Please click here for COVID-related updates

Inna Faliks, Piano

Inna Faliks, piano

Program

Entrance of the Queen of SheebaGeorge Frideric Handel

Piano Concerto No. 3Ludwig van Beethoven
   Inna Faliks, piano

Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky

Program Notes

Entrance of the Queen of Sheba from SolomonG.F Handel (1685-1759)

George Frideric Handel – along with Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and Georg Phillip Telemann – were some of the most important 18th century composers. They all composed during what is now called the high (late) Baroque era, and their music reflected the times. Just as the architecture (think of the old churches) was often ornate and imposing, so was their music (one only need think of all the fugues!). Handel lived in London for much of his life, and this influenced his musical output, which was more urbane and not as involved as Bach’s.

Handel is now best remembered for his Water and Royal Fireworks Music, the Messiah, and numerous orchestral works (the concerti grossi). But he also wrote many other oratorios (large scale works for choirs, soloists and orchestra) aside from the Messiah, and they were quite popular in his day. Many still receive performances in our time. Most of these works were based on old biblical stories such as Esther, Deborah, Judas Maccabeus, Israel in Egypt, Saul and Solomon. The Entrance of the Queen of Sheba is a short orchestral interlude taken from the above-mentioned oratorio Solomon and serves as a nice concert opener for this program. jf



Concerto No. 3 in c minorLudwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Beethoven is probably best remembered as the genius who went deaf at an early age, and who still created some of the most famous and popular symphonic works of all time. Nearly everyone knows the opening of his fifth symphony (arguably the most famous four notes in history), and that his music has been performed at some of the most important political and historical events the world over (including the fall of the Berlin Wall, President John Kennedy’s funeral, etc.).

Beethoven was an idealist who believed in the betterment of mankind. He expressed these beliefs in two of his most important works: his Third and Ninth Symphonies. When Napoleon first came to power and promised democratic reforms, Beethoven was thrilled and dedicated his Third Symphony to the political leader. However, when Napoleon declared himself dictator, Beethoven became enraged and destroyed the dedication. The last movement of the Ninth Symphony includes a vocal setting of Schiller’s “Ode to Joy.” The text of this poem is about brotherhood and joy – very uplifting and utopian ideals. When one considers that this last symphony was written near the end of Beethoven’s life, when he was racked with illness and deafness, and that he was still able to create such a masterpiece, we can only admire him even more.

The third piano concerto was a bit of a watershed for the composer. His two previous concertos certainly were good works, but he was not totally satisfied with them. This new concerto was the first of his five that he really thought highly of. It was written in the typical three-movement form, with the slow movement being one of the most involved and slowest works in Beethoven’s entire repertoire. A telling point that it was to be an important work is that it was written in the key of c minor. Keys were very important to composers in Beethoven’s day, and even before, as they had special non-musical significance. C minor was the key of drama, pathos and excitement. It was certainly no coincidence that Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – the most dramatic of all his symphonies, was also written in this same key.

Of his first three piano concertos, Beethoven wrote to his publisher:

…one of my first concertos [number 2] is being brought out by Hoffmeister, and it follows that it is not one of my best works. Mollo, also is publishing a concerto [number 1] which, though written later, is likewise not yet among the best of my works in that class. This is intended only as a hint for your Musical Review in connection with the judgment of these works, although when one can hear them, that is, played well, it will be easier to judge them. Musical politics demands that the best concertos should be withheld from the public for a time.

One must assume that “the best concertos” referred to above must mean this third concerto. jf



Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a piano work that was inspired by pictures created by his recently deceased friend, Viktor Hartmann. Hartmann was an architect and an artist who died suddenly at the age of 39. A memorial exhibition of 400 drawings, sketches, architectural designs and watercolors was organized by the critic Vladimir Stassov. From the exhibition, Mussorgsky chose ten pictures to portray in his new work:

1) The Gnome
2) The Old Castle
3) The Tuileries – children playing in a dispute
4) The Ox Cart
5) Ballet of Unhatched Chicks
6) “Samuel” Goldenberg and “Schmuÿle”
7) The great news
8) Roman tomb
9) Baba-Jaga – the hut on chicken feet
10) The Hero’s Gate – in the old capital Kiev

Mussorgsky was very enthusiastic about this project and wrote to his friend:

My dear generalissimie, Hartmann is seething as Boris [Godunov] seethed … sounds and ideas hand in my head and I can barely manage to scribble them on paper…. The transitions are good on the Promenade … I want to work more quickly and reliably…. so far, I think it is well tuned.

Copies of the pictures and excellent program notes can be found online, so I will not dwell on them here.

Rather, I would like to describe how my arrangement of this music came to be. Since I was a child, I was familiar with the orchestral arrangement created by French composer Maurice Ravel. For me, this was one of the finest arrangements/orchestrations that I had ever known. Ravel’s use of instrumental colors is both amazing and a very good tutor for aspiring composers and arrangers. For years, I never had any thoughts of creating my own orchestral version of Pictures. I did become familiar with the original piano version while my youngest son Loren (who later was to play several concertos with the Sinfonia) was still in high school, living at home and learning and practicing the piece. The plot thickened a bit when, in 2010, Helen Foli, who was one of our musicians, approached and told me that she heard an interesting version for percussion, and then asked me to create something for the Sinfonia.

Listening to Loren, and with Helen’s prodding, I started wondering if maybe I could do an arrangement. The challenges were significant. The Sinfonia is small with a limited number of wind players, and Ravel’s orchestration always would be looking over my shoulder. Regardless, I undertook the task, with the knowledge that several of our wind players could double – the flutist could also play piccolo, the second oboe could double on English horn, the clarinet player could play the bass and e-flat clarinets along with the regular b-flat and a, and our percussionist could play many (and I mean many) different types of percussion: bass and snare drums, timpani, triangle, wood block, whip, gong, glockenspiel and tubular bells. And I could involve Loren playing in the orchestra with a specially created orchestral piano part (not the whole piano version, but rather bits and pieces to add weight and color).

So, the game was afoot, and I started mapping out my project. Ravel opened his version with a trumpet playing the promenade theme – entering the exhibition hall and going from picture to picture. I decided that if I were going to an exhibition or an art museum, I would approach the task with a less masculine sound. Hence, English horn was the choice. And in that I would be going from picture to picture, for me the promenade theme would have to change, so I involved other instruments for this task as well. Working only from the original piano, this became one of the most satisfying orchestration projects that I have ever undertaken. To be sure, it was very time consuming (the piece lasts approximately 35 plus minutes), but when all was said and done, it was well worth the effort. I hope you enjoy it! jf