MASTER SERIES

Wednesday 18 September 2013

THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY

Thursday 19 September 2013

MASTER SERIES

Friday 20 September 2013

Saturday 21 September 2013

WAGNER’S RING ADVENTUREIngrid Fliter plays Chopin

Ingrid Fliter in RecitalHAYDN Sonata in E minor, Hob.XVI:34 SCHUBERT Sonata in A major, D959 CHOPIN Complete Preludes, Op.28

Ingrid Fliter piano

INTERNATIONAL PIANISTS IN RECITAL

Mon 23 Sep 7pmCity Recital Hall Angel Place

Pre-concert talk by David Garrett

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingA screening of Part III of Peter Jackson’s trilogy with music by Howard Shore performed live on stage.

Justin Freer conductor Clara Sanabras vocalist Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Sydney Children’s Choir

SPECIAL EVENT PREMIER PARTNER CREDIT SUISSE

Fri 27 Sep 7pmSat 28 Sep 7pmSun 29 Sep 2pm

Pre-concert talk by Robert Murray

French LiaisonsCapuçon plays Saint-Saëns

DUTILLEUX Métaboles SAINT-SAËNS Cello Concerto No.1 BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique

Lionel Bringuier conductor Gautier Capuçon cello

THURSDAY AFTERNOON SYMPHONY

Thu 10 Oct 1.30pm

EMIRATES METRO SERIES

Fri 11 Oct 8pm

GREAT CL ASSICS

Sat 12 Oct 2pm

Pre-concert talk by Ilmar Leetberg

Mozart and ShostakovichMOZART Piano Concerto No.19 in F, K459 SHOSTAKOVICH arr. Barshai Chamber Symphony, Op.83a

Dene Olding conductor Avan Yu Piano

MOZART IN THE CIT Y

Thu 17 Oct 7pmCity Recital Hall Angel Place

Pre-concert talk by David Garrett

Labèque Sisters in RecitalRAVEL Rapsodie espagnole GLASS Four Movements for two pianos Australian Premiere BERNSTEIN arr. Kostal West Side Story

Katia & Marielle Labèque piano duo Gonzalo Grau percussion Raphaël Séguinier drums

INTERNATIONAL PIANISTS IN RECITAL

Mon 21 Oct 7pmCity Recital Hall Angel Place

Pre-concert talk by Stephanie McCallum

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER

* Booking fees of $7.50 – $8.95 may apply. #Additional fees may apply.

BOOK NOW!

SYDNEYSYMPHONY.COM or call 8215 4600 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Tickets also available at sydneyoperahouse.com 9250 7777 Mon-Sat 9am-8.30pm Sun 10am-6pm cityrecitalhall.com# 8256 2222 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

CLASSICAL

Wagner’s Ring AdventureMark Wigglesworth CONDUCTOR

Ingrid Fliter PIANO

Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor, Op.21

MaestosoLarghettoAllegro vivace

INTERVAL

Richard Wagner (1813–1883)arr. Henk de Vlieger (born 1953)The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure

from Das RheingoldPrelude – The Rhine Gold – Nibelheim: the smithy – Valhalla

from Die WalküreThe Valkyries – The Magic Fire

from SiegfriedForest Murmurs – Siegfried’s Deeds of Heroism – Brünnhilde’s Awakening

from Götterdämmerung Siegfried and Brünnhilde – Siegfried’s Rhine Journey – Siegfried’s Death – Funeral Music – Brünnhilde’s Sacrifi ce

All sections are played without pause.

master seriesWednesday 18 September, 8pmFriday 20 September, 8pmSaturday 21 September, 8pmthursday afternoon symphonyThursday 19 September, 1.30pm

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Friday night’s performance will be recorded by ABC Classic FM for later broadcast on 27 September at 8pm.

Pre-concert talk by Gordon Kalton Williams at 7.15pm in the Northern Foyer. Visit bit.ly/SSOspeakerbios for speaker biographies.

Estimated durations: 32 minutes, 20-minute interval, 70 minutesThe concert will conclude at approximately 10.10 pm (3.40pm on Thursday).

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Raging, Wotan Rides to the Rock! Like a Storm-wind he comes! (colour lithograph)

Frontispiece by Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) to The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie, 1910.

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Turn to page 27 to read Bravo! – musician profi les, articles and news from the orchestra. There are nine issues through the year, also available at sydneysymphony.com/bravo

INTRODUCTION

Wagner’s Ring Adventure

This program unites two infl uential composers of the 19th century: Chopin and Wagner. Chopin was one of the great pianist-composers of his age – not simply composing for the piano but ‘music for pianists’. He wrote almost exclusively for solo piano, and his music shaped piano technique for the future and assured the instrument a place as a voice of poetry and lyricism. Wagner believed the future of music was to be found in music drama and he rejected concertos, symphonies and other abstract genres to focus on opera. He changed what was expected of opera in the theatre, and pushed the boundaries of harmonic language. But you couldn’t imagine two composers less alike in temperament and musical instinct.

Chopin’s compact and elegant piano concerto off ers the intimacy of the aristocratic salon even in this very ‘public’ genre of music. There’s drama in the sight and sound of a single soloist heard against an orchestra, but this is music that also dances, seduces, swoons…and sings.

Wagner regarded opera as a unity of art forms: music and words inextricably linked. But he also knew that concert performances of his music – without singers, without words –were essential to promoting his music and building an awareness of his progressive style, and orchestral highlights from his Ring cycle have a long history.

Henk de Vlieger presents Wagner’s Ring as a symphonic poem, preserving the fl ow of the original scenario while compressing 20 hours of music to about 70 minutes. The arrangement was dedicated to Edo de Waart (former chief conductor of the SSO) who dubbed it an ‘orchestral adventure’ – all the colour and drama, but not a horned helmet in sight!

The musicians of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra invite you to the northern foyer after Friday night’s concert.

Join us for conversation, live music, refreshments and a chance to meet some of the musicians.

SSO Night LoungeSSO Night Lounge

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ABOUT THE MUSIC

Frédéric ChopinPiano Concerto No.2, Op.21MaestosoLarghettoAllegro vivace

Ingrid Fliter piano

Chopin had rarely journeyed outside Poland until, newly graduated from Warsaw Conservatory, he visited his publisher in Vienna in July 1829 and gave concerts there on 11 and 18 August. In these concerts Chopin played two of his works for piano and orchestra – the Krakowiak and the Variations on ‘Là ci darem la mano’ from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Liszt had not yet established the piano recital as a concert form, so works with orchestra were the best way for young virtuosos such as Chopin to become known.

Hoping to repeat the success of these concerts upon his return to Warsaw, Chopin planned a new work for piano and orchestra for his fi rst public concert in his native city, the work you are hearing in this concert. Although listed as No.2, this concerto was the fi rst to be written; problems with the orchestral parts delayed its publication until 1836.

After ‘try-outs’ of this concerto at his parents’ apartment on 7 February and 3 March 1830, the 19-year-old Chopin was suffi ciently satisfi ed with the piece to announce a public concert. This took place at the National Theatre on 17 March. The overture to Leszek Bialy, an opera by Chopin’s teacher Józef Elsner, headed the bill. As was the custom of the day, another work was played between Chopin’s fi rst and second movements – Görner’s Divertissement for French horn.

