Concerts of Thursday, February 7 and Friday, February 8, 2013,

at 8:00p, and Sunday, February 10, 2013, at 3:00p

Xian Zhang, Conductor
Milos Karadaglic, Guitar
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture (1870, rev. 1880)
Joaqun Rodrigo (1901-1999)
Concierto de Aranjuez (1939)
I. Allegro con spirito
II. Adagio
III. Allegro gentile
Milos Karadaglic, Guitar
Intermission
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Opus 17 (Little Russian) (1872,
rev. 1880)
I. Andante sostenuto; Allegro vivo
II. Andantino marziale, quasi moderato
III. Scherzo. Allegro molto vivace
IV. Finale. Moderato assai

Notes on the Program by Ken Meltzer

Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture (1870, rev. 1880)
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia,
on May 7, 1840, and died in St. Petersburg, Russia, on
November 6, 1893. The first performance of the Romeo and
Juliet, Fantasy Overture took place in Moscow, Russia, at a
concert of the Musical Society on March 16, 1870, with Nikolai
Rubinstein conducting. The Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two
clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three
trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, harp and
strings. Approximate performance time is twenty minutes.
First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: December 17
and 18, 1959, Henry Sopkin, Conductor.
Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: January
31, and February 1 and 2, 2008, Robert Spano, Conductor.
My muse has flown off
In the fall of 1869, Russian composer Mily Balakirev (see, Little
Russian Symphony, below) suggested to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky that
he should attempt an orchestral depiction of Shakespeares play,
Romeo and Juliet. Tchaikovsky, then 29, was about the same age as
Shakespeare when the English playwright authored Romeo and Juliet.
Earlier that year, Tchaikovskys love affair with the Belgian soprano,
Dsire Artt, ended abruptly when she married the Spanish baritone,
Mariano Padilla y Ramos.
Tchaikovskys early attempts at a musical version of Romeo and Juliet
were unsuccessful, and he confided to Balakirev:
I didnt want to write to you until I had sketched at least
something of the overture. But just imagine, Im
completely played out, and not one even mildly tolerable
musical idea comes into my head. Im beginning to fear
that my muse has flown off to some distant place (perhaps
shes visiting Zaremba), and perhaps Ill have to wait for
her to return.
Balakirev responded by describing how he had composed an overture
to Shakespeares King Lear, and offered a hint as to how Tchaikovskys
Romeo and Juliet might begin. Later, Balakirev even ventured so far as

to suggest the structure of the piece, and the key relationships

between the various sections. While that correspondence has
disappeared, Tchaikovskys response makes it clear that Balakirev, to
whom the work is dedicated, contemplated a slow introduction
symbolic of Friar Laurence, agitated, fast-tempo music depicting the
conflict of the Montagues and the Capulets, and a love theme for
Romeo and Juliet. Indeed, that is the general outline of Tchaikovskys
Fantasy Overture.
My overture had no success
Those who are familiar with Tchaikovskys Romeo and Juliet might well
presume that when the long-awaited muse finally returned to
Tchaikovsky, the music flowed in a continuous and inevitable fount of
inspiration. In truth, Tchaikovskys Romeo and Juliet is testament to a
diligent (and brilliant) craftsman who scrutinized his work with a
relentless objectivity and perfectionism.
The response to the March 28, 1870 premiere of the original version of
Romeo and Juliet, given under the direction of Nikolai Rubinstein, was
less than ecstatic. Tchaikovsky observed, My overture had no success
and passed quite unnoticed. That summer, Tchaikovsky penned
extensive revisions to the original score, including a completely new
introduction and a reworking of the remainder of the Fantasy Overture.
The premiere of the revised score took place in St. Petersburg on
February 17, 1872. Although the revisions corrected many of the
defects Tchaikovsky perceived in the original version, the composer
was not totally satisfied. In 1880, he made significant alterations to
the works dramatic conclusion. It is the final, 1880 version that has
become a favorite of concert audiences.
A tantalizing footnote is found in a letter of October, 1881, by
Tchaikovsky to his brother, Anatoly. Tchaikovsky reveals that he had
decided to write an opera on that old, but eternally new subject,
Romeo and Juliet. A complete Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet opera
was not to be. After Tchaikovskys death, sketches for a love duet for
Romeo and Juliet, incorporating music from the Fantasy Overture, were
discovered, completed and orchestrated by Sergey Taneyev. That
fragment is all that survives of Tchaikovskys projected Romeo and
Juliet opera.
Musical Analysis
The Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture begins with an extended slow
introduction (Andante non tanto quasi Moderato), with the clarinets
and bassoons intoning the somber Friar Laurence theme. The
theme returns in various guises, as the music gains intensity. A

