st. louis symphony program - dec. 7-9, 2012

7/30/2019 St. Louis Symphony Program - Dec. 7-9, 2012

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CONCERT PROGRAMDecember 7-9, 2012

Christopher Warren-Green, conductor

Tamara Wilson, sopranoChristopher Ainslie, countertenorDaniel Montenegro, tenorMatthew Trevio, bassSt. Louis Symphony Chorus

Amy Kaiser, director

HANDEL Messiah (1741) (1685-1759)PART ISymphonyComort ye, comort ye my peopleEvry valley shall be exaltedAnd the glory, the glory o the LordThus saith the Lord, the Lord o HostsBut who may abide the day o His comingAnd He shall puriyBehold, a virgin shall conceiveO thou that tellest good tidings to ZionFor behold, darkness shall cover the earthThe people that walked in darknessFor unto us a Child is bornPiaThere were shepherds abiding in the eld

And lo, the angel o the Lord came upon themAnd the angel said unto themAnd suddenly there was with the angelGlory to God in the highestRejoice greatly, O daughter o ZionThen shall the eyes o the blind be opendHe shall eed His ock like a shepherdHis yoke is easy, His burthen is light

INTERMISSION


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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Christopher Warren-Green is the Felix and Eleanor Slatkin Guest Artist.

The concert of Friday, December 7, is underwritten in part by a generous gift

from Mr. Jack C. Taylor.

The concert of Saturday, December 8, is underwritten in part by a generousgift from Mr. and Mrs. Warren G. Keinath, Jr.

The concert of Sunday, December 10, is underwritten in part by a generous giftfrom the Edison Family Foundation.

Martin Ott Continuo Organ courtesy of Concordia Seminary,St. Louis, Missouri.

These concerts are presented by Mercy.

Pre-Concert Conversations are presented by Washington University Physicians.

These concerts are part of the Wells Fargo Advisors Series.

Large print program notes are available through the generosity of MosbyBuilding Arts and are located at the Customer Service table in the foyer.


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TIMELINKS

1741HANDELMessiah

Age o ScottishEnlightenment, which

includes intellectualssuch as Adam Smith andDavid Hume

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDELMessiah

A SHARED TREASURE Handels Messiah is, like noother piece of music, part of the public domainnot in the usual sense of being free from copyrightrestrictions, but in that it provides one of themost widely shared musical experiences in ourculture. Each year the oratorio is sung by tens

and perhaps hundreds of thousands of peoplein choral societies and sing-alongs. Its audiencesat these performances, and through broadcastsand recordings, are incalculable. Handelsmusic is, moreover, indelibly part of our sharedmusical consciousness, the Hallelujah chorusin particular eliciting a level of recognitionand emotional response achieved only by theopening bars of Beethovens Fifth Symphony. Noother composition is so generally familiar or sowell loved.

Although Messiah was conceived andexecuted in a remarkably short time, a fullunderstanding of the circumstances that broughtit into being requires a long view of Handelsactivities in England. From early in his career thecomposer was drawn to the theater, and his rst

trip to London, in 1710-11, was occasioned by thefact that opera, which at the time meant Italianopera, was becoming a popular entertainmentamong the English nobility. Handel, althoughGerman, had mastered the conventions of thisgenre over the course of a four year sojourn inItaly, and during his rst English visit he scoreda sensational success with his opera Rinaldo.Its enthusiastic receptionand prot at the box

ofce, for Handel was as much an entrepreneuras an artist in the opera houseprompted him toreturn to London in 1712, this time, as it turnedout, to stay more or less permanently.