Chopin has left a vivid account of the work’s reception:The hall was full and both boxes and stalls were sold out three days beforehand, but [the concerto] did not make the impression on the public I thought it would. The fi rst allegro [Maestoso] of my concerto is accessible only to the few; there were bravos, but I think only because people felt they had to show interest (‘Ah, something new!’) and pretend to be connoisseurs! The adagio [Larghetto] and rondo [Allegro vivace] produced the greatest eff ect, and exclamations of sincere admiration could be heard.

This performance was repeated fi ve days later, but this time an Air varié by Charles-Auguste de Bériot was wedged between the fi rst two movements. Chopin played on a louder Viennese piano – responding to complaints that he had played too softly on 17 March.

Keynotes

CHOPIN

Born near Warsaw, 1810Died Paris, 1849

Although he began his career as a concert pianist, Frédéric Chopin soon turned his focus to composing. With his brilliant technique and intimate knowledge of the instrument he brought new expressive and formal dimensions to the 19th-century piano tradition, establishing himself as one of the leading composers for the instrument. He wrote almost exclusively for the piano and he is best known for his compositions in miniature genres such as mazurkas, preludes and nocturnes.

PIANO CONCERTO NO.2

Chopin’s two piano concertos number among the few works he wrote for piano and orchestra, and although his orchestral writing is not as dazzling or richly coloured as some of his contemporaries’, the singing complexity of his piano parts more than compensates.

In the second movement of the Piano Concerto No.2, Chopin shows off his mastery of the expressive capabilities of the instrument, with highly ornamented melodies giving the movement a dreamy feel. The piano is the focus, but the orchestra comes into its own in the final mazurka-like movement, providing stormy replies to the soloist’s statements. Listen out for the strings playing with the wood of their bows, and for the horn fanfare announcing the beginning of the coda.

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…a seriousness of purpose beneath the pristine glitter…

But what did Chopin mean when he said that his fi rst movement ‘is accessible only to the few’? Was he referring to some formal complexity? This movement is almost a textbook Classical sonata form, with a stirring opening theme and a contrasting second theme led by the oboe. True, Chopin attempts something interesting in key relations, leaving the re-establishment of the tonic (home key) until close to the end, but the format hardly presents the listener with puzzles. On the other hand, it has been said that Chopin was weaker in large-scale forms, but even so the structure of this comparatively weighty fi rst movement is not astonishingly original.

It is when one looks at Chopin’s melody that one really appreciates his artistry. The balance between ornament and a singing through-line is clearly apparent in the principal melody of the second movement. Though hard to achieve, through all the turns, anticipations, runs and trills, this cantabile melody retains an aff ecting poignancy.

The second movement sounds like a love song, and no wonder – Chopin actually had fallen in love. ‘I have – perhaps to my own misfortune – already found my ideal, whom I worship faithfully and sincerely,’ he wrote to his friend Titus Wojciechowski of Constantia Gladkowska:

Six months have elapsed, and I haven’t yet exchanged one syllable with her of whom I dream every night. While my thoughts were with her, I composed the adagio [Larghetto] of my Concerto.

A recitative-like middle section reveals Chopin’s indebtedness to opera – you could almost imagine that there was once a libretto, as the piano declaims against an orchestral accompaniment which English music scholar Sir Donald Tovey described as ‘a piece of instrumentation [such] as Berlioz could have chosen to quote in his famous treatise’.

Someone once described the fi nal movement as a ‘long ramble through picturesque musical scenery’, which describes it more evocatively than Chopin’s designation ‘rondo’. It is here that Chopin’s nationalistic enthusiasm becomes apparent – a seriousness of purpose beneath the pristine glitter, particularly in the mazurka second subject accompanied by strings col legno (bowing with the wood of the bow instead of the hair). This mazurka melody appears towards the end reduced to a horn call, one of the work’s felicitous instrumental touches.

The German pianist and conductor Karl Klindworth among others considered Chopin’s orchestration too thin –

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the orchestration reduced to mere accompaniment – and he beefed it up, only to fi nd that the piano part needed re-thickening. If purists wish to stick with Chopin’s original piano part, he then advised, they must accordingly abstain from using the improved orchestration. As Tovey drily said, ‘In other words, Chopin’s orchestration…is an unpretentious and correct accompaniment to his pianoforte-writing. We may be grateful to Klindworth for taking so much trouble to demonstrate this.’ And as Peter Gould notes in The Chopin Companion, ‘the fact that [Chopin’s] concertos are masterpieces so often seems to escape notice.’

GORDON KALTON WILLIAMSSYMPHONY AUSTRALIA © 1998

Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto calls for an orchestra comprising pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; two horns, two trumpets and bass trombone; timpani and strings.

The SSO’s first complete performance of the concerto was in 1947 with Otto Klemperer conducting and soloist Witold Malcuzynski. The most recent performance was in 2010, conducted by David Robertson with Garrick Ohlsson as soloist.

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The young Chopin performing in the salon of Prince Radziwill (October 1829)

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Richard Wagner arr. Henk de VliegerThe Ring – An Orchestral Adventure

Henk de Vlieger writes…

Der Ring des Nibelungen is probably the most ambitious project in the history of music. The composer, Richard Wagner, fi rst wrote a scenario for a grandiose heroic opera under the title Siegfrieds Tod (Siegfried’s Death). While composing he soon realised that the story was too extensive for one opera. Thus he created a myth-cycle consisting of four operas, Der Ring des Nibelungen. The four parts, Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) were meant to be performed on four consecutive evenings.

In writing the text of the cycle, Wagner borrowed from both the Icelandic Edda-songs and from the Burgundian Nibelungenlied. The heroes Sigurd and Siegfried were fused together into one. Among the characters presented in the

Keynotes

WAGNER

Born Leipzig, 1813 Died Venice, 1883

Richard Wagner is best known for his near-complete transformation of opera in the 19th century. He regarded opera as a unity of art forms: music and words inextricably linked and organically developed as ‘music drama’. It was a vision that influenced singers, orchestras, the theatre, and even the science of acoustics. Wagner’s personality, philosophies and music were controversial during his lifetime and after his death, attracting equally passionate fans and detractors within the musical world and beyond. His epic Ring cycle of four operas based on The Ring of the Nibelung was his most ambitious creation, composed over 26 years.

DE VLIEGER

Born Schiedam, The Netherlands, 1953

Dutch percussionist and composer Henk de Vlieger studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory, and in 1976 he was percussionist and timpanist with the orchestras of the Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation (NOS). From 1984 until recently, he was a permanent member of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, and held the principal percussion post for 15 years (1987–2002). De Vlieger now devotes himself solely to composing and arranging.