dialogue between the strings and woodwinds leads to the exposition

(Allegro giusto), and the violent first subject, depicting the warring
Montagues and Capulets, thundered by the orchestra. The storm
finally subsides, and muted violas and English horn softly introduce the
second subject, often referred to as Romeo and Juliets love theme.
Divided muted violins respond with an undulating motif. The love
theme predominates as the exposition of the principal themes draws to
a hushed close.
The development of the themes begins with the strings piano
statement of a portion of the Montague and Capulet motif. The other
principal themes soon enter and intertwine, as the tension mounts. At
the climax of the development, syncopated figures in the brass and
woodwinds battle the strings whirlwind ascending and descending
sixteenth notes. The music finally resolves to the fortissimo start of
the recapitulation. The undulating motif now precedes the strings and
piccolos lush restatement of the love theme. That theme soon yields
to powerful, violent statements of the Montague-Capulet and Friar
Laurence motifs. A thunderous drum roll and brief pause lead to the
coda (Moderato assai). The love theme, now quite melancholy, is
played to the accompaniment of an insistent drumbeat. A final
restatement of Romeo and Juliets theme resolves to a drum roll, and
the fortissimo closing bars.
Concierto de Aranjuez (1939)
Joaqun Rodrigo was born in Sagunto, Spain, on November 22,
1901, and died in Madrid, Spain, on July 6, 1999. In addition to
the solo guitar, the Concierto de Aranjuez is scored for piccolo,
two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, two
bassoons, two horns, two trumpets and strings. Approximate
performance time is twenty-two minutes.
First ASO Classical Subscription Performances: October 20, 21
and 22, 1978, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Guitar, Hiroyuki Iwaki,
Conductor.
Most RecentASO Classical Subscription Performances: January
8, 9 and 10, 1998, Eduardo Fernndez, Guitar, Yoel Levi,
Conductor.
In 1927, Spanish composer Joaqun Rodrigo journeyed to Paris, where
he studied at the Sorbonne with Maurice Emmanuel and Andr Pirro,
and at the Ecole Normale de Musique with Paul Dukas. It was also in
Paris, in 1929, that Rodrigo met the Turkish pianist, Victoria Kamhi.
The two were married in 1933. Rodrigo said of his wife, Victoria:

She has represented everything in my life. Everything.