FROM OPERA TO ORATORIO Further operatictriumphs followed for Handel, as did somefailures also, and for the next quarter of a century

PROGRAM NOTESBY PAUL SCHIAVO


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opera remained the composers principalconcern. But by the late 1720s the Englisharistocracy, which had provided the audience foropera, started to tire of the contrived plots andoutlandish theatricality that characterized the

genre at the time. As patronage dwindled throughthe middle of the next decade, Handel began tooffer a new type of work, the oratorio. This wasless costly than opera to present yet appealed to abroader audience drawn from the rising Englishmiddle class. Scored for solo voices, chorus, andorchestra, Handels oratorios recounted classicallegends and Old Testament stories, the latter told

either through extracts from the scriptures or inverses by contemporary poets.Although performed without staging,

Handels oratorios were, in terms of their music,hardly less theatrical than his operas. Theirtexts called for differentdramatis personaeto berepresented by the singers, and for historicalscenes involving vivid musical depiction.Occasionally, Handel conveyed such scenes

in so lavish and colorful mannerthe famousEntrance of the Queen of Sheeba in Solomon isa notable examplethat his more pious listenerstook offense.

Handels oratorio presentations grewincreasingly frequent during the 1730s, thoughthe composer also remained involved with thetheater. But as attendance at his operas dwindled,so did his nances. In 1737 both the companiesthat had been presenting operas in Londoncollapsed in bankruptcy. Handel spent the nextfour years trying with mixed success to establisha dependable audience for his oratorios, andwith no success at all to revive the aristocracysappetite for opera. By 1741 the composer, whowas by then practically an English institution,was rumored to be preparing to return to the

continent. He may well have had this in mind, forhe spent the summer writing vocal duets to lightItalian verses, a type of composition that had noaudience in England but which was popular incourts throughout Europe.

But Handels departure, if it was indeedplanned, was forestalled by a fortuitousdevelopment: an invitation to present a seriesof concerts in Dublin during the coming

BornFebruary 23, 1685, Halle,

SaxonyDiedApril 14, 1759, London

First PerformanceApril 13, 1742, in Dublin, underthe composers direction

STL Symphony PremiereDecember 26, 1904, AlredErnst conducting, with

Corinne Rider-Kelsey,soprano; Elise Gustason,alto; Alred Bertrand, tenor;R. P. Strine, bass; and theSaint Louis Choral-SymphonySociety Chorus

Most RecentSTL Symphony PerformanceDecember 13, 2009, NicholasMcGegan conducting, withDominique Labelle, soprano;Daniel Taylor, countertenor;James Gilchrist, tenor; NathanBerg, bass-baritone; St. LouisSymphony Chorus, AmyKaiser, director

Scoringour solo voiceschorus

two oboesbassoontwo trumpetstimpaniorganharpsichordtheorbostrings

Performance Timeapproximately 120 minutes


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season. This was extended by several musical societies in the Irish capitalorganizations which, in those days, existed for the dual purpose of maintainingthe citys concert life and raising funds for charitable purposes. Handel wasalready known for his generous support of several relief organizations, mostfamously the Foundling Hospital in London. It was understood that in Dublinhe would donate his services for certain benet concerts, while the proceeds ofothers would accrue to him.

DIVINE RAPTURE This unexpected opportunity spurred Handel to composition,the subject of his efforts being a new oratorio text recently compiled for himby Charles Jennens. Jennens, who had already fashioned the librettos for twoof Handels earlier oratorios, based the new text entirely on selections fromthe scriptures and the English Prayer Book. ButMessiah, as he called the work,

was unlike any of Handels other biblical oratorios. Among other novelties,its subject was nothing less than the story of Christ, a tale previously thoughttoo sacred for a genre so close to the theater as oratorio. (The words theatricaland profane were then essentially synonymous in many quarters, a notion thatlater would cause Handel a good deal of difculty when he tried to introduceMessiah to London.)

After Handels death, a legend arose that he had been seized by a kind ofdivine rapture while setting the text. This story cannot, of course, be veried.But we can be sure of a high level of inspiration. Handel began his score on

August 22, 1741, and nished it 24 days later, on September 12. Even knowingthat he habitually composed rapidly, and allowing that he adapted certainpassages from other works, mostly the Italian duets he had recently written,this is an astonishing achievement.