In the 1990s, at the request of the NRPO and former SSO chief conductor Edo de Waart, he made three symphonic compilations of Wagner operas: The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure, Parsifal – An Orchestral Quest, and Tristan und Isolde – An Orchestral Passion. In 2005 he completed Meistersinger – An Orchestral Tribute.

www.henkdevlieger.nl

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story, we fi nd Scandinavian gods supplied with Germanic names, river nymphs, gnomes, giants, demigods, a dragon and, last but not least, ordinary mortals as well. The literary quality of these librettos has been frequently criticised, and, let me add, not without reason. Notwithstanding, scores of books have been written on these theatre pieces, since they lend themselves to all types of interpretations. But the fact that the Ring, as the cycle is popularly called, is still relevant in our time, is due to the quality of the music. The story is not so much expressed through the lyrics and words as through the music. Even Wagner himself could not imagine the text stripped of the music. The concept of Leitmotiv [literally, a ‘leading motif ’] which was originally developed and fi rst applied by Wagner is one of the most important characteristics of his musical style. These are short phrases which symbolise certain characters or ideas. These leitmotifs are important reference points for the listener, enabling him to orientate himself in the ocean of music which is the Ring, which lasts, incidentally, fi fteen hours. The leitmotif form is an ingenious musical fi bre making the dramatic developments easier to follow.

Not only does Wagner push the singers to the limit, the accompanying orchestra is ascribed a major role. Its extent and power, and particularly that of the brass section, surpasses all 19th-century concepts of orchestration. The use of bass trumpet, contrabass trombone, and 18 anvils in the percussion section is remarkable. In order to realise an optimal performance of the Ring, Wagner, with fi nancial support from the King of Bavaria, Ludwig II, had a special theatre built in Bayreuth. This structure had a submerged orchestra pit and its acoustics are renowned even today.

When Der Ring des Nibelungen was fi rst performed in 1876, the phonograph had not yet been invented. There were a limited number of ways for the general public to be acquainted with the opera. There were arrangements for piano available, and the public could hear overtures and orchestral excerpts from operas performed in concerts, as was the custom of the time. Der Ring des Nibelungen contains hardly any fragments or overtures which can be performed as separate works. The uninterrupted fl ow of music virtually prohibits this. In order to bring this opera to a larger audience, new arrangements were necessary. It is largely due to the eff orts of Herman Zumpe that such

The story is not so much expressed through the lyrics and words as through the music.

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great Ring fragments as the Ride of the Valkyries, Wotan’s Farewell and the Magic Fire Music, and Forest Murmurs became well-known. With Siegfried’s Rhine Journey and Siegfried’s Funeral Music they are considered highlights of orchestral music and are performed world-wide as independent off erings of the international music repertoire. Instead of its original accompanying role, the orchestra assumes a fantastic leading part. Despite the diff erences from Wagner’s original music, the acoustic eff ect is so arresting that one is apt to forget that they are arrangements!

Why, then, this new arrangement? My intention was to unite the most important orchestral parts of the Ring in order to create a solid one-part symphonic work in which the main plot lines, as in a ‘symphonic poem’, are clearly recognisable. In this way, not only the musical relation between the parts, as a result of Wagner’s leitmotif-technique, but a great deal of the original coherence is maintained. An additional aspect is that the listener gets – in slightly more than an hour – a fascinating summary of the progress of Wagner’s artistic style in the 20 years which passed between the composition of the prelude of Das Rheingold (written in 1854) and the fi nal scene of Götterdämmerung, completed two decades later.

While arranging the music I bore two criteria in mind as starting-points: the preservation of Wagner’s idiom and the avoidance of a ‘potpourri-eff ect’. Since the music is purely instrumental it obviously demands a diff erent structure from that of an opera. The choice of the diff erent parts and the way in which the major themes and motifs were put together follow the principle of ‘exposition-development-recapitulation’. Wherever I could I adopted the fragments in their original form. Though sporadically, where it was strictly necessary the indispensable vocal lines are presented by the wind instruments. Slight alterations were unavoidable in the transitional interludes where I applied diff erent modulations at certain places, or a more fi tting orchestration. My intention was to create a continuous musical line while preserving Wagner’s spirit.

The arrangement was written for the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic on the occasion of a tour through Germany in February 1992, and is dedicated to Edo de Waart.

© HENK DE VLIEGER

…a fascinating summary of the progress of Wagner’s artistic style…

Listening Guide

All sections of The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure are played without pause.

from Das RheingoldPrelude – The Rhine Gold – Nibelheim: the smithy – Valhalla

The opera opens in the depths of the Rhine, with the Rhine-maidens singing of the treasured Rhine-gold. As long as the gold is on the bottom of the Rhine, the world is in balance. By renouncing love, the gnome Alberich is able to steal the gold, and he forges a ring and helmet: the ring giving power over the world, the helmet allowing its wearer to assume any shape. The gods – residing in the citadel of Valhalla and led by Wotan – appropriate the treasure and major confl icts follow.

from Die WalküreThe Valkyries – The Magic Fire

The Valkyries are Wotan’s daughters, who bring the fallen heroes to Valhalla on horseback. One of them, the recalcitrant Brünnhilde, defi es Wotan, and he casts her into a deep sleep and places her within an eternal ring of fi re.

from SiegfriedForest Murmurs – Siegfried’s Deeds of Heroism – Brünnhilde’s Awakening

After killing a dragon, the young hero Siegfried takes possession of the ring and the helmet. A wood bird leads him through the fl ames where he discovers Brünnhilde and awakens her with a kiss.

from GötterdämmerungSiegfried and Brünnhilde – Siegfried’s Rhine Journey – Siegfried’s Death – Funeral Music – Brünnhilde’s Sacrifi ce

Siegfried and Brünnhilde fall in love. Siegfried sails along the Rhine seeking new adventures and meets his fate: entangled in dark intrigues and accused of perjury, he perishes at the spear of Hagen (among other things, Alberich’s son). Brünnhilde sets Siegfried’s funeral pyre alight and, choosing death, urges Grane, her horse, into the fl ames. The fi re spreads to Valhalla, resulting in the fall of the gods and the end of the world. The fated treasure returns to its natural place in the Rhine and order in the world is restored.

The Rhinemaidens tease Alberich – illustration from The Rhinegold and the Valkyrie, 1910, by Arthur Rackham.

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Brunnhilde, riding her horse Grane, leaps on to Siegfried’s funeral pyre – illustration from Siegfried and the Twilight of the Gods, 1924, by Arthur Rackham

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Henk de Vlieger’s arrangement calls for piccolo, three flutes (two doubling piccolo), three oboes, cor anglais, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, eight horns (four doubling on Wagner tubas), three trumpets, bass trumpet, three trombones, contrabass trombone, tuba, timpani (two sets), percussion (glockenspiel, tenor drum, tam-tam, triangle, cymbal, and anvils), four to six harps, and strings.

The first Australian performance of The Ring – An Orchestral Adven ture was given by the SSO in 1993 at a concert welcoming Edo de Waart. The WASO performed it under George Pehlivanian in 2001, and the most recent Australian performance was in 2006, when Edo de Waart again conducted the SSO.

