Program Notes: December 10, 2006
Sibelius's Second Symphony was written in 1902, during a period of intensified "russification" by Tsar Nicholas II (Finland was a Grand Duchy of Russia from 1809-1917). The second movement, derived in part from Sibelius's early attempt to set Don Juan's unsuccessful struggle with Death, clearly partakes of the bitterness of that situation. But the heroic defiance, the depth of mourning, and the sometimes consoling tone of that movement, all couched within Sibelius's "national idiom," provide the foundation for a projection of a happier future in the finale, which is launched by a majestic hymn-like version of the three-note rising motive that began the symphony. That we are to hear heroic perseverance as the central quality that will sustain Finland seems clear from that musical relationship, borrowed perhaps from the ways in which the finale of Beethoven's Fifth reclaims its famous central motive as a token of victory. Also reminiscent of Beethoven's Fifth is the transition into the finale from the mercurial scherzo (Vivacissimo), except that Sibelius derives the finale's hymn more directly from the closing material of the scherzo, which is itself triply prepared, by each of the first two movements, and by the trio midway through the scherzo, a poignantly retrospective moment of stillness in a movement dominated by incessant motion. Despite Sibelius's structural models, the tone and import of his "national idiom" depart from the more dynamic model of the German tradition. His use of the brass, in particular, both ceremonial and evocative of a timeless elemental force, establishes an epic tone that seems almost ritualistic. Through this "Bardic tone," the future that the symphony projects attains the quality of a history written long ago.
Lalo's Symphonie espagnole has--almost alone among Lalo's output--remained a staple of the concert repertory, taking its place among a handful of celebrated violin concertos from the later nineteenth century. Published in Paris in 1874, the piece got a double boost by the Parisian vogue for Spanish musical flavors that accompanied Bizet's Carmen in 1875, and from the great Spanish violinist Sarasate, who took up the work in the same year (and who had earlier provided Lalo with many of the themes for the work). The work has often been understood in relation to Lalo's Spanish heritage, but Lalo himself was thoroughly French, and wrote the piece largely in response to the wave of French nationalism that followed the Franco-Prussian War (1870), behind the slogan "ars gallica." Its rich instrumental and idiomatic palette thus celebrates French orchestral mastery and--like Russian works of this period--indulges a taste for the exotic idioms of Spain more than it honors Spain itself. In five relatively short movements, the concerto seems only vaguely deserving of the title "symphony," exceeding the usual concerto length by two movements, and, like a symphony, including both a scherzo (ii) and a slow movement (iv), albeit in tandem with a habanera-inspired Intermezzo (iii).
Wagner's Overture to The Flying Dutchman presents the principal elements of the opera it introduces: a fiercely stormy seascape, heroic perseverance, and a potential for redemption that will ultimately prove decisive. Wagner himself found inspiration for the opera in a particularly storm-wracked sea voyage two years before he composed the opera in 1841. The opera received its premiere in Dresden in early 1843, after the success of Wagner's Rienzi the previous year. Although it had its partisans, and was taken up by others in the following years, it did not achieve real success until a London performance in 1870--in Italian! But such is only fitting for an opera whose central lesson is that redemption comes only after a significant period of struggle.
-- Raymond Knapp
Elizabeth Pitcairn, violin 
Elizabeth Pitcairn has been making a name for herself as one of the most talented young soloists since she performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Academy of Music in 1996. In September of 2000, she gave her New York debut, performing Bizet/Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. She has since been called "a brilliant young musician" at her Canadian debut in 2001. Ms. Pitcairn began playing the violin at age three and was soloing with orchestras at age fourteen. Ms. Pitcairn went on to study with internationally known pedagogue Robert Lipsett at the Thornton School. She has also worked regularly with Shmuel Ashkenasi of the Vermeer Quartet. During the 2001-2002 season, Ms. Pitcairn went on tour, playing recitals, concertos and making guest chamber music appearances in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlantic City, Naples, Allentown, Ontario and Bulgaria. One of the highlights of Ms. Pitcairn's solo career is having been the third violinist to perform the "Chaconne" from The Red Violin by John Corigliano. Incredibly, the violin on which she performs is the 1720 "Red Mendelssohn" Stradivarius -- the sale of which inspired the story of the red violin. Ms. Pitcairn is also an experienced concertmaster, having held many positions. With the New West Symphony, conducted by Maestro Boris Brott, she received excellent reviews of her performances of Scheherazade. Joining the ranks of great chamber musicians, Ms. Pitcairn has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival with members of the Guarneri and Juilliard String Quartets. She is very much in demand at music festivals. Ms. Pitcairn's debut CD of the Mozart A Major and Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos was recorded with Slovenia Radio Television Orchestra and released in 1997. A recently commissioned violin concerto was composed by Swedish composer Tommie Haglund for her; she premiered and recorded the concerto in Sweden in 2004. She holds positions on the faculty of the USC Thornton School of Music, the Colburn School of Performing Arts and the Encore School for Strings.
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