In November Handel arrived in Dublin, the score ofMessiah in his trunk.After presiding at a well-attended charity event, he quickly scheduled a set ofsix concerts of his own. These proved so successful that he booked anotherseries in the early months of 1742. All the while he held his new oratorio inreserve. Finally in the spring, a Dublin newspaper announced:

For the relief of the prisoners in the several Gaols, and for the support ofMercers Hospital in Stephens Street, and of the Charitable Inrmary ...[there] will be performed at the Musick Hall in Fishamble Street, Mr. Handelsnew Grand Oratorio, calld the MESSIAH... .

The rst performance took place on April 13. The Dublin Journal reportedthat the best Judges allowed it to be the most nished piece of Musick. Wordsare wanting to express the exquisite Delight it afforded to the admiringcrouded Audience.

Despite its warm reception in Dublin, Handel was wary of presentingMessiah in London. When he rst did so, in March of 1743, he even omittedthe works title from the program, calling it only A New Sacred Oratorio,evidently for fear of incurring the wrath of more conservative elements of thecommunity. This concern was not groundless, for strong protests were indeedlodged against the presentation of a sacred subject in the concert hall. Forsome time, these objections restrained both Handels willingness to offer the


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CHRISTOPHER WARREN-GREENFELIX AND ELEANOR SLATKIN GUEST ARTIST

Music Director of the Charlotte Symphonyand London Chamber orchestras, this season

Christopher Warren-Green returns to the RoyalPhilharmonic Orchestra, and conducts the worldpremiere of Frank Corcorans Violin Concertowith the RT National Symphony OrchestraDublin. Following Warren-Greens acclaimeddebut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, inDecember 2011, he was immediately re-invitedfor the 2012-13 season. Other highlights thisseason include performances with the OrchestreNational de Belgique and his Italian debut withOrchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali.

Last season he debuted with the MilwaukeeSymphony Orchestra and the ZrcherKammerorchester, and returned to the SapporoSymphony, Armenia Philharmonic, and LondonPhilharmonic orchestras.

Warren-Green has been personally invited

to conduct on many occasions for the RoyalFamily in the last thirty years. In April 2011,Warren-Green conducted the London ChamberOrchestra during the marriage ceremony of HRHPrince William Duke of Cambridge and HRHDuchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey,which was televised to millions worldwide. Othernotable occasions have included Her Majesty theQueens 80th-birthday celebrations at Kew Palaceand HRH Prince of Wales 60th-birthday concert.Warren-Green also conducted the PhilharmoniaOrchestra for the Service of Dedication and Prayer(celebrating the marriage of HRH Prince of Walesand HRH Duchess of Cornwall) in 2005.

Previous orchestral appointments haveincluded Principal Conductor of the CamerataResident Orchestra of the Megaron Athens,

taking over from Sir Neville Marriner (2004-09), Chief Conductor of the Nordiska KammarOrkestern (1998-2005), and Chief Conductor ofthe Jnkpings Sinfonietta (1998-2001).

Christopher Warren-Green most recentlyconducted the St. Louis Symphony inJanuary 2012.

Christopher Warren-Greenwas conductor or the

royal wedding o the Dukeand Duchess o Cambridge(a.k.a. Will and Kate) atWestminster Abbey.


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TAMARA WILSON

In the 2012-13 season, Tamara Wilson returnsto the Canadian Opera Company as Rosalindein a new Christopher Alden production of Die

Fledermaus conducted by Johannes Debus;Thtre du Capitole as Lady Billows in a newproduction ofAlbert Herring; and Houston GrandOpera as Leonora in Il trovatore. She also makesa company debut and role debut at Opera de laABAO in Bilbao as Hlne in Les Vpres siciliennes.In concert, she will be seen with Helmuth Rillingin Verdis Requiem on tour with Internationale

Bachakademie Stuttgart. Future seasons willsee her in operas by Verdi, Bellini, Mozart, andStrauss at the Oper Frankfurt, WashingtonNational Opera, Thtre du Capitole, Teatro Realde Madrid, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Los AngelesOpera, and Houston Grand Opera.