Other Wagner orchestral performances of significance include transcriptions by Eugene Goossens, which Goossens conducted with the SSO in the 1947 Benefit Fund concert, and which Edo de Waart conducted in the 1996 Benefit Fund concert. These included Prelude, Hunding Motive and Prelude to Act II from Die Walküre; Prelude, Act III and Ascent of the Rock Music from Siegfried; and Siegfried’s Funeral March and the Chorus of the Gibichungs from Götterdämmerung. Edo de Waart also conducted concert performances of the operas from Wagner’s Ring cycle with the SSO over a period of six years, culminating with Götterdämmerung in the 2000 Olympic Arts Festival.

The Wagner tuba was devised by Wagner specifi cally for the Ring and was intended to bridge the gap between the horns and trombones. It features a conical bore like a tuba but has rotary valves and uses a horn mouthpiece. According to the Bayreuth tradition, Wagner’s intended sound was solemn, dignifi ed and heroic, compared to horns, which he considered more lyrical and romantic.

COLE PORTER, LET’S MISBEHAVE (1927)

SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER — PADDINGTON TOWN HALL

Break out the tux, put on your dancing shoes and join us for a night of revelry and entertainment to help us support Australia’s most talented young musicians at the SSO Roaring 20s Ball!

Tickets are available through the SSO Box Office 8215 4600.

For more information visit www.sydneysymphony.com/20sball

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MORE MUSIC

INGRID FLITER AND CHOPIN

To hear Ingrid Fliter play solo Chopin, look for her recordings of the complete waltzes and a more varied all-Chopin selection, including the Fourth Ballade.EMI CLASSICS 98351 (WALTZES) EMI CLASSICS 14899 (BALLADE)

If you’re after a recording of the Chopin piano concertos, look for the acclaimed recording of the complete works by another Chopin pianist, Garrick Ohlsson. Available in a special 16-CD boxed set or as downloads. For more information visit tinyurl.com/ohlsson-chopinHYPERION CDS 44351/66

WAGNER’S RING CYCLE

If ‘Wagner without words’ has aroused your interest in the real thing then you’ll want a complete recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen. And you can’t go wrong with Georg Solti’s recording with the Vienna Philharmonic and a cast that includes Birgit Nilsson as Brünnhilde. Available as individual operas or in a complete set.DECCA 445 5552

For a reliable guide, pick up Deryck Cooke’s Introduction to Der Ring des Nibelungen in which the musicologist leads you through the motifs and plot. (Included with the Solti set but also available separately.)DECCA 443 5812

If in fact you quite enjoy Wagner without the singing, then conductor Leopold Stokowski is the one for you. His intriguing ‘symphonic syntheses’ of The Ring and Tristan und Isolde have been recorded by Matthias Bamert and the BBC Philharmonic.CHANDOS 9686

And Edo de Waart’s recording of The Ring – An Orchestral Adventure is available in a set that includes Henk de Vlieger’s arrangements of Parsifal and Tristan und Isolde.CHALLENGE 72338

If you like your Wagner with a dash of whimsy, you can’t beat Anna Russell’s Ring of the Nibelungs – An Analysis, recorded in the 1950s. Clocking in at 20 side-splitting minutes, it takes you from the cycles’s opening in the Rhine (‘In it!’) to the end (‘…exactly where we were 20 hours ago’), covering all the important signature tunes (oops, Leitmotive) along the way. Find it in The Anna Russell Album? SONY CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS 47252

MARK WIGGLESWORTH

If you enjoyed Mark Wigglesworth’s Peter Grimes in Sydney in 2009, look for his 3-CD recording of the opera with tenor Anthony Dean Griff ey in the title role. GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA 8-00

And his Shostakovich symphony cycle for the BIS label approaches completion. The most recent

release, with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, contains the fi rst three symphonies.BIS 1603

And naturally we have to recommend his recording with the SSO, drawn from his concerts here in Sydney in 2009. Arcadia Lost contains music by Vaughan Williams and Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem.MELBA 301131

Broadcast DiarySeptember–October

abc.net.au/classic

Friday 27 September, 8pmwagner’s ring adventureSee this program for details.

Friday 11 October, 8pmfrench liaisonsLionel Bringuier conductorGautier Capuçon celloDutilleux, Saint-Saëns, Berlioz

Tuesday 22 October, 1.05pmbohemian adventureAntonello Manacorda conductorJonathan Biss pianoBartók, Mozart, Dvorák

Thursday 31 October, 9.30pmall stops out!David Drury organFemale voices of VOXElizabeth Scott chorus directorRebecca Gill violinJS Bach, Mozart, Vierne, Brahms, Karg-Elert

Fine Music 102.5sydney symphony 2013Tuesday 15 October, 6pmMusicians, staff and guest artists discuss what’s in store in our forthcoming concerts.

Webcasts

Selected Sydney Symphony Orchestra concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Our current webcast:lior & westlakeVisit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphonyWe recommend our free mobile app, now optimised for the iPad, if you want to watch SSO live webcasts on your mobile device.

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Sydney Symphony LiveThe Sydney Symphony Live label was founded in 2006 and we’ve since released more than a dozen recordings featuring the orchestra in live concert performances with our titled conductors and leading guest artists, including the Mahler Odyssey cycle, begun in 2010. To purchase, visit sydneysymphony.com/shop

Glazunov & ShostakovichAlexander Lazarev conducts a thrilling performance of Shostakovich 9 and Glazunov’s Seasons. SSO 2

Strauss & SchubertGianluigi Gelmetti conducts Schubert’s Unfi nished and R Strauss’s Four Last Songs with Ricarda Merbeth.SSO 200803

Sir Charles MackerrasA 2CD set featuring Sir Charles’s fi nal performances with the orchestra, in October 2007. SSO 200705

Brett DeanBrett Dean performs his own viola concerto, conducted by Simone Young, in this all-Dean release. SSO 200702

RavelGelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO 200801

Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO 200901

Prokofi ev’s Romeo and JulietVladimir Ashkenazy conducts the complete Romeo and Juliet ballet music of Prokofi ev – a fi ery and impassioned performance.SSO 201205

Tchaikovsky Violin ConcertoIn May this recording with James Ehnes and Ashkenazy was awarded a Juno (the Canadian Grammy). Lyrical miniatures fi ll out the disc. SSO 201206

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Online

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Mahler 1 & Songs of a Wayfarer SSO 201001

Mahler 2 SSO 201203

Mahler 3 SSO 201101

Mahler 4 SSO 201102

Mahler 5 SSO 201003

Mahler 6 SSO 201103

Mahler 7 SSO 201104

Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) SSO 201002

Mahler 9 SSO 201201

Mahler 10 (Barshai completion) SSO 201202

Song of the Earth SSO 201004

From the archives:

Rückert-Lieder, Kindertotenlieder, Das Lied von der Erde SSO 201204

LOOK OUT FOR…

Our next release featuring music by Brett Dean.

MAHLER ODYSSEY

During the 2010 and 2011 concert seasons, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy set out to perform all the Mahler symphonies, together with some of the song cycles. These concerts were recorded for CD and the set is now complete, together with a special disc of historical SSO Mahler performances. Available individually or as a handsome boxed set.

