to date, and 

the warmth of its reception enhanced his 

reputation (at the age of 51) from a creator of 

poetic miniatures to a new, more ambitious 

composer who could work successfully in 

large-scale forms. The concerto is substantial 

in size, and it displays structural ingenuity 

by recalling thematic materials between 

the movements. It was quickly taken up 

by numerous prominent soloists, Artur 

Rubinstein and Clifford Curzon among them, 

and remained the preeminent British piano 

concerto for several decades. 

The first movement opens with music that is 

exceptionally warm and lyrical in character. 

Ireland added energy, colour and even 

more ardent expressivity as the movement 

unfolds to a stirring conclusion. He placed 

his poetic side on full display in the dreamy 

second movement. Solo passages for flute, 

violin, and horn increase the movement’s 

chamber-like intimacy. Timpani enter for the 

first time in the concerto to pave the way for 

the finale that follows on without a pause. 

This concluding movement predated the 

similarly jazz-flavoured finale of the piano 

concerto that Maurice Ravel would complete 

in 1931. Ireland leavened it with passages of 

a reflective nature. 

Sir William 

Schwenk Gilbert 

b. London, England / November 18, 1836 

d. London, England / May 29, 1911 

AND 

Sir Arthur Sullivan 

b. London, England / May 13, 1842 

d. London, England / November 22, 1900 

Trial by Jury 

It was an unlikely partnership: Sullivan, a 

sociable, easygoing composer nurtured on 

Bach and Mendelssohn, eager to take his 

place among the great creators of religious 

oratorios and serious symphonic works; and 

56 allegro

Gilbert, a high-strung, often jealous writer 

whose talents were forged in the irreverent 

worlds of the London stage and popular 

press. They were very different men, yet 

somehow they sparked each other to give 

of their best. It’s unlikely they would have 

reached as high a creative level individually 

as they did when they pooled their talents. 

They were introduced in 1869 by a friend 

of Sullivan’s, the composer Frederic Clay. 

Author tried to impress composer with his 

wit, alas only irritating him in the process 

– hardly an auspicious beginning to their 

relationship! Two years passed before theatre 

manager John Hollingshead persuaded them 

to collaborate on a Christmas play, Thespis; 

or The Gods Grown Old. It enjoyed only a 

modest success and vanished quickly. Gilbert 

and Sullivan then went their separate ways, 

Sullivan to compose incidental theatre music, 

an oratorio, The Light of Life, and numerous 

hymn tunes, including Onward, Christian 

Soldiers and Nearer, My God to Thee. 

Meanwhile, another London impresario, 

Richard D’Oyle Carte, was looking for a short 

operetta to share a double bill with Jacques 

Offenbach’s La Périchole. Recalling Thespis, 

he persuaded Gilbert and Sullivan to work 

together again. Gilbert suggested a comic 

libretto he had written a few years before, 

but for which he had had no luck in finding 

a composer. Sullivan loved it and wrote the 

score in short order. Premiering at London’s 

Royalty Theatre on March 25, 1875, Trial by 

Jury ran for 131 performances and won G&S 

their first triumph. 

The satirical view it takes of British legal 

procedures (Gilbert had come to know the 

authentic article while acting as a lawyer in 

his younger days) set a precedent of tone for 

much that would follow in the G&S canon. It 

also included musical parodies of French and 

Italian opera composers who were popular at 

the time, especially Vincenzo Bellini. ■ 

Program Notes © 2012 Don Anderson

vancouver symphony partners 

The Vancouver Symphony gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the following 

Corporations, Foundations, and Government Agencies that have made a financial contribution 

through sponsorship and/or a charitable donation for the 2011/2012 season. 

SERIES SPONSORS 

CONCERT AND SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORS 

 

 

IMPORTANT: 

For Usage below 1-1/2” wide 

KINGSWOOD CAPITAL CORPORATION 

KINGSWOOD CAPITAL CORPORATION 

VANCOUVER 

SYMPHONY 

VOLUNTEERS 

58 allegro

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SPONSORS AND PARTNERS 

PREMIER EDUCATION PARTNER 

JEMINI 

FOUNDATION 

MEDIA PARTNERS 

$150,000+ 

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Services 

Goldcorp Inc. 

