program: atlantic crossing - stanford university george gershwin (1898–1937), arr. clarice assad...

aTLaNTiC CrOSSiNg

PROGRAM: aTLaNTIC CrossING

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014 / 7:30 PM / BING CONCERT HALL

30 STaNfOrd LivE MagaziNE marCh 2014

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms, and unwrap all lozenges prior to the performance. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.

ARTISTSChanticleerNew Century Chamber orchestra

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of Clinton and Mary Gilliland and the National Endowment for the Arts.

PROGRAMMidnight Bells Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962) New Century Chamber orchestra

Barcarole aus “Hoffmanns erzählungen” Jacques offenbach (1819–1880)/Julius hopp (1819–1885) Chanticleer arr. Erwin Bootz/Comedian harmonists

Wochenend’ und sonnenschein milton ager (1893–1979)/Jack yellen (1892–1991) Chanticleer arr. harry Frommermann/Comedian harmonists

In einem kühlen grunde Trad., arr. h. Frommermann/Comedian harmonists Chanticleer

Allegro giusto miklós rózsa (1907–1995)from Concerto for String Orchestra, op. 17 New Century Chamber orchestra

Four Old Hungarian Folksongs Béla Bartók (1881–1945) Chanticleer

Selections from Six Chansons Paul hindemith (1895–1963) I. O la biche II. Un cygne III. Puisque tout passe Chanticleer

Romanian Folk Dances Béla Bartók New Century Chamber orchestra

Bills Ballhaus in Bilbao Kurt Weill (1900–1950)VöllereiMy Ship Chanticleer

Mack the Knife Kurt Weill, arr. Clarice assad Tutti

*INTErmIssIoN*

Medley George Gershwin (1898–1937), arr. Clarice assad It Ain’t Necessarily So Summertime Bess, You Is My Woman Now There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York Tutti

Tea for Two Vincent youmans (1898–1946)/Irving Caesar (1895–1996) Chanticleer arr. h. Frommermann/Comedian harmonists

Stormy Weather harold arlen (1905–1986) Chanticleer arr. h. Frommermann/Comedian harmonists

Medley Duke Ellington (1899–1974)/Billy strayhorn (1915–1967) Lush Life arr. Clarice assad East St. Louis Toodle-oo Take the A Train It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) Tutti

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atLantiC CroSSinG“Refugees from 20th-century war and revolution transformed the American performing arts,” says the subtitle of Joseph Horowitz’s 2008 book Artists in Exile, which begins by describing the wave of Russian refugees to the United States in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. Europe’s tumult was America’s gain when the rise of Nazism precipitated a mass exodus of musicians, artists, scientists, and thousands upon thousands of people from all walks of life from Germany and elsewhere. According to their age and the marketability of their skills, they could count on varying degrees of success in the New World. The ones who most publicly transformed their new home were the musicians.

Among the many who took a westbound ocean liner was Fritz Kreisler, one of the most celebrated violinists of the 20th century. Kreisler made the move not once but twice, living in New York during World War I and then returning after the outbreak of World War II, this time for good. Although he took American citizenship, Kreisler remained quintessentially Viennese, his most beautiful melodies always inspired by his native city.

Stravinsky and Schoenberg immigrated to the United States, along with many of the greatest European composers, who adapted to the new environment with varying degrees of success. Béla Bartók, 59 when he arrived, hardly had a chance to adjust at all. Within a few years, he came down with an illness that eventually claimed his life. Paul Hindemith, significantly younger, successfully reinvented himself as a master teacher who, through his many students at Yale, had a major impact on American music.

Many classically trained composers found their niche outside classical concert venues or academia, notably on

Broadway and in the movies. Kurt Weill, who had composed a string quartet and a violin concerto in his early years, had become famous in Germany through his theatrical collaborations with Bertolt Brecht, such as Threepenny Opera and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. He had 15 productive and successful years on Broadway before his death from a heart attack soon after his 50th birthday. Miklós Rózsa, also trained as a composer of symphonic and chamber music, was a relative beginner when he came to America. Along with Franz Waxman and many others, he went to Hollywood where he soon became a star with his scores for Spellbound, Ben-Hur, and many more movie classics.