Without her I wouldnt have accomplished even half my
workShe would correct me, sometimes advise me, and
other times interpret my works at the pianoWe have
never been apart. We would not understand life without
one another. Vicky has been, is my luck, my eternal
companion, my invaluable collaborator.
The two remained married until Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigos death on
July 21, 1997. Joaqun Rodrigo died two years later, on July 6, 1999, at
the age of 97.
It was not until 1940 and the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War that
Rodrigo finally returned to Spain. However, while abroad, Rodrigos
thoughts were certainly with his beloved homeland. In 1939 Rodrigo,
while living in the Latin Quarter of Paris and hoping to be able to
return to Spain, composed his Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and
orchestra. Rodrigo dedicated the work to the guitarist Regino Sinz de
la Maza.
In comments reproduced in the liner notes for Christopher Parkenings
EMI recording of the Concierto de Aranjuez (EMI 54665), Rodrigo
described his inspiration for the work:
The Concierto de Aranjuez evokes a vast array of colorful
imagery and feelings. Being a history lover, especially
Spanish history, when I created this concerto, I had in mind
the courts of Charles IV, a Bourbon king of eighteenth
century Spain, whose summer holiday residence was the
palace of Aranjuez. Everything about it is awe-inspiring: its
lordly palace; its gardens and fountains; its majestic views.
Bearing this in mind while listening to the Concierto de
Aranjuez, one can clearly visualize the fair maidens,
noblemen, toreadors and commoners of the kingdom.
Each listener is free to seek his or her own interpretation.
The Concierto de Aranjuez was Rodrigos first composition for solo
guitar and orchestra. Throughout his life, Rodrigo composed numerous
brilliant works for the guitar. As a result, many assumed that Rodrigo
was an accomplished guitar virtuoso. However, Rodrigo, who was
indeed a fine pianist and violinist, confessed that he couldnt play four
notes in a row on the guitar!
When Rodrigo composed the Concierto de Aranjuez, he had thought of
nothing other than that this concerto should be an especial success, be
enjoyed by the public and be played often. However, the success of
the work must have exceeded even the composers wildest
expectations. Drawing upon a varied array of musical traditions from
his country and elsewhere, Rodrigo fashioned, as he described it, a

synthesis of classical and popular, of form and emotion. As a result,

Rodrigo created one of the 20th centurys most popular concertos for
solo instrument and orchestra, an enchanting and captivating work
that continues to appeal to the broadest cross-section of music lovers.
Rodrigo Describes the Concierto de Aranjuez
The Concierto de Aranjuez is in three movements. The following is
Rodrigos description of the work.
I. Allegro con spiritoThe first movement is animated by a rhythmic
spirit and vigour without either of the two themes contained within it
interrupting its relentless pace.
II. AdagioIf nostalgia could take form the second movement would
be its tightest mold.
The second movement represents a dialogue between guitar and solo
instruments (cor anglais, bassoon, oboe, horn etc.). There is a
constant and persistent beat supporting the entire sound-structure of
this movement.
III. Allegro gentileThe third movement recalls a courtly dance in
which the combination of duple and triple time maintains a taut tempo
right to the closing bar.
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Opus 17 (Little Russian) (1872,
rev. 1880)
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russia,
on May 7, 1840, and died in St. Petersburg, Russia, on
November 6, 1893. The first performance of the Symphony No.
2 took place in Moscow, Russia, on January 26, 1873, with
Nikolai Rubinstein conducting. The Symphony No. 2 is scored
for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons,
four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani,
cymbals, tam-tam, bass drum and strings. Approximate
performance time is thirty-three minutes.
First ASO Classical Subscription Performance: March 21, 1951,
Henry Sopkin, Conductor.
Most Recent ASO Classical Subscription Performances: May 12,
13 and 14, 1994, Yoel Levi, Conductor.
Russias strongest unified movement toward nationalist expression in
concert music emerged in the 1860s. A pianist named Mily Balakirev
organized a group of composers that included Alexander Borodin,
Csar Cui, Modest Mussorgsky and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The

