Program Notes: March 13, 2005
To many ears -- though not all -- Dmitri Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony bears the scars of harrowing political repression. When Stalin's mass purges in the mid-1930s eventually reached into the musical world, he (or his lackeys) chose Shostakovich, then the nation's leading composer, to serve as an object lesson for other musicians and artists. In early 1936, Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk Distirict was attacked in Pravda for its "unnatural" music, in an anonymous article titled "Muddle Instead of Music"; this was soon followed by a round of condemnations from his frightened colleagues and the arrests of his brother-in-law, mother-in-law, uncle, and former lover. A despondent Shostakovich withdrew his Fourth Symphony later that year, and accompanied his Fifth Symphony (1937) with the carefully worded phrase "a Soviet artist's creative response to justified criticism." The premiere, however, was a triumph; the slow movement made the audience weep, and the reception at the conclusion of the finale was tumultuous. As with much of his music, interpretations of the Fifth Symphony vary wildly, from those who hear the ending as triumphant, to those who hear it as an extended scream of pain, giving final expression to the wild mood-swings that energize the symphony as a whole. But shining through that interpretive thicket are the symphony's extended passages of floating lyricism, none more magical than the central oasis of the sometimes brutish first movement.
Carl Maria von Weber's overture to Oberon, composed in his last year, provided one of the prototypes for the romantic opera overture, setting the mood for the drama to come within a short movement of symphonic yet picturesque energies, without degenerating into a mere potpourri of the opera's signature tunes. Particular striking are Weber's invocation of the forest's spirit-world through the horn, and the delicate orchestral figures that conjure up -- a few months before the young Mendelssohn composed his Midsummer Night's Dream Overture -- the elfin world over which Oberon rules. Mozart's other Sinfonia Concertante -- that is, the one we are performing tonight -- is for wind quartet, rather than the string duet of its more famous sibling. As is common for Mozart, he wrote the piece to please his local audience -- in this case the Parisians, who favored this sort-of crossbreed between the symphony and the concerto, using a small ensemble of solo instruments. Although the details remain unclear, Mozart apparently wrote the piece quickly in Spring 1778 for a performance that never took place, since his favored Mannheim musicians were not available. The exquisite charm of the variation-based finale, in particular, bespeaks Mozart's desire to cater to Parisian tastes -- however much he secretly detested the city. -- Raymond Knapp
Catherine Del Russo, oboe
Catherine Del Russo, oboist is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Robert Sprenkle. As a freelance musician, Catherine has performed with almost every orchestra in Southern California. Currently, she is the principal oboe of the Santa Monica Symphony, the Downey Symphony and the Beverly Hills Live Orchestra and performs regularly with the Glendale Symphony Orchestra. Recently, she played principal oboe for the Three Tenors concert in Las Vegas that was also heard over the Internet. Del Russo returns as soloist with the Santa Monica Symphony, having performed in 2000 The Flower Clock, by Jean Francaix. In October 2000, Catherine performed the Bach Brandenberg Concerto No. 2 with the Glendale Symphony. Catherine has traveled on various tours and performed with symphony orchestras in Venezuela, Japan, Brazil, Spain and Alaska. She is also the English horn player with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has recorded with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and on the Telarc recording "Movies Go Baroque," to name a few. She has been heard on television films such as "David and Lisa," many commercials, and feature films including "Pocahontas," "One Tough Cop," and "Homeward Bound." Catherine teaches oboe at Occidental College and Pepperdine University and resides in Pasadena.
Gary Bovyer, clarinet
Clarinetist Gary Bovyer, "a virtuosic and passionate soloist" according to the Los Angeles Times, is principal clarinetist of the Santa Monica Symphony. He serves that same role with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Long Beach Symphony and was formerly a principal clarinetist of the Los Angeles Opera and the Jerusalem Symphony. Bovyer returns as soloists with the Santa Monica Symphony, having performed in 1999 the Clarinet Concerto by Dan Welcher. Bovyer spends much of his professional time in the recording studios playing for soundtracks and albums. He has worked with numerous composers including David Newman, James Horner, Danny Elfman, William Ross and Stephen Warbeck. Recently he has been heard on the motion picture soundtracks for "Mystery Men", "Instinct", "Titanic" and "Anastasia". He is also a member of Pacific Classical Winds, a period instrument ensemble. He received his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School where he was a pupil of the legendary Joseph Allard and is currently on the faculty of Pomona College. He resides in Sierra Madre with his wife Michele, a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's first violin section, their daughter Joanna and son Isaac. In his spare time he enjoys motorcycling, hiking and bicycling.
David Riddles, bassoon
David Riddles, a native Californian, has been playing the Bassoon professionaly in one way or another for the past 35 years. Prior to coming to L.A. in 1976 he received a Masters Degree from Indiana University, Bloominton, Indiana and taught university level music in the mid-west for 4 years. During the years he's been in Los Angeles he was principal Bassoon with the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra for 5 seasons, played numerous times with the L.A. Philharmonic, was principal Bassoon for 18 seasons with the Pacifice Symphony in Orange County, has played on over 450 motion picture scores, numerous television shows, and many record/CD albums. Dave's other interests include playing the Uilleann(Irish)Bagpipes, Irish Flute, drawing cartoons, illustrating and riding his classic Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.
Joseph Meyer, horn
Joseph Meyer received his Bachelor of Music degree from Duquesne University, Pittsburgh in 1970. He has studied with Howard Hillyer, Forest Stanley, and Verne Reynolds. Mr Meyer taught elementary school for six years in Pennsylvania before moving to New York City to pursue a career in performing. This led to a series of national tours that brought him to Los Angeles where he eventually settled. A free-lance musician, he has played with the Joffrey Ballet, the Los Angeles Opera, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, California Brass Ensemble, Westwood Wind Quintet, Shubert Theater Productions, Long Beach Symphony, the Civic Light Opera and others. Meyer returns as soloist with the Santa Monica Symphony, having performed in 2003 the Horn Concerto in C minor by Franz Strauss. He has taught at Pepperdine University; California State University, Long Beach; and , UC Santa Barbara. He plays also in the studios for film, television, records, and radio. His studio work included: Star Trek the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Dr. Quinn, Rod Stuart: Unplugged and the Emmy Awards. More are Newsies, Out of Africa, Of Mice and Men, Under Siege, Batman, Scent of a Woman, and Hoffa. Mr. Meyer's recording credits include: The King and I, and The Gershwins in Hollywood. He has also played for recording sessions with entertainers Linda Ronstadt, Frank Sinatra, Nelson Riddle, Prince, and Madonna.
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