≈ 1 hour and 30 minutes · With intermission
Last updated: March 28, 2023
Program
RICHARD STRAUSS Overture and Dance from Ariadne auf Naxos (10 min)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503 (30 min)
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Andante
III. Allegretto
INTERMISSION
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11 (27 min)
I. Allegro di molto
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegro molto
IV. Allegro con fuoco
Repertoire
Overture and Dance from Ariadne auf Naxos
One of the six operas on which Richard Strauss (1864–1949) collaborated with the German poet and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Ariadne auf Naxos exists in two versions. The first, from 1912, combines the opera Ariadne with von Hofmannsthal’s adaptation of Molière’s play Le Bourgeois gentilhomme. In this version, the opera is the evening’s entertainment for the dinner guests of the “bourgeois” Monsieur Jourdain, who stipulates it must incorporate the singing and dancing of a commedia dell’arte (improvised Italian comedy) troupe. Due to the complexity and expense of producing a performance with both an opera company and a theatre company, the play was dropped and replaced with a sung Prologue in 1916, which is the version more commonly performed.
Strauss and von Hofmannsthal intended for Ariadne to be an eclectic mash-up of elements drawn from multiple sources. In addition to combining Baroque opera seria (“serious” opera on a classical or mythological theme) with commedia dell ‘arte characters, Strauss, inspired by Mozart’s operas, scored the work for a Classical-era sized chamber orchestra of 37 instruments. The music it plays, however, is thoroughly of the early 20th century—that is, the composer’s distinctive fusion of late Romantic sonorities, modernist dissonances, and Viennese popular music. This musical blend is highlighted in the Overture and Dance, which are extracts from the Ariadne opera-within-the-play/opera that is performed in both versions.
In the Greek myth, Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete, has fallen in love with Theseus, son of the King of Athens, who has been sacrificed to the Minotaur kept in a labyrinth. After Theseus slays the bull-headed man beast, Ariadne gives him thread that enables him to find his way out. Reunited, the lovers sail to the island of Naxos, but upon arriving there, Theseus abandons his bride. This is the point where the Overture (and the opera) begins. Opening in the minor mode, the music is bleak and brooding, featuring winding chromatic lines interlaced with harsh dissonances, which reflect the heartache and dismal mental state of the dejected Ariadne. Using only a small group of instruments from the orchestra, the spare texture heightens the feeling of her desolation. Later, the music shifts to the major mode, and the orchestral sound becomes rich and sumptuous—Ariadne is remembering her past love and happiness with Theseus. Their melodies—hers played by clarinet, his on French horn, then solo cello—intertwine sensuously, and develop into a passionate climax, which then subsides back to the earlier melancholy.
In the opera, the Dance scene features the leader of the commedia dell ‘arte troupe, Zerbinetta, flirting with three of the four male comedians, Scaramuccio, Truffaldino, and Brighella. Dancing with them in turn, she charms each into thinking she’s chosen him, but in the end, she goes with the fourth, Harlequin. The simple, catchy tunes in this extract reference Viennese popular music, including the waltz. Lilting and playful at first, the dance music gets increasingly animated, wild, and crude (dissonances tinge the melodies), as Zerbinetta eventually takes off with Harlequin, leaving the three duped men to stumble about in search of her.
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503
I. Allegro maestoso
II. Andante
III. Allegretto
K. 503 is the twelfth of a dozen piano concertos that Mozart (1756–91) composed between February 1784 and December 1786. This collection of Classical concertos (from K. 449) is considered among the finest and most important works in the genre, arising from one of the most productive and successful periods of Mozart’s life following his return to Vienna in late 1783. They were performed, probably with the composer as soloist, for subscription concerts at the city’s Mehlgrube. With these concertos, Mozart not only advanced the technical and musical demands of the solo keyboard part but also made increasingly sophisticated use of dialogue, counterpoint, and variation between the soloist and the orchestra.
Set in bright C major, K. 503 opens with an atmosphere of ceremonial grandeur and stateliness, with a series of majestic, full-orchestra chords. Soon after, an insistent rhythmic motif of three repeated short notes quietly emerges in the first violins and is alternatingly echoed by the second violins in a rising sequence; listen for this motif’s return throughout the movement. The march-like second theme, which later appears in C minor, is built on this rhythm. Following a shift back to C major, the piano sneaks in, after which the orchestra proclaims again the opening fanfare to which the soloist responds and elaborates. In a surprise twist, instead of taking up the orchestra’s earlier march-like theme, the piano introduces two new ones: the first, graceful with falling gestures; the second, a charming, light-stepping ascending phrase. That march-like theme and its related rhythmic motif return to dominate the central development section, as they are exchanged between piano and woodwinds. The dialogue soon evolves into a complex contrapuntal episode, which eventually winds its way back to a reprise of the majestic opening chords. Together, piano and orchestra recap the earlier material. After a brilliant solo cadenza, echoes of the rhythmic motif propel the movement to a grand finish.