Wilson began the 2011-12 season as the titlerole in Aida at Teatro Municipal de Santiago inChile. She also sang Elisabeth de Valois in the

ve-act French version of Verdis Don Carlos atHouston Grand Opera and debuted at Thtredu Capitole in Toulouse as Leonora in a newproduction ofIl trovatore, as well as in Palma deMallorca. She also debuted at the Ravinia Festivalas Elettra in Idomeneo with James Conlon and theChicago Symphony Orchestra.

An alumna of the Houston Grand OperaStudio, Wilsons awards include the GeorgeLondon Award from the George LondonFoundation, as well as both a career grant in2011 and study grant in 2008 from the RichardTucker Music Foundation. Other notable awardsinclude rst place in the 2005 Eleanor McCollumCompetition for Young Singers in Houston andnalist in the 2004 Metropolitan Opera NationalCouncil Auditions, among others.

Tamara Wilson debuts with the St. LouisSymphony this week.

Tamara Wilson is an alumnao the Houston Grand

Opera Studio.


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CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE

Christopher Ainslie started his singing career as achorister in Cape Town, his home city. In 2005 hemoved to London to study at the Royal College of

Music, where he graduated with distinction.Ainslie has rapidly established himself

as a leading interpreter of the countertenorrepertoire, and is also active in exploringrepertoire not usually associated with thevoice-type. He has appeared twice at the RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden (HarrisonBirtwistles The Minotaur and the title role in

Arnes Artaxerxes), at Glyndebourne (Ottonein Monteverdis Lincoronazione di Poppea andEustazio in Handels Rinaldo), Opera de Lyon(Voice of Apollo in Brittens Death in Venice),Drottningholm (Ottone in Poppea), GttingenHandel Festival (the title role in HandelsTamerlano) and Central City Opera (the title rolein HandelsAmadigi).

In 2011 Ainslie won the Gianni Bergamo

Countertenor Competition in Switzerland;in 2008 he was the rst countertenor to winthe Richard Tauber Competition at WigmoreHall, and in 2007 he was awarded the MichaelOliver Prize in the London Handel FestivalSinging Competition.

Engagements this season and beyond includeperformances ofMessiah with the BournemouthOrchestra, the title role in Cavallis Eliogablo withGotham Chamber Orchestra, Oberon in BrittensA Midummer Nights Dream and Voice of Apolloin Death in Venice for Opera North, Antonio inAndr Tchaikowskys The Merchant of Venice forBregenzer Festspiele, a return to the WigmoreHall in a concert with Classical Opera Company,and performances of music by Handel andScarlatti with Les Arts Florissants.

Christopher Ainslie makes his St. LouisSymphony debut with Messiah.

Christopher Ainslie alsosings Messiah with the

Bournemouth Orchestra thisseason.

Sarah

NaNkiN


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DANIEL MONTENEGRO

A young artist recognized for a exible anddistinctive tenor voice, Daniel Montenegrois a graduate of San Franciscos prestigious

Merola Opera Program and offers a variedrepertoire of bel canto and verismo through tocontemporary roles.

In recent seasons Montenegro has madeseveral signicant debuts including Mario inDaniel Catns Il Postino at Pariss Thtre duChtelet alongside Plcido Domingo (markinghis European opera debut), Roderigo in Otello

with San Francisco Opera under Nicola Luisotti,Alfredo in La traviata with Minnesota Opera aswell as Pang in Turandot at the Hollywood Bowl,conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.

As a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow,Montenegro appeared as Nemorino in LElisirdamore, Liverotto and Rustighello in LucreziaBorgia, Pong in Turandot and Remendado inCarmen. Other recent roles include Steuermann

in The Flying Dutchman with both Portland andArizona Operas and the Shepherd in StravinskysOedipus Rex under Joana Carneiro, directed byPeter Sellars at the Sydney Festival.