The Atlantic crossings went both ways. Some American artists, like Sidney Bechet and Josephine Baker, crossed the ocean in the opposite direction and settled in France. Duke Ellington and his orchestra had their first European tour in 1933, performing to great acclaim in Britain, Holland, and France. George Gershwin

would turn his experience in the French capital into “An American in Paris,” the trip strengthening his resolve to immerse himself in classical symphonic composition even as European musicians with classical backgrounds advanced their careers by working in popular styles.

One might say that the most complete musical fusion of European and American musical elements was the wildly popular, all-male vocal quintet from Germany called the Comedian Harmonists, who took America by storm on a tour in the mid-1930s. Inspired by The Revelers, an American vocal jazz group, the Harmonists were active in Berlin in the late 1920s and early 1930s, performing songs from both sides of the Atlantic in inimitable arrangements by Harry Frommermann. Because several of them were Jews, the Harmonists were forced to disband as the war approached, but their many recordings have assured that they continue to remind us of the final moments before Europe exploded again.

NOTES CONTINUE ON PAGE 38

Chanticleer


Barcarole aus “Hoffmanns Erzählungen”Jacques offenbach/Julius hopp, arr. Erwin Bootz/Comedian harmonists

Schöne Nacht, du Liebesnacht, o stille mein Verlangen. Beautiful night, you night of lust, o satisfy my longing. Süsser als der Tag uns lacht die schöne Liebesnacht. Sweeter than the day looks to us the night of lust. Flüchtig eilt die Zeit unwiederbringlich uns’rer Liebe. Fleeting is the time of our irretrievable love. Fern von diesem lausch’gen Ort weicht flücht’ge Zeit. Far from this cozy place passes fleeting time.

Zephyre lind un sacht die uns kosen umfangen, Zephyrs softly embracing us, Zephyre haben sacht sanfte Küsse gebracht. Zephyrs have brought soft kisses.

Schöne Nacht, du Liebesnacht, o stille mein Verlangen. Beautiful night, you night of lust, o satisfy my longing. Süsser als der Tag uns lacht die schöne Liebesnatch. Sweeter than the day looks to us the night of lust. Stille das Verlangen, Liebesnacht. Satisfy the longing, night of lust.

Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein milton ager/Jack yellen, arr. harry Frommermann/Comedian harmonists

Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein Weekend and sunshine und dann mit di rim Wald allein— and then alone in the woods with you— weiter brauch ich nichts zum Glücklichsein, we need nothing more to be happy, Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein. weekend and sunshine. Über uns die Lerche zieht, Above us the lark flies, sie singt genaus wie wir ein Lied. singing a song just like us. Alle Vöglein stimmen fröhlich ein: All little birds happily join in: Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein. Weekend and sunshine.

Kein Auto, keine Chaussee, und niemand in uns’rer Näh’. No car, no avenue, and no one near. Tief im Wald nu rich und du, Deep in the woods just you and me, der Herrgott drückt ein Auge zu, the Lord God looks the other way denn er schenkt us ja zum Glücklichsein: as He allows us happiness: Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein. Weekend and sunshine.

Nur sechs Tage sind der Arbeit, Only six days are meant for work, doch am siebten Tag sollst du ruh’n, on the seventh day thou shalt rest, sprach der Herrgott, said the Lord God, doch wir haben auch am siebten Tage zu tun! but we have things to do on the seventh day!

Wochenend’ und Sonnenschein… Weekend and sunshine…

In einem kühlen Grunde Traditional., arr. harry Frommermann/Comedian harmonists

In einem kühlen Grunde, da geht ein Mühlenrad. In a cold corner, the mill’s wheel is turning. Mein Liebchen ist verschwunden, das dort gewohnet hat. My darling is gone, who once used to live there. Sie hat mir Treu’ versprochen, gab mire ein’ Ring dabei. She promised to be true, and even gave me a ring. Sit hat die Treu’ gebrochen. Das Ringlein sprang entzwei. She broke her vow. The ring, it burst in two. Hör ich das Mühlrad gehen, ich weiß nicht, was ich will. When I hear the wheel turning, I don’t know what I want. Ich möcht’ am liebsten sterben, da wär’s auf einmal still. I’d die if I could, then all would suddenly be still.

TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS



Négy Regi Magyar Népdal (Four Old Hungarian Folksongs)Béla Bartók (1881–1945)

I.

Rég megmondtam, bús gerlice I’ve long told you, sad turtledove, Ne rakj fészket útszéjire! Do not make a nest by the side of the road! Mer az úton sokan járnak, For many pass along that road, A fészedbol kihajhásznak. And will drive you from your nest.

Rakjál fészket a surube, Make your nest in the depths of the wood, Bánatfának tetejibe; Atop the tree of sorrow; Aki kérdi; ezt ki rakta? When asked, who made this? Mondjátok; egy árva rakta, Reply, ‘twas an orphan,

Kinek sem apja, sem anyja, Who has neither a father nor a mother, Sem egy igaz atyjafia. Nor even a true friend.

II.

Jaj istenem! kire várok: Oh my Lord, who am I waiting for: Megyek Budapestre, I’m off to Budapest, ott sétálok a lányokkal To take a stroll with the girls Minden szombat este. Every Saturday night.

Kipirosítom az arcom, I’ll rouge my cheeks, Magam nagyra tartom; I’ll think highly of myself; Úgy szeretnek meg engem a lányok That’s how the girls will fall for me Ott a Dunaparton. There on the banks of the Danube.

III.

Ángyomaszszony kertje, bertje, My sister-in-law’s garden, larden, Nem tom mi van belévetve: I’ve no idea what it’s growing: Szederje, bederje, Blackberries, very-berries, Kapcsom donom donom deszka, Lollyberries, -erries, -erries, plankies, Kántormenta fodormenta, Singing-mint and spearmint, Jaj de furcsa nóta, ugyan cifra nóta! Hey what a weird ditty, a well-twisted ditty! Csuröm alatt öt rozsasztag, In my barn I’ve five sheaves of oat, A kertembe hat rozsasztag, In my garden six sheaves of oat, Szederje, bederje, Blackberries, very-berries, Kapcsom donom donom deszka, Lollyberries, -erries, -erries, plankies, Kántormenta fodormenta, Singing-mint and spearmint, Jaj de furcsa nóta, ugyan cifra nóta! Hey what a weird ditty, a well-twisted ditty!

IV

Béreslegény, jól megrakd a szekeret, Farm laborer lad, load the cart well, Sarjútüske böködi a tenyered! The stubbles prickle your palm! Mennél jobban böködi a tenyered The more they prickle your palm, Annál jobban rakd meg a szekeredet. The better you load your cart.

Translation by Nicholas Bodoczky and Anna Süto



Selections from Six ChansonsPaul hindemith (1895–1963)

I. O La Biche

O la biche: quel bel interieur O, doe: what lovely depths d’anciennes forêts dans tes yeux abonde; of ancient forests abound in your eyes; combien de confiance how much open trust ronde mêlée à combien de peur. mixed with how much fear. Tout celà, All this, porté par la vive gracilité de tes bonds. borne by the brisk litheness of your bounds. Mais jamais rien n’arrive But nothing ever disturbs à cette impossessive ignorance de ton front. that unpossessive awareness of your brow.

II. Un Cygne

Un cygne avance sur l’eau tout entouré A swan moves over the water, de lui-même, comme un glissant tableau; surrounded by itself like a gliding tableau; ainsi à certains instants thus at certain moments, un être que l’on aime est tout un espace mouvant. the beloved is sometimes a moving space.

Il se rapproche, doublé, comme ce cygne qui nage, He draws near, like the swimming swan, sur notre âme troublée... to our troubled soul… qui à cet être ajoute la tremblante image which adds the trembling image de bonheur et de doute. of well-being and doubt.