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$40,000+ 

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PwC 

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$30,000+ 

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP 

HSBC Bank Canada 

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Retirement Communities 

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Fund of UBC 

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Polygon Homes Ltd. 

Rogers Group Financial 

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$10,000+ 

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Constructors Ltd. 

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$5,000+ 

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Insurance Company 

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& Murphy LLP 

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Foundation 

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Anonymous (1) 

For more information about vso corporate partners programs please contact: 

Jennifer Polci at 604.684.9100 extension 239 or email jennifer@vancouversymphony.ca 

allegro 59

at the concert 

Concert COURTESIES 

For your enjoyment, and the enjoyment of 

others, please remember concert etiquette. 

Talking, coughing, leaning over the balcony 

railings, unwrapping cellophane-wrapped 

candies, and the wearing of strong perfume 

may disturb the performers as well as other 

audience members. 

Latecomers 

Ushers will escort latecomers into the 

auditorium at a suitable break in the 

performance chosen by the conductor. 

Patrons who leave the auditorium during the 

performance will not be re-admitted until a 

suitable break in the performance. 

Hearing-assist systems 

Hearing-impaired patrons may borrow 

complimentary Sennheiser Infrared Hearing 

System headsets, available at the coat-check 

in the Orpheum Theatre only, after leaving 

a driver’s licence or credit card. 

CELL phoNES, pAGERS, DIGITAL WATChES 

Please turn off cell phones and ensure 

that digital watches do not sound during 

performances. Doctors and other professionals 

expecting calls are asked to please leave 

personal pagers, telephones and seat locations 

at the coat-check. 

Cameras, recording equipment 

Cameras and audio/video recording 

equipment of any kind are strictly prohibited 

in all venues and must be left at the coat-check 

in the main lobby. Under no circumstances 

may photographs, video recordings or audio 

recordings be taken during a performance. 

Smoking 

All venues are non-smoking. 

Program, Guest Artists and/or 

Program Order are subject to change. 

vancouver symphony administration 604.684.9100 

Jeff Alexander, President & Chief Executive Officer 

Finance & Administration: 

Mary-Ann Moir, Vice-President, Finance & 

Administration 

Debra Marcus, Director of Information Technology 

& Human Resources 

Ann Surachatchaikul, Accountant 

Ray Wang, Payroll Clerk & IT Assistant 

Marketing, Sales & Customer Service: 

Alan Gove, Vice-President, Marketing & Sales 

Shirley Bidewell, Manager of Gift Shop & Volunteers 

Estelle and Michael Jacobson Chair 

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Anna Gove, Editor & Publisher, Allegro Magazine 

Katherine Houang, Group Sales & Special Ticket Services 

Kenneth Livingstone, Database Manager 

Jaime Moore Hirsbrunner, Marketing Assistant & 

Assistant to the President and CEO 

Cameron Rowe, Director of Audience & Ticket Services 

Customer Service Representatives: 

Christine Fraser, Customer Service Supervisor 

Jeff Cancade Jenny Jung Anthony Soon 

Odessa Cadieux-Rey Shawn Lau Karl Ventura 

Jason Ho Thalia McWatt Lauren Watson 

The Stage Crew of the Orpheum Theatre are members of Local 

118 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. 