As a former Resident Artist of the MinnesotaOpera, Montenegro sang Tamino in The MagicFlute, Nick in Poul Ruders The Handmaids Tale,Flavio in Norma, Liverotto in Lucrezia Borgia,and an ongoing collaboration with the LA Operahas brought appearances in several productions,including the world premiere of Lee HoldridgesConcierto para Mendez, La traviata (released onDVD), Carmen, Torrobas Luisa Fernanda, andPuccinis Il tabarro.

Projects in the 2012-13 season includeRigolettowith the San Francisco Opera, conductedby Nicola Luisotti, Estvezs La Cantata criolla

with the Phoenix Symphony under MichaelChristie, and Pong in Allen Charles Kleinsproduction of Turandot for Dallas Opera underMarco Zambelli.

Daniel Montenegro makes his St. LouisSymphony debut this week.

Daniel Montenegro singsRigoletto with the San

Francisco Opera this season.


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MATTHEW TREVIO

A former member of the San Francisco Operasprestigious Merola Program, and recent recipientof the Best Singer Award by the 2011 Austin

Critics Table for his performance in MichaelNymans The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,Matthew Trevio is proving to be one of todaysmost sought-after young basses. Highlights for thecurrent season include appearances as Leporello(Don Giovanni) for Opera Colorado and a debutwith the London Chamber Orchestra (MozartsMass in C minor). Last season he appeared asTimur (Turandot) at Austin Lyric Opera, theKing (Aida) for Arizona Opera, Baron Douphol(La traviata) at Nashville Opera, Sarastro (TheMagic Flute) with the Opera Theatre Companyin Ireland, and he made his role debut as DonGiovanni with Opera Naples.

Highly regarded for his acting and inparticular for his comedic Gilbert and Sullivanperformances, Trevio has appeared as Dick

Deadeye (H.M.S. Pinafore) at Lyric Opera ofKansas City and at Opera Carolina, and theSergeant of Police (The Pirates of Penzance) at theFresno Grand Opera.

Trevio is a graduate of Baylor Universityin Waco, Texas and was a nalist in the LorenL. Zachary Foundation Competition, DallasOpera Guild Competition, Fort Worth OperasMcCammon Voice Competition, ShreveportOperas Singer of the Year Competition, and therecipient of the Thomas Stewart Award for VocalExcellence at Baylor University.

Matthew Trevio also makes his St. LouisSymphony debut with Messiah.

Matthew Trevio receivedthe Best Singer Award by the

2011 Austin Critics Table.

BrettChiSholm


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AMY KAISERAT&T FOUNDATION CHAIR

One of the countrys leading choral directors,Amy Kaiser has conducted the St. Louis

Symphony in Handels Messiah, Schuberts Massin E-at, Vivaldis Gloria, and sacred works byHaydn and Mozart as well as Young PeoplesConcerts. She has made eight appearances asguest conductor for the Berkshire Choral Festivalin Shefeld, Massachusetts, Santa Fe, and atCanterbury Cathedral. As Music Director of theDessoff Choirs in New York for 12 seasons, sheconducted many performances of major works atLincoln Center. Other conducting engagementsinclude concerts at Chicagos Grant Park MusicFestival and more than fty performances with theMetropolitan Opera Guild. Principal Conductorof the New York Chamber Symphonys SchoolConcert Series for seven seasons, Kaiser also ledmany programs for the 92nd Street Ys acclaimedSchubertiade. She has conducted over twenty-ve

operas, including eight contemporary premieres.A frequent collaborator with Professor PeterSchickele on his annual PDQ Bach concerts atCarnegie Hall, Kaiser made her Carnegie Halldebut conducting PDQs Consort of ChoralChristmas Carols. She also led the Professor inPDQ Bachs Canine Cantata Wachet Arf withthe New Jersey Symphony.