III. Puisque tout passe

Puisque tout passe, faisons Since all is passing, la mélodie passagère let us make a passing melody, celle qui nous désaltère, the one that quenches our thirst aura de nous raison. will be right for us.

Chantons ce qui nous quitte Let us sing what leaves us avec amour et art; with love and art; soyons plus vite let us be quicker que le rapide départ. than the quick departure.



Bills Ballhaus in BilbaoKurt Weill (1900–1950)

Bills Ballhaus in Bilbao Bill’s Ball-House [a dance hall] in Bilbao War das Schönste auf dem ganzen Kontinent. was the most fantastic place on the Continent. Dort gab’s für einen Dollar Krach und Wonne For just a dollar, you’d get all you wanted Und was die Welt ihr eigen nennt. of whatever kind of joy you called your own. Aber wenn Sie da hereingekommen wären But if you had been around long enough to see the sun rise, Ich weiß ja nicht, ob Ihnen so was grad gefällt. well, I don’t know, you might not have liked what you saw. Ach! Ah!

Brandylachen waren, wo man saß The stools at the bar were damp with rye, Auf dem Tanzboden wuchs das Gras on the dance floor, the grass grew high, Und der rote Mond schien durch das Dach. and through the roof the moon was shining green. ‘ne Musik gab’s da, man konnte sich beschweren The music really gave you some return Für sein Geld! on what you paid! Joe, mach die Musik von damals nach. Hey Joe, play that song they always played, Alter Bilbaomond That old Bilbao Wo noch die Liebe lohnt— Down where we used to go— ‘s ist doll mit dem Text.. I can’t remember the words… ‘s ist schon so lange her— It’s so long ago— Ich weiß ja nicht, ob Ihnen so was grad gefällt, doch I don’t know if it would have brought you joy or grief, but Es war das Schönste it was the best place Auf der Welt. in the world.

Bills Ballhaus in Bilbao Bill’s Ball-House in Bilbao An ‘nem Tag gen Ende Mai im Jahre acht came a day the end of May in ‘98 Da kamen vier aus Frisco mit ‘nem Geldsack four guys from Frisco came with sacks of gold, Die haben damals mit uns was gemacht. and the time they showed us all was really great. Aber wenn Sie da dabeigewesen wären But if you had been around long enough to see the sun rise, Ich weiß nicht, ob Ihnen so was grad gefällt. well, I don’t know, you might not have liked what you saw. Ach! Ah!

Brandylachen waren, wo man saß Brandy bottles smashing through the air, Auf dem Tanzboden wuchs das Gras and the chairs flying everywhere, Und der rote Mond schien durch das Dach through the roof the moon’s still shining green, Und vier Herren konnten Sie and those fog eyes all went crazy mit ihren Brownings schießen hören. with their pistols blazing high. Sind Sie ‘n Held? Think you can stop ‘em? Na, dann machen Sie’s mal nach ... Well, go ahead and try. Alter Bilbaomond That old Bilbao Wo noch die Liebe lohnt— Down where we used to go— Ich kann den Text nicht mehr Who remembers the words? ‘s ist schon zu lange her— It’s so long ago— Ich weiß ja nicht, ob Ihnen so was grad gefällt, doch I don’t know if it would have brought you joy or grief, but Es war das Schönste it was the best place Auf der Welt. in the world.




Völlerei (from The Seven Deadly Sins) Kurt Weill

Da ist ein Brief aus Philadelphia, We’ve gotten word from Philadelphia Anna geht es gut. Anna’s doing well. Si ever dient jetzt endlich. She’s making lots of money. Sie hat einen Kontrakt als Solotänzerin. Her contract has been signed to do a solo turn. Danach darf sie nicht mehr essen, It forbids her ever eating was sie will und wann sie will. when and how she likes to eat. Das wird schwer sein für sie, Those are hard terms for her, denn sie ist sehr verfressen, who has always been greedy. ach, wenn sich nur an ihren Kontrakt halt, Oh if she will only stick to her contract, denn die wollen kein Nilpferd in Philadelphia. there’s no market for hippos in Philadelphia.