eminent Russian critic, Vladimir Stassov, dubbed them The Five, or

The Mighty Handful.
The members of The Five sought to create music that was
identifiably Russian in subject matter and character. Toward that end,
the composers incorporated Russian folk melodies, stories and cultural
themes into their works. For the most part, the members of The
Mighty Handful were self-taught musicians. But they viewed their lack
of formal conservatory training as a liberating force in the creation of
Russian music.
By contrast, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky was formally trained, and a
student of the great German-Austrian tradition that dominated concert
music. Tchaikovskys favorite composer was the Austrian-born
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tchaikovsky fervently believed that Mozart
achieved the highest, most perfect culmination ever attained by
beauty in the realm of music.
For the members of The Five and their advocates, Tchaikovsky was
not sufficiently Russian in his musical approach. But for people like the
eminent German critic, Eduard Hanslick, Tchaikovskys music was too
Russian in character. After the 1881 premiere in Vienna of
Tchaikovskys great Violin Concerto, Hanslick characterized the work as
a brutal and wretched jollity of a Russian holiday. We see plainly the
savage vulgar faces, we hear curses, we smell vodka.
For his part, Tchaikovsky acknowledged the strong influence of Russian
folk tradition: As regards the Russian element in general in my
musicI grew up in the backwoods, saturating myself from earliest
childhood with the inexplicable beauty of the characteristic traits of
Russian folksong.
In the summer of 1872, Tchaikovsky visited his sister, Alexandra, at her
familys home in the Ukrainian village of Kamenka. There, Tchaikovsky
delighted in hearing the Ukrainian peasants sing folk songs. Inspired
by this experience, Tchaikovsky began work on his Symphony No 2,
completing it that winter. During the Christmas holiday, Tchaikovsky
played the Symphony at a party given by Rimsky-Korsakov.
Tchaikovsky proudly reported: the whole company almost tore me to
pieces in rapture.
The Symphony No. 2 received its successful premiere in Moscow on
January 26, 1873. Tchaikovskys incorporation of Ukrainian folk
melodies led Russian critic Nicholas Kashkin to give the work its
nickname, Little Russian (in Tsarist times, the Ukraine was known as
Little Russia.) Tchaikovsky later revised the Little Russian
Symphony. That revised (and now familiar) version premiered in St.
Petersburg on January 31, 1881.
Musical Analysis

I. Andante sostenuto; Allegro vivoThe Little Russian Symphony

opens with an expansive slow-tempo introduction (Andante sostenuto).
The ensembles forte chord sets the stage for a horn melody, based
upon the folk song Down by Mother Volga. A final statement by the
horns of the folk song leads to the opening movements Allegro vivo
section. The winds offer hints of the vigorous first principal theme,
soon played in full by the strings. The oboes present the ascending
second principal theme, marked espressivo. The violins sing the final
principal melody, a raising and falling figure (also espressivo). The
opening theme provides an emphatic close to the exposition. The
clarinets reprise of Down by Mother Volga opens the development.
The Allegro vivos first principal theme returns as well, as the
development builds to a fff climax. The strings launch the
recapitulation of the Allegro vivo portion (Tempo I). In the final
measures, a truncated reprise of the slow introduction (Andante
sostenuto) is capped by the bassoon, accompanied by a series of
hushed pizzicato chords.
II. Andantino marziale, quasi moderatoThe Symphonys slow
movement opens with the timpanis repeated notes. This passage
soon accompanies the movements principal melody, first played by
the clarinets and bassoons, and derived from a wedding march in
Tchaikovskys 1869 opera, Undine. The march returns throughout (with
modified accompaniment and instrumentation), alternating with
various episodes. The middle episode, featuring a melody first played
by the flutes and oboes, is based upon the folksong Spin, My Spinner.
After a last reprise of the Undine wedding march, the timpani has the
final word in the ppp closing bars.
III. Scherzo. Allegro molto vivaceThe third-movement Scherzo is one
of Tchaikovskys most brilliant and beguiling orchestral creations. The
music teems from start to finish with playful energy, delightful
surprises and a kaleidoscope of orchestral colors. The meter shifts
from 3 beats in a bar to 2 for the central Trio (Listesso tempo). A
reprise of the Scherzo and Trio rounds out the third movement.
IV. Finale. Moderato assaiThe Finale opens with a grand introduction
(Moderato assai), based upon the Russian folk song, The Crane. That
folksong becomes the basis for the principal theme of the ensuing
Allegro vivo. After an extended and brilliant fantasia on the folksong,
the first violins introduce the lilting second principal melody. The
folksong returns to conclude the exposition. In the development, the
folksong and first violin melodies encounter some unexpected twists
and turns, almost as if viewed through distorted glasses. Fragments of
the folk song melody lead to a full restatement of first violin theme.
The closing measures (Presto) feature The Crane in its most

energetic guise, as the Little Russian Symphony sprints to a thrilling

close.