MORE MUSIC

18 sydney symphony

Mark Wigglesworth has been blogging for Gramophone magazine. You can read his posts here:

www.gramophone.co.uk/podium/shaping-the-invisible

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Mark Wigglesworth CONDUCTOR

Mark Wigglesworth studied music at Manchester University and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Shortly after leaving the RAM, he won the Kondrashin International Conducting Competition, and since then has worked with many of the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies.

While still a student, he formed The Premiere Ensemble, committed to performing a new piece in every program. In 1992 he became Associate Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and other appointments have included Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

In addition to concerts with most of the British orchestras – including a highly successful appearance at the 2011 BBC Proms, conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra – he has conducted throughout Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, La Scala Filarmonica Milan, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra Rome, Stockholm Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Oslo Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg Camerata and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

In North America he has conducted the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and the Montreal, Toronto and Boston symphony orchestras.

He is committed to making music with young people, including a relationship with the New World Symphony in Miami and projects with the Dutch National Youth Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, as well as giving conducting masterclasses.

Mark Wigglesworth began his operatic career as Music Director of Opera Factory, London. Since then he has worked regularly at Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera and English National Opera, and has conducted for Netherlands Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels, Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden. For Opera Australia he has conducted Peter Grimes and Don Giovanni.

His discography includes live recordings of Mahler’s Sixth and Tenth symphonies with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and of Vaughan Williams and Britten with the SSO, as well as a cycle of the Shostakovich symphonies, nearing completion.

Mark Wigglesworth’s most recent appearance with the SSO was in 2011, when he conducted Lutosławski, Mozart and Dvorák. This year he also conducts the Adelaide and Melbourne symphony orchestras.

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Hear Ingrid Fliter in recital, performing a program of Haydn and Schumann sonatas and the complete preludes of Chopin.

International Pianists in RecitalPresented by Theme & VariationsMonday 23 September, 7pmCity Recital Hall Angel Placesydneysymphony.com

Ingrid Fliter PIANO

Through her performances and recordings, Argentinean pianist Ingrid Fliter has established a reputation as one of the pre-eminent interpreters of Chopin. In 2006 she received a Gilmore Artist Award, one of only a handful of pianists to have received this honour, and she now divides her time between Europe and North America, where she works with orchestras such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, St Louis Symphony and Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

In Britain and Europe she has appeared with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Hungarian National Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie.

As a recitalist, Ingrid Fliter has performed in many of the great halls across the world – the Amsterdam Concertgebouw; Museé d’Orsay, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Cologne Philharmonie, Salzburg Festspielhaus, Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan and at London’s Wigmore Hall and South Bank. In the United States and Canada she has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum, in Fort Worth for the Van Cliburn Foundation, and in Chicago, San Francisco, Vancouver, Montreal and Santa Barbara. Festival engagement highlights include La Roque D’Anthéron, Prague Autumn, Valdemossa Chopin Festival, Cheltenham Festival, City of London Festival and the World Pianist Series in Tokyo. She has also appeared at the Tivoli, Mostly Mozart, Grant Park, Aspen and Blossom festivals.

Ingrid Fliter made her Australian debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2011 giving a Beethoven and Chopin recital and performing the Schumann Piano Concerto. This year she also appears with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

www.ingridfl iter.com

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MUSICIANS

Vladimir AshkenazyPrincipal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates

Dene OldingConcertmaster

Jessica CottisAssistant Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse

Andrew HaveronConcertmaster

To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: www.sydneysymphony.com/SSO_musiciansIf you don’t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer.

The men of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen.

FIRST VIOLINS

Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster

Kirsten WilliamsAssociate Concertmaster

Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster

Julie BattyJenny BoothBrielle ClapsonSophie ColeAmber DavisJennifer HoyGeorges LentzNicola LewisAlexandra MitchellAlexander NortonLéone ZieglerElizabeth Jones*Belinda Jezek*Andrew Haveron Concertmaster

Dene Olding Concertmaster

Marianne Broadfoot

SECOND VIOLINS

Marina Marsden Emma Jezek A/ Associate Principal

Emily Long A/ Assistant Principal

Maria DurekShuti HuangStan W KornelBenjamin LiNicole MastersPhilippa PaigeBiyana RozenblitMaja VerunicaClaire Herrick°Monique Irik*Vivien Jeffery*Emily Qin°Kirsty Hilton Susan Dobbie Principal Emeritus

Emma Hayes

VIOLAS

Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Justin Williams Assistant Principal

Robyn BrookfieldSandro CostantinoJane HazelwoodGraham HenningsStuart JohnsonJustine MarsdenAmanda VernerLeonid VolovelskyTara Houghton*Roger Benedict Felicity Tsai

CELLOS

Catherine Hewgill Leah Lynn Assistant Principal

Kristy ConrauFenella GillTimothy NankervisElizabeth NevilleChristopher PidcockAdrian WallisEleanor Betts*Janine Boubbov*David Wickham

DOUBLE BASSES

Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil BrawleyPrincipal Emeritus

David CampbellSteven LarsonRichard LynnDavid MurrayMaxime Bibeau*Benjamin Ward

FLUTES

Janet Webb Emma Sholl Carolyn HarrisRosamund Plummer Principal Piccolo

OBOES

Diana Doherty Shefali Pryor David PappAlexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais

CLARINETS

Lawrence Dobell Francesco Celata Christopher TingayCraig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet

BASSOONS

Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamaraNoriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon

HORNS

Ben Jacks Robert Johnson Geoffrey O’Reilly Principal 3rd

Euan HarveyMarnie SebireRachel SilverJenny McLeod-Sneyd*Brendan Parravicini†Rachel Shaw*

TRUMPETS

David Elton Anthony HeinrichsSarah Slater*Paul Goodchild

TROMBONES

Ronald Prussing Scott Kinmont Nick ByrneChristopher Harris Principal Bass Trombone

TUBA

Steve Rossé

TIMPANI

Richard Miller Mark Robinson Assistant Principal

PERCUSSION

Rebecca Lagos Colin PiperAlison Pratt*

HARP

Louise Johnson Genevieve Lang*Meriel Owen*Natalie Wong*

Bold = PrincipalItalics = Associate Principal° = Contract Musician* = Guest Musician† = SSO FellowGrey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra not appearing in this concert

sydney symphony 21

SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAVladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor and Artistic AdvisorPATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has evolved into one of the world’s fi nest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world’s great cities.

Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the SSO also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2012 tour to China.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s fi rst Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenek Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in 2014. The orchestra’s history also boasts collaborations with legendary fi gures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra’s recording of works by Brett Dean was released on both the BIS and Sydney Symphony Live labels.

Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In 2010–11 the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label.