Sie wird jeden Tag gewogen Every single day they weigh her. Wehe, wenn sie ein Gramm zunimmt, Gaining half an ounce means trouble. Denn die stehen auf dem Standpunkt: They have principles to stand by. Zwei-und-fünfzig Kilo ist sie wert. “It’s a hundred and eighteen that you were signed for.” Und was mehr ist, ist vom Übel. More than that would be a disaster.

Aber Anna ist ja sehr verständig, But our Anna is not that stupid. sie wird sorgen, daß Kontrakt Kontrakt ist. She knows a contract is a contract. Sie wird sagen: So she’ll reason: Essen kanst du schließlick in Louisiana After all, you still can eat like little Anna in Louisiana. Hörnchen, Schnitzel, Spargel, Hühnchen. Crabmeat, pork chops, sweet corn, chicken. Und die kleinen gleben Honigkuchen. And those golden biscuits spread with honey. Denk an unser Haus in Louisiana. Think of our house in Louisiana. Sieh, es wächst schon Look! It’s growing. Stock um Stockwerk wächsts es. More and more, it needs you. Darum, halte an dich. Stop it all at once. Freßsucht ist vom Übel. Gluttons will be punished. Halte an dich, Anna. Curb your craving, Anna. denn die Fresßsucht ist vom Übel. Gluttons never go to heaven.




My ShipKurt Weill

My ship has sails that are made of silkThe decks are trimmed with gold.

And of jam and spiceThere’s a paradise in the hold.

My ship’s aglow with a million pearlsAnd rubies fill each bin.

The sun sits high in a sapphire skyWhen my ship comes in.

I can wait the years till it appearsOne fine day one spring.

But the pearls and such, they don’t mean much

If there’s missing just one thing.

I do not care if that day arrives.That dream need never be

If the ship I singDoesn’t also bring

My own true love to me.

neW CentUrY CHaMBer orCHeStraThe New Century Chamber Orchestra, founded in 1992, looks for fresh, exciting ways to present classical music in the San Francisco Bay Area by combining performances of extraordinary quality with innovative programming. One of only a handful of conductorless ensembles in the world, New Century is composed of local musicians and those who travel from across the United States and Europe to perform in the Bay Area together. Musical decisions are made collaboratively by the 19-member

string ensemble, which results in an enhanced level of commitment on the part of the musicians to concerts of remarkable precision, passion, and power. World-renowned violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg was appointed music director and concertmaster in January 2008, bringing with her “a new sense of vitality and determination, as well as an audacious swagger that is an unmistakable fingerprint of its leader” (Gramophone).

New Century’s annual season consists of separate programs, each with East Bay,

NOTES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32



New Century Chamber Orchestra

ViolinsNadja salerno-sonnenberg,

Music Director and ConcertmasterDawn harms,

Associate ConcertmasterCandace Guirao,

Principal Second Violinrobin mayforth

anna PreslerDeborah Tien Price

Iris stoneKaren shinozaki sor

michael yokasLiza Zurlinden

Violasanna Kruger, Principal Viola

Jenny DouglassCassandra Lynne richburg

Kurt rohde

Cellossusan Babini, Principal Cello

robin Bonnellmichelle DjokicIsaac melamed

Bassanthony manzo, Principal

ChanticleerGregory Peebles, Kory reid,

Darita seth—SopranoCortez mitchell, alan reinhardt,

adam Ward—Altomichael Bresnahan, Brian hinman,

Ben Jones—TenorEric alatorre, matthew Knickman,

marques Jerrell ruff—Baritone and Bass

Jace Wittig, Interim Music DirectorGregory Peebles, Assistant

Music Director

Peninsula, Marin, and San Francisco presentations, featuring a musical range spanning chamber orchestra classics, rarely heard jewels of the past, and world premieres. Open rehearsals are offered for all four programs, allowing audiences to experience the collaborative, creative dynamic of a rehearsal without a conductor.

