NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff: Montgomery, Schnittke, & Tchaikovsky

Jessie Montgomery | Starburst (2013)

Jessie Montgomery wrote Starburst as an encore for a tour of the Sphinx string ensemble.  Her intent was to create an explosive, jubilant work – an ideal finale for any successful concert.  A violinist herself, Montgomery also wanted to explore the colors, timbres, and articulations of a string orchestra.  Tonight this “encore” is repurposed as an energetic concert opener.

Personnel

First Violin
Sin Ying Chen
Yiliang Jiang
MinJi Lee
Nozomi Murayama
Cameron Alan-Lee
Kristy Chen

Second Violin
Da Young Rachel Lim
Leonard Fu
Alison Kim
Chae Lim Yoon
Caroline Jesalva

Viola
Julian Sneige-Seney
Yizhu Mao
Chiau-Rung Chen
Santiago Vasquez-Loredo

Cello
Andres Sanchez
Yi-Mei Templeman
Gabriel Martins
Yunwen Chen

Bass
Diego Martinez

Alfred Schnittke | Concerto grosso No. 1 (1977)

Alfred Schnittke, a Soviet composer of the post-Shostakovich generation, struggled with a musical identity crisis in the mid-1960s when art and politics were in turmoil worldwide.  Strict 12-tone serialism had led to a dead-end (and earned him the opprobrium of the Soviet authorities).  “We know that Webern understood the basic principle of sonata form as a contrast between strict and free,” he wrote, “and I found this idea convincing.  I thought that such a contrast might also be possible between tonal and atonal.”  This led to the breakthrough of polystylistic music – exploring the tension between styles.  Thus the Concerto Grosso no. 1 was born with neo-Baroque figurations, free chromaticism (even micro-intervals), and vernacular dance music in the form of a wild tango in the Rondo movement.  Written for two equal solo violins and a string orchestra with individual parts, it is a brilliant exploration of the timbral possibilities of strings.  Adding amplified prepared piano and harpsichord reinforces the stylistic incongruities.  Written for Gidon Kremer and Tatiana Grindenko, the work was a huge success and received dozens of performances in its first few years.  This evening Artist Diploma violinists Geneva Lewis and Maria Ioudenitch bring their artistry to this special work.
 

Preludio: Andante
Toccata: Allegro
Recitativo: Lento
Cadenza
Rondo: Agitato
Postludio: Andante

Personnel

First Violin
Sin Ying Chen
Yiliang Jiang
MinJi Lee
Nozomi Murayama
Cameron Alan-Lee
Kristy Chen

Second Violin
Da Young Rachel Lim
Leonard Fu
Alison Kim
Chae Lim Yoon
Caroline Jesalva
Arun Asthagiri

Viola
Julian Sneige-Seney
Yizhu Mao
Jason Butler
Santiago Vasquez-Loredo

Cello
Andres Sanchez
Yi-Mei Templeman
Yoojin Lee
Yunwen Chen

Bass
Diego Martinez

Pioyt Ilich Tchaikovsky | Souvenir de Florence, op. 70

Italy offered welcome respite from harsh Russian winters, and Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky took full advantage.  He was enchanted by the beauty and atmosphere of the country.  During his final visit in the winter of 1889-90, he was working primarily on his opera Queen of Spades.  But a sketched melody from that winter gave rise to one movement of a new string sextet the following summer.  Hence the music’s subtitle Souvenir of Florence (‘souvenir” here meaning reminiscence).  Performed this evening by a string orchestra, the work is one of Tchaikovsky’s most felicitous.  His spectacular melodic gifts are on display in every movement and the complexity implied by six equal voices gives rise to some daring imitation and counterpoint.

Allegro con spirito
Adagio cantabile e con moto
Allegro moderato
Allegro vivace

Personnel

First Violin
Sin Ying Chen
Yiliang Jiang
MinJi Lee
Nozomi Murayama
Cameron Alan-Lee
Kristy Chen

Second Violin
Da Young Rachel Lim
Leonard Fu
Alison Kim
Chae Lim Yoon
Caroline Jesalva

Viola
Julian Sneige-Seney
Yizhu Mao
Jason Butler
Santiago Vasquez-Loredo
Chiau-Rung Chen
Harry Clark

Cello
Andres Sanchez
Yi-Mei Templeman
Yoojin Lee
Yunwen Chen
Gabriel Martins

Bass
Diego Martinez