This is the fi fth year of Ashkenazy’s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Rory JeffesEXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT

Lisa Davies-Galli

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING

Peter Czornyj

Artistic AdministrationARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Eleasha MahARTIST LIAISON MANAGER

Ilmar LeetbergRECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER

Philip Powers

Education ProgramsHEAD OF EDUCATION

Kim WaldockEMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER

Mark LawrensonEDUCATION COORDINATOR

Rachel McLarinCUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER

Derek Reed

LibraryAnna CernikVictoria GrantMary-Ann Mead

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

Aernout KerbertORCHESTRA MANAGER

Chris Lewis ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR

Georgia StamatopoulosOPERATIONS MANAGER

Kerry-Anne CookPRODUCTION MANAGER

Laura DanielPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Tim DaymanPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Ian Spence

SALES AND MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

Mark J ElliottSENIOR SALES & MARKETING MANAGER

Penny EvansMARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES

Simon Crossley-MeatesMARKETING MANAGER, CLASSICAL SALES

Matthew RiveMARKETING MANAGER, WEB & DIGITAL MEDIA

Eve Le GallMARKETING MANAGER, DATABASE & CRM

Matthew HodgeGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lucy McCulloughCREATIVE ARTWORKER

Nathanael van der Reyden

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Staff

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jonathon Symonds ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR

Jenny Sargant

Box OfficeMANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES &OPERATIONS

Lynn McLaughlinBOX OFFICE SYSTEMS SUPERVISOR

Jacqueline TooleyBOX OFFICE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

John Robertson CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Karen Wagg – Senior CSR Michael DowlingAmy WalshTim Walsh

COMMUNICATIONS

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & SPONSOR RELATIONS

Yvonne ZammitPUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

Katherine StevensonCOMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Janine Harris DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER

Kai RaisbeckFELLOWSHIP SOCIAL MEDIA OFFICER

Caitlin Benetatos

PublicationsPUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER

Yvonne Frindle

DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Caroline SharpenHEAD OF CORPORATE RELATIONS

Jeremy GoffHEAD OF MAJOR GIFTS

Luke Andrew GayDEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Amelia Morgan-HunnDEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Sarah Morrisby

BUSINESS SERVICES

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

John HornFINANCE MANAGER

Ruth TolentinoACCOUNTANT

Minerva PrescottACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

Emma FerrerPAYROLL OFFICER

Laura Soutter

HUMAN RESOURCES

HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Michel Maree Hryce

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John C Conde ao ChairmanTerrey Arcus amEwen Crouch amRoss GrantJennifer HoyRory JeffesAndrew Kaldor amIrene LeeDavid LivingstoneGoetz Richter

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Council

Geoff Ainsworth amAndrew Andersons aoMichael Baume aoChristine BishopIta Buttrose ao obePeter CudlippJohn Curtis amGreg Daniel amJohn Della BoscaAlan FangErin FlahertyDr Stephen FreibergDonald Hazelwood ao obeDr Michael Joel amSimon JohnsonYvonne Kenny amGary LinnaneAmanda LoveHelen Lynch amDavid MaloneyDavid Malouf aoJulie Manfredi-HughesDeborah MarrThe Hon. Justice Jane Mathews aoDanny MayWendy McCarthy aoJane MorschelGreg ParamorDr Timothy Pascoe amProf. Ron Penny aoJerome RowleyPaul SalteriSandra SalteriJuliana SchaefferLeo Schofield amFred Stein oamGabrielle TrainorIvan UngarJohn van OgtropPeter Weiss ao HonDLittMary WhelanRosemary White

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sydney symphony 23

06 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair

07 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair

08 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair

09 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair

SYDNEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PATRONS

Maestro’s CirclePeter William Weiss ao – Founding President & Doris WeissJohn C Conde ao – ChairmanGeoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Ainsworth Tom Breen & Rachael KohnIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonAndrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor aoRoslyn Packer ao

Penelope Seidler amMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetWestfield GroupBrian & Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Corporate AllianceTony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner PrettyInsurance Australia Grou pJohn Morschel, Chairman, ANZ

01 Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair

02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus am Chair

03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Chair

04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair

05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair

Directors’ Chairs

01 02 03

04 05 06

07 08 09

For information about the Directors’ Chairs program, please call (02) 8215 4619.

Centric WealthMatti AlakargasStephen AttfieldDamien BaileyAndrew BaxterMar BeltranEvonne BennettNicole BilletDavid BluffKees Boersma Andrew BraggPeter BraithwaiteAndrea BrownHelen CaldwellHilary CaldwellHahn ChauAlistair ClarkMatthew Clark

Benoît CocheteuxGeorge CondousMichael CookPaul CousinsJuliet CurtinJustin Di LolloAlistair FurnivalAlistair GibsonSam GiddingsMarina GoSebastian GoldspinkLouise HaggertyRose HercegPhilip HeuzenroederPaolo HookePeter HowardJennifer HoyScott Jackson

Damian KassagbiAernout KerbertTristan LandersGary LinnanePaul MacdonaldRebecca MacFarlingKylie McCaigDavid McKeanHayden McLeanAmelia Morgan-HunnPhoebe Morgan-HunnTom O’DonnellTaine MoufarrigeKate O’ReillyFiona OslerJulia OwensArchie PaffasJonathan Pease

Jingmin QianSeamus R QuickLeah RanieMichael ReedeChris RobertsonBenjamin RobinsonEmma RodigariJacqueline RowlandsKatherine ShawRandal TameSandra TangAdam WandJon WilkieJonathan WatkinsonDarren WoolleyMisha Zelinsky

Justin Di Lollo – ChairKees BoersmaMarina GoDavid McKeanAmelia Morgan-HunnJonathan PeaseSeamus R Quick

Sydney Symphony Orchestra VanguardVanguard Collective Members

24 sydney symphony

PLAYING YOUR PART

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at www.sydneysymphony.com/patrons

Platinum Patrons: $20,000+Brian AbelRobert Albert ao & Elizabeth AlbertGeoff AinsworthTerrey Arcus am & Anne ArcusTom Breen & Rachael KohnSandra & Neil BurnsMr John C Conde aoRobert & Janet ConstableMichael Crouch ao & Shanny CrouchJames & Leonie FurberDr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuff reIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonMr Andrew Kaldor am & Mrs Renata Kaldor aoD & I KallinikosJames N Kirby FoundationVicki OlssonMrs Roslyn Packer aoPaul & Sandra SalteriMrs Penelope Seidler amG & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzieMrs W SteningMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetPeter William Weiss ao & Doris WeissWestfi eld GroupMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary WhiteKim Williams am & Catherine DoveyRay Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam

Gold Patrons: $10,000–$19,999Doug & Alison BattersbyStephen J BellAlan & Christine BishopIan & Jennifer BurtonCopyright Agency Cultural Fund Edward FedermanNora GoodridgeMr Ross GrantThe Estate of the late Ida GuggerMs Irene LeeHelen Lynch am & Helen BauerRuth & Bob MagidJustice Jane Mathews aoThe Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran MeagherMrs T Merewether oamMr John MorschelMr John SymondAndy & Deirdre Plummer Henry & Ruth WeinbergCaroline WilkinsonJune & Alan Woods Family BequestAnonymous (1)

Silver Patrons: $5000–$9,999Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera BoyarskyMr Robert BrakspearMr David & Mrs Halina BrettMr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie ClampettEwen Crouch am & Catherine Crouch