The New Century Chamber Orchestra Featured Composer program commissions composers to write new works, with the goals of expanding chamber orchestra repertoire and providing audiences with a deeper understanding of today’s living composers. The orchestra provides insight into the breadth of the featured composer’s work by performing a variety of pieces by the composer throughout the season. Featured composers to date have include Clarice Assad, William Bolcom, Mark O’Connor, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Lera Auerbach, and Michael Daugherty.

With Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg at the helm, New Century has expanded its national footprint to increase the cultural impact of the ensemble. Since 2011, the orchestra has completed three highly successful national tours that reached a combined audience of 10,550 in Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Southern California. New Century has also established a rapidly increasing national radio presence with more than 30 broadcasts on American Public Media’s Performance Today, each heard on 260 radio stations across the country.

Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg succeeded Krista Bennion Feeney, who served as New Century’s music director and concertmaster from 1999–2006. During Ms. Bennion Feeney’s tenure as music director, New Century earned a reputation for musical imagination

open


and versatility. A native of Menlo Park, California, Ms. Bennion Feeney is co-concertmaster of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s year-round at Carnegie Hall and throughout the summer at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival in Katonah, New York.

Prior to Ms. Bennion Feeney, Stuart Canin served as New Century’s first music director from 1992–1999. Mr. Canin held the title of concertmaster at the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, and numerous Hollywood studio orchestras, performing on such films as Schindler’s List, Titanic, and Forrest Gump. From the beginning, Mr. Canin set such a high musical standard that New Century immediately won the respect of audiences, musicians, and critics.

The orchestra has released six compact discs. The two latest albums, Together (released August 2009) and Live: Barber, Strauss, Mahler (released

November 2010), were recorded with Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg on the NSS Music label. Other recordings include a 1996 collaborative project with Kent Nagano and the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra that features the work of 20th-century Swiss composer Frank Martin and Written with the Heart’s Blood, a 1997 Grammy Award finalist, both on the New Albion label. In 1998, the orchestra recorded and released works of Argentine composers Alberto Williams and Alberto Ginastera on the d’Note Records label, and in 2004, the orchestra recorded and released Oculus, a CD of Kurt Rohde’s compositions on the Mondovibe label. All of the recordings have been distributed both internationally and in the United States. The orchestra’s first concert DVD, On Our Way, was released in May 2012. The DVD was filmed by Paola di Florio, director of the 1999 Academy Award–nominated film Speaking in Strings, weaving together documentary footage and a live concert

from February 2011 performed at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

New Century’s inventive programming has included a number of special events in addition to the ensemble’s regular subscription concerts. In 1996, mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade performed at the group’s season opening with a premiere by composer Jake Heggie entitled “On the Road to Christmas,” written specifically for von Stade. In 2000, New Century performed in a multimedia, multiethnic collaboration with Chinese composer Gang Situ entitled Strings Calligraphy, which examined the parallels between string music and calligraphy, using dance and visual imagery interwoven as elements of the performance. In 2002, Sir Simon Rattle conducted the New Century Chamber Orchestra’s 10th-anniversary celebration concert in a co-presentation with Marin Academy, only his second time conducting in the Bay Area since 1980. In 2008, New Century


Chanticleer


performed Rewind, an event conceived of and conducted by Paul Haas, which traced music backwards in time from the 20th century to the Baroque and featured violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, DJ Mason Bates, and kinetic installation art by Reuben Margolin.

As part of its dedication to the future of music, New Century has provided a music education program free of charge to elementary school students in Marin County for more than 15 years. The program aims to give students an invaluable introduction to classical music and foster a lifelong love of music and its performance. New Century also places an emphasis on audience education by screening From the Stage video presentations during select concerts, which serve as short, dynamic program notes to provide behind-the-scenes insights from the composer and musicians.

New Century musicians are active members of the San Francisco Bay Area community and have made appearances at San Francisco’s City Hall and at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park.

CHantiCLeerCalled “the world’s reigning male chorus” by the New Yorker magazine and named ensemble of the year by Musical America in 2008, the San Francisco–based, Grammy Award–winning ensemble Chanticleer embarks upon its 36th season in 2013–14, performing in 23 U.S. states. A winter international tour of nine European countries will see debuts in Dublin, Moscow, and St. Petersburg and returns to Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Bruges. Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for its “tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity,” Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of

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voices” for the seamless blend of its 12 male voices, which range from countertenor to bass, and its original interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz and from gospel to venturesome new music.

