N. Rimsky-Korsakov: Overture to The Tsar’s Bride
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) is a composer representative of the Russian nationalistic music in the 19th century. Although winning high acclaim in the Western music scene mainly for his splendid orchestral works, such as the well-known symphonic suites Scheherazade and Capriccio Espagnol, Rimsky dedicated more of his creative energy to opera. In his lifetime he wrote a total of 15 operatic works, which broadly showcase his extensive techniques while composing for orchestra with a penchant for diverse vocal styles.
The four-act opera The Tsar’s Bride is his tenth operatic output and an adaptation from the same-titled play by Russian dramatist Lev Mey. Based on historical facts, it tells the love tragedy of Marfa, an ordinary woman who lived during the reign of Ivan Vasilyevich (also known as “Ivan the Terrible”), in the mid-16th century, and died poisoned, soon after marrying the notorious tyrant. The piece was first staged in Moscow’s Private Opera in 1899, a company founded in 1885 with the endowment of Russian entrepreneur Sava Mamontov. This overture comprises two themes with a strong Russian flavour. The apprehensive and dynamic first theme suggests the opera’s emotional conflict and the eventual death that ensues, whereas the slow and cantabile second theme represents the protagonist’s beautiful, intense but transient romance.
By Danni Liu
Translated from Chinese
S. Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43
Although his music is often labelled as late Romanticism, Sergei Rachmaninoff varied greatly from his contemporary composers. In the late 19th century, instead of following the poetic spree represented by Richard Strauss or the intense yet utopian illusion represented by Gustav Mahler, Rachmaninoff opted for a self-immersing reflection on the spiritual world of humanity. In the 20th century, despite being confronted with complex new forms of music, the introduction of new composition techniques including “atonality” and “twelve-tone”, and the emergence of diverse music styles such as impressionism, expressionism, and neoclassicism, Rachmaninoff adhered to the profound lyricism and dramatic romanticism inherited from Tchaikovsky. Owing to an intrinsic lyricism that is typical of Slavic folk tunes, Rachmaninoff is hailed as the “last glory of Russian Romanticism”.
Rachmaninoff’s compositional talent was often overlooked during his lifetime given his extraordinary virtuosity as a concert pianist. Nevertheless, from his compositions we can catch a glimpse of his unique personality developed under the Romantic background, ranging from miniatures such as 24 Preludes and Études-Tableaux, to large works such as operas, symphonies and the four piano concertos. Despite having been created in 1934, between the two World Wars, little trace of the first conflict can be found on Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Deemed as the maestro’s “fifth piano concerto”, the work is a combination of majestic symphonic techniques with the sophisticated virtuosity demanded from a soloist in a concerto, all wrapped in the regal and logical narrativity of rhapsodies. The single-movement variations evidently tend to take the form of a suite, and the 24 variations from the theme cohere like cells and, like three movements with not-so-evident intermissions, the three sets of variations render a hearty expression through their continuous development. The core cell of this rhapsody, namely the theme that gives rise to the 24 variations, was inspired by Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 to evoke clear dew drops falling onto the stone tray and splashing around through the collaboration between the orchestra and the piano.
Compared to other adaptations based on the piece by Paganini, such as Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini and Liszt’s Grandes Études de Paganini, Rachmaninoff’s recreation resembles a tall tree: the theme as the trunk is close to the original as it has embraced both its delicacy and magnificence; new sprouts of originality grow from the variations as represented in the inversion technique used in the tuneful melody of Variation 18, which captivates the heart with purity like the refreshing light from heaven; the fruits that embody the core of the universe introduce a strong sense of ritual by quoting the medieval “Dies Iræ” (The Day of Wrath).
Throughout history, some scholars considered Rachmaninoff’s works to be a bad example, stating he “lacked creativity and talent as he imitated Tchaikovsky’s style and conservatively followed the composition techniques that prevailed in the late Romantic period” and that his works “are emotive, shallow and vulgar imitations of modernism”. Some critics even believed that “his works would be dismissed and ignored before half of a century passes by”. Despite all such criticisms, we now bear witness to the significance of Rachmaninoff against the test of time.
W. A. Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 “Turkish”
Mozart composed his fifth violin concerto after leaving his position at the Salzburg court, becoming a free musician. Rigid and exquisite, the composition conveyed a stark contrast between its strong and delicate sections. Using highly ingenious techniques, the composer highlights both the timbre and the centre role of the violin solo, giving a lively and nimble impression with colourful high notes. This concerto puts the performers’ overall level of mastery to test due to the demanding techniques typical of Mozart’s oeuvre including attention to the sounds, stable speed, block sections and contrasting volumes.
L. Bernstein: Overture to Candide
In the 1950s Leonard Bernstein was impressing the operatic world, both from the podium, conducting major companies like Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, and from his working desk, composing new operas of varying scales. In 1953, playwright Lillian Hellman suggested Bernstein should take Voltaire’s Candide onto the stage and the conductor convinced her to adapt this novella into a neoclassical operetta rather than the stage play with accompaniment that she initially envisaged. This satirical novel relates a series of misfortunes experienced by the kind and innocent young man Candide and his lover, calling Leibnizian optimism into question (“this world is the best of all possible worlds”).
The New York debut of Candide in 1956 was unsuccessful though, probably given its profound theme. Bernstein later adapted it into several versions to be performed at different locations, but it was the overture that has brought this operetta worldwide fame. On 26 January 1957, Bernstein commenced a New York Philharmonic concert with this piece, instantly making it a widely popular opening for concerts.
Reputed for splendid orchestration and outstanding percussion, the Overture to Candide consists of three parts: the exuberant beginning, the slow and lyrical central section, and the exhilarating coda.
Programme notes translated from the Chinese version provided by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (except for “Overture to The Tsar’s Bride” )