Kaiser has led master classes in choralconducting at Indiana University Jacobs Schoolof Music, served as faculty for a Chorus Americaconducting workshop, and as a panelist for theNational Endowment for the Arts. An activeguest speaker, Kaiser teaches monthly classesfor adults in symphonic and operatic repertoireand presents Pre-Concert Conversations atPowell Hall.

Amy Kaiser has prepared choruses forthe New York Philharmonic, the RaviniaFestival, the Mostly Mozart Festival, andOpera Orchestra of New York. She also servedas faculty conductor and vocal coach atManhattan School of Music and the MannesCollege of Music. An alumna of Smith College,she was awarded the Smith College Medal foroutstanding professional achievement.

Amy Kaiser next directsthe Men o the St. Louis

Symphony Chorus or ThePirates of the Caribbean:The Curse of the Black Pearl,December 28-30.


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AUDIENCE INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm; Weekdayand Saturday concert evenings through

intermission; Sunday concert days12:30pm through intermission.

TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Box Ofce: 314-534-1700Toll Free: 1-800-232-1880Online: stlsymphony.org

Fax: 314-286-4111A service charge is added to alltelephone and online orders.

SEASON TICKET EXCHANGE POLICIES

If you cant use your season tickets,simply exchange them for another

Wells Fargo Advisors subscriptionconcert up to one hour prior to yourconcert date. To exchange your tickets,please call the Box Ofce at 314-534-1700 and be sure to have your ticketswith you when calling.

GROUP AND DISCOUNT TICKETS

314-286-4155 or 1-800-232-1880 Anygroup of 20 is eligible for a discount ontickets for select Orchestral, Holiday,or Live at Powell Hall concerts. Callfor pricing.

Special discount ticket programs areavailable for students, seniors, andpolice and public-safety employees.

Visit stlsymphony.org for moreinformation.

POLICIES

You may store your personalbelongings in lockers located on the

Orchestra and Grand Tier Levels at acost of 25 cents.

Infrared listening headsets are availableat Customer Service.

Cameras and recording devices aredistracting for the performers andaudience members. Audio and videorecording and photography are strictly

prohibited during the concert. Patronsare welcome to take photos before theconcert, during intermission, and afterthe concert.

Please turn off all watch alarms, cellphones, pagers, and other electronicdevices before the start of the concert.

All those arriving after the start of theconcert will be seated at the discretionof the House Manager.

Age for admission to STL Symphonyand Live at Powell Hall concerts

vary, however, for most events therecommended age is ve or older. Allpatrons, regardless of age, must havetheir own tickets and be seated for all

concerts. All children must be seatedwith an adult. Admission to concerts isat the discretion of the House Manager.

Outside food and drink are notpermitted in Powell Hall. No food ordrink is allowed inside the auditorium,except for select concerts.

Powell Hall is not responsible for

the loss or theft of personal property.To inquire about lost items, call314-286-4166.

POWELL HALL RENTALS

Select elegant Powell Hall for your nextspecial occasion.

Visit stlsymphony.org/rentalsfor more information.


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BOUTIQUE

WHEELCHAIR LIFT

BALCONY LEVEL(TERRACE CIRCLE, GRAND CIRCLE)

GRAND TIER LEVEL

(DRESS CIRCLE, DRESS CIRCLE BOXES,GRAND TIER BOXES & LOGE)

MET BAR

TAXI PICK UPDELMAR

ORCHESTRA LEVEL(PARQUET, ORCHESTRA RIGHT & LEFT)

WIGHTMAN

GRAND

FOYERTICKET LOBBY

CUSTOMER

SERVICE

LOCKERS

WOMENS RESTROOM

MENS RESTROOM

ELEVATOR

BAR SERVICES

HANDICAPPED-ACCESSIBLE

FAMILY RESTROOM

POWELL HALL

st. louis symphony program - dec. 7-9, 2012

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