Chanticleer’s 24-concert 2013–14 Bay Area season opened in September with the launch at the SF Jazz Center of a new studio album, Someone New, a collection of jazz and pop tunes newly arranged for Chanticleer by composers such as Brubeck, Jobim, Gotye, Waits, Mercury, Elbow, and M83. The concert season opened with She Said/He Said, featuring music by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn, Brahms, Ravel, and Barber as well as the premieres of “Give Me Hunger” by Stacy Garrop and Vince Peterson’s arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.” A Chanticleer Christmas was in high demand at the Christmas season with performances from coast to coast in venues including New York’s Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, Chicago’s First Presbyterian Church, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and churches and missions in the San Francisco Bay Area. A Chanticleer Christmas is broadcast annually on more than 300 affiliated public radio stations nationwide.

Two unprecedented collaborations round out the Bay Area season. Atlantic Crossing in March, with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra, recalls the period of electric creativity before World War I through the music of Bartok, Weill, Ellington, and George Gershwin and features special arrangements by Clarice Assad. Concluding the season in June will be Chanticleer’s first all-Russian program, Russian Dreams, featuring music written for Russian male choruses—from chant, folk songs, and battle songs to secular chorales

and Romantic liturgical masterpieces—all prepared by Elena Sharkova.

Since Chanticleer began releasing recordings in 1981, the group has sold well over a million copies and garnered two Grammy Awards. Chanticleer’s recordings are distributed by Chanticleer Records, Naxos, Rhino Records, ArkivMusic, and iTunes, among others, and are available on Chanticleer’s website, www.chanticleer.org. In addition to Someone New, Chanticleer will release a live recording of She Said/He Said as part of its Chanticleer Live in Concert series.

With the help of individual contributions and foundation and corporate support, the ensemble involves more than 5,000 young people annually in its extensive education programs. The Louis A. Botto Choir—an after-school honors program for high school and college students—is now in its fourth year, adding to the ongoing program of in-school clinics and workshops, Chanticleer Youth Choral Festivals in the Bay Area and around the country, master classes for students nationwide, and the Chanticleer in Sonoma summer workshop for adult choral singers. The Singing Life—a documentary about Chanticleer’s work with young people—was released in 2008. In 2010, Chanticleer’s education program was recognized by the Chorus America Education and Community Engagement Award.

Chanticleer’s long-standing commitment to commissioning and performing new works was honored in 2008 by the inaugural Dale Warland Singers Commission Award and the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming for the 2006–07 season, in which 10 new works were premiered. Among the 80 composers commissioned in Chanticleer’s history are Mark Adamo, Mason Bates, Régis Campo,

Chen Yi, David Conte, Shawn Crouch, Douglas J. Cuomo, Brent Michael Davids, Anthony Davis, Guido López-Gavilán, Stacy Garrop, William Hawley, Jake Heggie, Jackson Hill, Kamran Ince, Jeeyoung Kim, Tania León, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, Michael McGlynn, Peter Michaelides, John Musto, Tarik O’Regan, Roxanna Panufnik, Stephen Paulus, Shulamit Ran, Bernard Rands, Steven Sametz, Carlos Sanchez-Guttierez, Jan Sandström, Paul Schoenfield, Steven Stucky, John Tavener, Augusta Read Thomas, and Janike Vandervelde.

Named for the “clear singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer was founded in 1978 by tenor Louis Botto, who sang in the ensemble until 1989 and served as artistic director until his death in 1997.

Chanticleer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is the current recipient of major grants from Chevron, the Dunard Fund USA, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bernard Osher Foundation, the Bob Ross Foundation, and the Wallis Foundation. Chanticleer’s activities as a not-for-profit corporation are supported by its administrative staff and board of trustees.



program: atlantic crossing - stanford university george gershwin (1898–1937), arr. clarice assad...

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