Development: 

Leanne Davis, Vice-President, Chief Development Officer 

Hoori Barkh, Lotteries Assistant 

William Brennan, Development Coordinator 

Ryan Butt, Development Officer, Corporate & Donor Relations 

Ann Byczko, Development Officer, Annual Giving 

Curtis Pendleton, Senior Development Officer, Individual Giving 

Jennifer Polci, Director, Corporate & Major Gifts 

Daniel Zomparelli, Development Assistant 

Artistic Operations & Education: 

Joanne Harada, Vice-President, Artistic Operations 

& Education 

DeAnne Eisch, Orchestra Personnel Manager 

Aaron Hawn, Digital Projects Coordinator 

& Library Assistant 

Vacant, Education Manager 

Ken & Patricia Shields Chair 

David Humphrey, Operations Manager 

Karen Jeffery, Artistic Operations Assistant 

& Assistant to Maestro Tovey 

Minella F. Lacson, Librarian 

Ron & Ardelle Cliff Chair 

Pearl Schachter, Artistic Operations & Education Assistant 

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is a proud member of 

60 allegro

vancouver symphony society board of directors 

Executive Committee 

Arthur H. Willms, Chair 

President (Ret.), Westcoast Energy 

Larry Berg, Vice Chair 

President & CEO 

Vancouver International Airport Authority 

Colin Erb, Treasurer 

Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP 

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VP Government Relations, TELUS 

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Chairman, President and CEO (Ret.) 

Sandwell International Inc. 

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HSBC Bank Canada 

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Chief Development Officer 

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Musician Representatives 

Christie Reside, Principal Flute 

Aaron McDonald, 

Principal Timpani 

Honorary Life Vice-Presidents 

Ronald Laird Cliff, C.M. 

Nezhat Khosrowshahi 

Gerald A.B. McGavin, C.M., O.B.C. 

Ronald N. Stern 

vancouver symphony foundation board of trustees 

Ronald Laird Cliff, C.M., Chair 

Marnie Carter 

Charles Filewych 

John Icke 

Judi Korbin 


Arthur H. Willms 

Tim Wyman 

vso school of music society 

Board of Directors 

Gordon R. Johnson, Chair 

Thomas Beswick 


Gerry Sayers 

Patricia Shields 

George Taylor 

Marsha Walden 

Administration 

Jeff Alexander 

President & CEO 

Shaun Taylor 

Executive Director 

Edwin Kwong 

Business Manager & 

Office Administrator 

Louise Ironside 

Registrar & Communications 

Coordinator 

Lindy Gray 

Front Desk Administrator 

vancouver symphony volunteer council 2011/2012 

Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anne Janmohamed 

Vice-Chair/Treasurer . . . Sheila Foley 

Secretary. . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Wu 

Immediate Past Chair. . . Estelle Jacobson 

Scheduling 

Concerts (all venues) . . . Shirley Bidewell 

Gift Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . Barbara Morris 

Helen Dubas 

Lotteries in Malls . . . . . . Gloria Davies 

Reception Shifts. . . . . . . Gloria Davies 

Tea & Trumpets . . . . . . . Shirley Featherstone 

Marlene Strain 

Special Events 

Symphony of Style 2011 . . . Nancy Wu 

Anne Janmohamed 

Holland America 

Luncheon 2011 . . . . . . . . . . Sheila Foley 

Education & Community 

Musical Encounters . . . . . . . Isabella Morrow 

Hospitality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maria Estrope 

Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pat Hoebig 

Membership 

Volunteer Hours . . . . . . . . . Angelina Bao 

Manager, Gift Shop 

and Volunteer Resources 

Shirley Bidewell 

Tel 604.684.9100 ext 240 

shirley@vancouversymphony.ca 

Assistant 

Gift Shop Manager 

Michelle Beldi 

allegro 63

The Symphony 

Sampler 

$99 

4 TICKETS 

for AS LOW AS 

SAMPLE THE SYMPHONY FOR AS LOW AS $99 

FOR FOUR TICKETS! 

A customizable 4-ticket package is the perfect way to sample the Symphony, or add 

even more great concerts to your schedule: choose from a wide range of speciallyselected 

concerts, with choices ranging from the great classics to jazz, Broadway, 

and more. Order your Symphony Sampler today! Order online and you can even print 

the Gift Certificates at home! 

Details online at vancouversymphony.ca/sampler 

or call 604.876.3434

issue four - Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

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