Ian Dickson & Reg HollowayDr C GoldschmidtThe Greatorex Foundation Mr Rory Jeff esJudges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin KatzThe Estate of the late Patricia LanceR & S Maple-BrownMora MaxwellMrs Barbara MurphyDrs Keith & Eileen OngTimothy & Eva PascoeWilliam McIlrath Charitable FoundationMr B G O’ConorRodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia RosenblumManfred & Linda SalamonMrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet CookeMichael & Mary Whelan TrustJune & Alan Woods Family BequestAnonymous (2)

Bronze Patrons: Presto $2,500–$4,999The Berg Family Foundation in memory of Hetty GordonMr Howard ConnorsGreta DavisThe Hon. Ashley Dawson-DamerFirehold Pty LtdStephen Freiberg & Donald CampbellVic & Katie FrenchMrs Jennifer HershonGary LinnaneRobert McDougallJ A McKernanRenee MarkovicJames & Elsie MooreMs Jackie O’BrienJF & A van OgtropIn memory of Sandra Paul PottingerIn memory of H St P ScarlettJulianna Schaeff erDavid & Isabel SmithersMarliese & Georges TeitlerMr Robert & Mrs Rosemary WalshMr & Mrs T & D YimAnonymous (1)

Bronze Patrons: Vivace $1,000–$2,499Mrs Antoinette AlbertAndrew Andersons aoMr Henri W Aram oamDr Francis J AugustusSibilla BaerRichard and Christine Banks David BarnesNicole BergerMark Bethwaite am & Carolyn BethwaiteAllan & Julie BlighDr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff

Jan BowenLenore P BuckleM BulmerIn memory of RW BurleyIta Buttrose ao obeMr JC Campbell qc & Mrs CampbellDr Rebecca ChinDr Diana Choquette & Mr Robert MillinerMr Peter ClarkeConstable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill CaukillMr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret CunninghamLisa & Miro DavisMatthew DelaseyMr & Mrs Grant DixonColin Draper & Mary Jane BrodribbMalcolm Ellis & Erin O’NeillMrs Margaret EppsMr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. Neville WillsProfessor Michael Field AMMr Tom FrancisMr James Graham am & Mrs Helen GrahamWarren GreenAnthony Gregg & Deanne WhittlestonAkiko GregoryTony GriersonEdward & Deborah Griffi nRichard Griffi n amIn memory of Dora & Oscar GrynbergJanette HamiltonMichelle HiltonMrs & Mr HolmesThe Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret HuntDr & Mrs Michael HunterMr Peter HutchinsonIrwin Imhof in memory of Herta ImhofMichael & Anna JoelMrs W G KeighleyIn memory of Bernard M H KhawMr Justin LamMr Peter Lazar amAssociate Professor Winston LiauwDr David LuisCarolyn & Peter Lowry oamDeirdre & Kevin McCannIan & Pam McGawMatthew McInnesMacquarie Group FoundationHenry & Ursula MooserMrs Milja MorrisMrs J MulveneyMr & Mrs OrtisDr A J PalmerMr Andrew C PattersonAlmut PiattiRobin PotterTA & MT Murray-PriorErnest & Judith RapeeKenneth R ReedPatricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd

sydney symphony 25

To find out more about becominga Sydney Symphony Patron, pleasecontact the Philanthropy Officeon (02) 8215 4625 or emailphilanthropy@sydneysymphony.com

Learn how, with the people who know books

and writing best.

Faber Academyat ALLEN & UNWIN

T (02) 8425 0171

W allenandunwin.com/faberacademy

D O Y O U H A V E A S T O R Y T O

T E L L ?

Dr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June RoartyRobin RodgersLesley & Andrew RosenbergCaroline SharpenDr Agnes E SinclairCatherine StephenJohn & Alix SullivanThe Hon. Brian Sully qcMildred TeitlerKevin TroyJohn E TuckeyMrs M TurkingtonIn memory of Joan & Rupert VallentineDr Alla WaldmanThe Hon. Justice A G WhealyMs Kathy White in memory of Mr Geoff WhiteA Willmers & R PalAnn & Brooks Wilson amDr Richard WingMr Robert WoodsMr R R WoodwardIn memory of Lorna WrightDr John YuAnonymous (7)

Bronze Patrons: Allegro $500–$999Mrs Lenore AdamsonDavid & Rae AllenMr & Mrs Garry S AshBarlow Cleaning Pty LtdMichael Baume ao & Toni BaumeBeauty Point Retirement ResortMrs Margaret BellMrs Jan BiberMinnie BiggsDr Anthony BookallilMrs Elizabeth BoonMr Colin G BoothDr Margaret BoothMr Peter BraithwaiteR D & L M BroadfootAnn & Miles BurgessPat & Jenny BurnettEric & Rosemary CampbellBarrie CarterMr Jonathan ChissickMrs Sandra ClarkR A & M J ClarkeMr & Mrs CoatesCoff s Airport Security Car ParkMr B & Mrs M ColesMrs Joan Connery oamJen CornishDom Cottam & Kanako Imamura

Mr David CrossDegabriele KitchensPhil Diment am & Bill Zafi ropoulosDr David DixonElizabeth DonatiThe Dowe FamilyMrs Jane DrexlerDr Nita Durham & Dr James DurhamIn memory of Peter EverettJohn FavaloroMs Julie Finn & Mr Trevor CookMrs Lesley FinnMr Tom FrancisMr John GadenVivienne GoldschmidtClive & Jenny GoodwinMs Fay GrearIn Memory of Angelica GreenMr & Mrs Harold & Althea HallidayMr Robert HavardRoger HenningHarry & Meg HerbertSue HewittIn memory of Emil HiltonDorothy Hoddinott aoMr Joerg HofmannMr Angus HoldenMr Gregory HoskingDr Esther JanssenNiki KallenbergerMrs Margaret KeoghDr Henry KilhamChris J KitchingAron KleinlehrerAnna-Lisa KlettenbergThe Laing FamilySonia LalMr Luigi LampratiDr & Mrs Leo LeaderMargaret LedermanErna & Gerry Levy amSydney & Airdrie LloydMrs A LohanMrs Panee LowDr David LuisPhilip & Catherine McClellandMelvyn MadiganBarbara MaidmentAlan & Joy MartinHelen & Phil MeddingsMrs Toshiko MericP J MillerDavid MillsKenneth N MitchellMs Margaret Moore oam & Dr Paul Hutchins amHelen Morgan

Chris Morgan-HunnA NhanMr Darrol NormanMr Graham NorthDr Mike O’Connor amOrigin FoundationDr Margaret ParkerDr Kevin PedemontDr Natalie E PelhamMrs Greeba PritchardMichael QuaileyMr Patrick Quinn-GrahamMiss Julie RadosavljevicRenaissance ToursDr Marilyn RichardsonAnna RoMrs Pamela SayersGarry Scarf & Morgie BlaxillPeter & Virginia ShawMrs Diane Shteinman amMs Stephanie SmeeVictoria SmythMs Tatiana SokolovaDoug & Judy SotherenMrs Judith SouthamMrs Karen Spiegal-KeighleyRuth StaplesMargaret SuthersThe Taplin FamilyNorman & Lydia TaylorDr Heng Tey & Mrs Cilla TeyMrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward SpicerJudge Robyn TupmanGillian Turner & Rob BishopMr & Mrs Franc VaccherProf Gordon E WallI Ronald Walledgen memory of Denis WallisMs Elizabeth WilkinsonEvan Williams am & Janet WilliamsAudrey & Michael WilsonDr Richard WingateDr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K WongGeoff Wood & Melissa WaitesGlen & Everly WyssMrs Robin YabsleyAnonymous (32)

List correct as of 18 July 2013

26 sydney symphony

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The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body

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EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

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I learnt how to crave a really great orchestral sound.

the Chicago Symphony Orchestra whose string sound is so present, so close to the bridge. All their courage is in the bow.’