The Andante is rich with inventive variation in which Mozart also skillfully integrates the piano and orchestral parts. It begins as if it already in progress, with flute and bassoon playing a descending arc. Oboes and bassoons pick up the line, while the flute pipes arpeggios and runs in response. Second violins follow with fast-moving murmurs, over which first violins, violas, and cellos dance on tiptoe the second theme. After returning to the serene mood of the opening, the piano enters with the first theme. As the movement progresses, the piano incorporates the passages introduced earlier by orchestral instruments (the flute’s runs and arpeggios, and both the tiptoe dance and its murmuring accompaniment) and then continues with new material. In places, Mozart provides only the melody’s basic framework, and it’s up to the pianist to fill it in with their own elaborations, as he would have done in performance. Midway through the movement, there’s a sublime moment, during which the piano luxuriates in a series of arpeggios before it resumes with a varied reprisal of the first section.
A gentle dance opens the rondo third movement; it continues along pleasantly, then turns briefly minor and chromatic before emerging invigorated. The piano picks up this energy and embarks on a brilliant episode filled with sparkling arpeggios and running passages. Along the way, it introduces a lyrical theme, which it soon gives to the woodwinds, so it can continue with its runs. After the return of the gentle dance, the piano presents a new agitated idea in the minor mode. Suddenly, it gives way to a beautiful melody with repeated caressing phrases, first played by piano, then later exchanged and developed between the piano and woodwinds. The third episode recalls the brilliant piano writing of the first, after which the soloist states the main theme one last time. Now playful and exuberant, the dance is extended into a dazzling passage for the piano that drives to the orchestra’s boisterous close.
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11
I. Allegro di molto
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegro molto
IV. Allegro con fuoco
Composer, conductor, pianist, and organist Felix Mendelssohn (1809–47), one of German music’s leading figures of the early 19th century, was a child prodigy of extraordinary musical talent. As a teenager, he composed prolifically; by 1823, he had written in nearly all the main genres of the time, including much chamber music, several Singspiels, twelve string sinfonias, and more than a handful of concertos. Already in these early works he showed a strong command of technique and an assured sense of style, influenced by his exploration and absorption of the music of J.S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart.
At the end of 1823, Mendelssohn was writing his 13th string sinfonia, but by the following year, he had changed it to include woodwinds and brass, and the work thereby became his first symphony. Completed soon after he turned 15 years old, it was initially performed on March 31, 1824. Five years later, while on his grand tour of Italy, France, and England, he made his official English debut on May 25, conducting this symphony at the London Philharmonic Society’s seventh subscription concert of the season. Although successfully received with repeated performances, Mendelssohn withheld it from publication for another five years.
Symphony No. 1, as Mendelssohn scholar R. Larry Todd has observed, draws upon “a variety of influences, including the complex chromatic counterpoint of Bach, the formal clarity and gracefulness of Mozart, and the dramatic power of Beethoven and Weber.” The latter is certainly evident in the first movement—its tempestuous energy contains hints of Weber’s opera Der Freischütz (the 1821 premiere of which Mendelssohn had witnessed), and the vigour and drive of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. As contrast, the lyrical second theme is all Mozartean lyricism and elegance. Along with a judicious use of bold dissonances and modulations, there are instances of clever counterpoint, and even a moment of Haydn-esque surprise, when, just before the coda, the rest of the orchestra drops out, leaving two horns holding a long note in suspense, after which the movement pushes forth stormily to the end.
The ensuing Andante, in E-flat major, has the warmth and noble character of a Beethovenian slow movement. Here, Mendelssohn demonstrates his mastery of writing for strings and woodwinds, as the former’s rich sonorities and the latter’s delicately variegated timbres are juxtaposed in alternating passages.
A rather stern Menuetto, the third movement is reminiscent of the one in Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 (a likely influence) and dominated by energetic strings. (Interestingly, for the English premiere, Mendelssohn replaced it with an orchestral arrangement of the scherzo from his String Octet, which, by contrast, has a quicksilver, fairy-like quality.) It frames a trio that is of another world—a slow, reverent melody in the clarinets and bassoons, hovering over gentle waves of arpeggios in the strings. A mysterious transition with ominous timpani taps (similar to the passage between the third and fourth movements of Beethoven’s Fifth) lead us out from the reverie, and, via an inexorable crescendo, back into the brusque dance.
The contrast between bustle and repose that appear in the earlier movements also characterizes the finale. It opens with fiery agitation and reaches a noisy peak, after which a surprising extended passage featuring only plucked strings becomes the backdrop to a simple clarinet tune. Later, in the central development section, the Bachian influence comes to the fore, as Mendelssohn demonstrates his knack for writing fugal counterpoint for strings. After a reprise of the main material, listen for the fugue’s dramatic return, after which the mode turns to major, and the symphony comes to a rollicking finish.
Program notes by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
Conductor Jessica Cottis has earned widespread recognition for her inventive, thought-provoking programming and inspiring musical leadership. A gifted communicator described as “cool, contained, super-articulate, and engaging” (The Scotsman), she is in high demand from orchestras and audiences around the world. Recent highlights include engagements with the London Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous re-invitations to the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden and the BBC Proms.
Artistic Partner of the Västerås Sinfonietta in Sweden, Jessica Cottis also continues her fourth season as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Under her visionary leadership, the CSO has pioneered several important initiatives, including a significant commissioning output, collaborations with Indigenous creators, and championing Australian composers.
Cottis’s domain is music of the 19th to 21st centuries. Her interpretations of the great Romantic repertoire have consistently received high praise: “with absolutely the right temperament for Brahms and a fine technique, Jessica Cottis took care of every note. With authority and the clarity of sunlight, she lifted the orchestra to immense heights” (Västerbottens-Kuriren).
Jessica Cottis’s early musical career was as an organist. Awarded first class honours at the Australian National University, she continued her studies in Paris with pioneering French organist Marie-Claire Alain. She later studied conducting with Sir Colin Davis at the Royal Academy of Music, and went on to serve as Assistant Conductor to mentors Sir Donald Runnicles, Charles Dutoit, and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Cottis grew up on her family’s sheep farm and developed a lifelong interest in both music and the natural world. She is especially interested in the relation between music and science, and the act of listening. She resides in London, and outside of music is an avid lepidopterist.
Angela Hewitt occupies a unique position among today’s leading pianists. With a wide-ranging repertoire and frequent appearances in recital and with major orchestras throughout Europe, the Americas, and Asia, she is also an award-winning recording artist. Described as “one of the record glories of our age” (The Sunday Times), Hewitt’s cycle for Hyperion Records of all the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach have established her as one of the composer’s foremost interpreters. Her discography also includes all 32 sonatas of Beethoven, and albums of Couperin, Rameau, Scarlatti, Chopin, R. Schumann, Liszt, Fauré, Debussy, Chabrier, Ravel, and Messiaen.
The first CD of three Mozart albums, dedicated to the composer’s complete sonatas, was released in November 2022, with the second released in October 2023. In 2023, Hewitt’s complete catalogue is available on all major streaming platforms.
The 2023–2024 season sees her performing with orchestras in Italy, Finland, Poland, Estonia, and Switzerland, including on tour in the U.K. with Kammerorchester Basel as well as a tour of northeast England with Royal Northern Sinfonia. Recitals take her to, among others, Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, Ottawa, Rome, Zurich, Copenhagen, Cambridge, and Stresa. She is also an artist-in-residence at London’s Wigmore Hall.
Born into a musical family in Ottawa, Angela Hewitt’s father Godfrey was organist and choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral for half a century. At the age of three she began piano lessons with her mother, Marion. She later studied with Jean-Paul Sévilla at the University of Ottawa, and in 1985 won the Toronto International Bach Piano Competition which launched her career. In 2018 Angela received the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015 she received the highest honour from her native country—becoming a Companion of the Order of Canada (which is given to only 165 living Canadians at any one time). In 2006 she was awarded an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, has seven honorary doctorates, and is a Visiting Fellow of Peterhouse College in Cambridge. In 2020 Hewitt was awarded the Wigmore Medal in recognition of her services to music and relationship with the hall over 35 years. Also in 2020, she received the City of Leipzig Bach Medal: a huge honour that for the first time in its 17-year history was awarded to a woman.
Angela lives in London but also has homes in Ottawa and Umbria, Italy where, 18 years ago, she founded the Trasimeno Music Festival—a week-long annual event which draws an audience from all over the world.
Angela Hewitt plays a Fazioli piano.
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Carissa Klopoushak
Marjolaine Lambert
Zhengdong Liang
Frédéric Moisan
Emily Kruspe
*Erica Miller
*Martine Dubé
Second violins
Mintje van Lier (principal)
**Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Emily Westell
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Leah Roseman
Manuela Milani
Mark Friedman
Karoly Sziladi
**Edvard Skerjanc
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
*Heather Schnarr
*Renée London
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Paul Casey
David Thies-Thompson
*Pamela Fay
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Leah Wyber
Marc-André Riberdy
Timothy McCoy
*Thaddeus Morden
*Sonya Matoussova
Double basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
**Hilda Cowie
*David Fay
Flutes
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
Horns
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
Trumpets
**Karen Donnelly (principal)
*Michael Fedyshyn (guest principal)
Steven van Gulik
Trombones
Colin Traquair
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
Timpani
*Aaron McDonald (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Assistant Personnel Manager
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On leave
- Official Car of the NAC Orchestra