Somewhat unusually, Chris’s parents travelled with him on the last SSO tour. ‘It was pretty cool having them there. It wasn’t like “I’m a problem child and I need someone to look after me”. Dad’s a hæmatologist, and plays piano and organ a lot. If ever someone’s had a bad diagnosis, Dad’s two favourite things are gardening and playing piano. Mozart is a salvation. Any frustration you have with people can be dealt with through playing music or gardening.’

‘Music is a vocation, not a job. I’m practising and thinking about music a lot. There’s a great term that Yo Yo Ma uses, of a “citizen musician”, where your role is to share music as a cultural device. Our orchestra is a major part of that. I feel that our schedule allows enough time to do other concerts, to make it a real vocation. There’s so much work to be done, it never really ends.’

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‘Bikram cello.’ That’s what cellist Chris Pidcock suggests he’s engaged in as he practises furiously in a rehearsal room at the Sydney Opera House. It’s warm. It could be the air-conditioning, but equally, when you find out what he’s working on… ‘A bit of Saariaho, some Giacinto Scelsi, a work by Anna Clyne for cello and electronics.’ Um. Perhaps the challenging repertoire better explains his heated condition?

Chris is getting ready for an extracurricular solo concert of contemporary music. ‘The really fun part [of my preparations]

is playing for my colleagues. Suddenly I’ve got a hundred “teachers”. I get really excited when I can play for them because they’re buzzing with ideas.’

‘I always knew I wanted to be part of a great orchestra. I remember walking away from an SSO performance of La Mer, and I couldn’t understand how it was so perfect. I learnt how to crave a really great orchestral sound.’ That craving was fed further by other great orchestras: ‘You go to Vienna and the violins have a flautando [flutelike] sound so perfect that you can’t breathe when you hear it. Then there’s

CITIZEN MUSICIANYoga. Gardening. Music. There’s no limit to cellist Chris Pidcock’s interests.

ORCHESTRA NEWS | SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2013

In July, SSO Chairman John Conde AO welcomed patrons to his home for a special preview of our 2014 concert season. Guests were treated to a lively Q&A session with incoming Chief Conductor and Artistic Director David Robertson and our

Managing Director Rory Jeffes. Diana Doherty, Catherine Hewgill and Kirsty Hilton provided the musical entertainment.For information about the SSO Patrons Program email philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com or call (02) 8215 4674.

I noticed Janet Webb was playing a metal flute when she performed the Liebermann concerto recently. But she used to play on a wooden instrument – it was always a distinctive sight on the concert platform. Why the switch? And what difference does it make? Lapsed Flautist

Well spotted, Lapsed Flautist! Janet has indeed switched from her wooden flute back to a metal one – this time a solid 14-carat gold instrument. As Janet explains, she decided it was time for a change. ‘I’m always looking for different sounds, and different possibilities.’ Her new gold flute sounds more…well…golden. ‘I want to make a mellow, rounded sound. The gold flute allows me to find warmer, darker, deeper, more complex qualities.’ Janet describes the wooden flute as having an earthy sound, ‘just like the material it’s made from.’ A silver flute offers something different again – a brighter, more penetrating sound.

There are some physical differences – Janet’s wooden flute was heavier and fatter than her gold flute. The wooden flute also retained its warmth after being played – ‘I could put it down and then come back to it later and it would still be warm.’ This ensures stability in intonation. The physical properties of the metal mean a gold flute will cool down faster after being played. ‘I just have to pay more attention to the tuning if I come in after a long rest.’ Above all, however, the quality of the sound depends on the flautist. ‘It’s all about how people blow. I still sound like me!’

Have a question about music, instruments or the inner workings of an orchestra? ‘Ask a Musician’ at yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or by writing to Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001.

Ask a MusicianOrchestra HighlightYour Orchestra’s New Look

Everything old is new again! With the excitement of a new chief conductor and a new season of music on the horizon, we thought it was time to bring back something that in reality never truly went away (although it was effectively sidelined for more than a decade).

In announcing the 2014 season, we officially welcomed back our original name: Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Sometimes you might find it easier to refer to the shortened version of ‘SSO’. Either way, we’re your orchestra.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed our colourful new logo? We think it’s rather joyful – akin to the explosion of colourful sound you can hear from the orchestra.

The graphic is a visual abstraction of both musicians and audience. The new exuberant identity also expresses the wide range of choice we offer audiences and the role we play in our community, with each vibrant square a different shade of a harmonious whole.

We hope you like our new/old name, and that you’ll enjoy our fresh new look as we move into another exciting era of inspirational and first-class music making.

CHINA EXCHANGEInternational Focus

‘These activities, which began last year, will lead to a long-term program of masterclasses, exchanges, orchestral workshops, commissions and tour performances, which will be further enhanced and facilitated through digital technology,’ says Rory. ‘Our relationship with the Conservatory, which is the only higher music education institution in Southern China, is also significant given the sister-city relationship between Sydney and Guangzhou.’

Also in 2012, the SSO signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, also known as ‘The Egg’. This agreement involves our musicians working with the NCPA orchestra, as well as SSO administrative staff passing on their expertise and knowledge about audience development. Our Director of Marketing, Mark Elliott, will soon be visiting the NCPA in this capacity.

Recently, the SSO won the major award at the inaugural Australian Arts in Asia Awards for our work in China. The awards, which attracted 120 entries, celebrate the role of Australian artists and arts organisations working in Asia.

‘It’s impossible to say for certain, but some estimates suggest there are 50 million young people learn-ing the violin in China,’ says our Managing Director Rory Jeffes.

Recently, three of the top young string players visited us from the Xinghai Conservatory in Guangzhou. Violinists Guo Lu and Zhu Siyao and violist Chen Chen, aged between 19 and 23, spent a week with the SSO’s Sinfonia mentoring orchestra. They took part in a busy schedule of schools and family concerts, as well as a read through of Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. Violin mentors from the SSO, Shuti Huang and Ben Li, sat with the girls in the orchestra, occasionally translating for the students and generally unravelling the mysteries of professional orchestral etiquette.

‘The pace was faster than they anticipated, but they quickly adjusted,’ said Shuti. ‘By the end of the week, they were all feeling very much a part of the orchestra.’

Before our 2012 China tour, the SSO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Xinghai Conservatory. On that tour, as a first step in building ties, our musicians gave masterclasses to students at the conservatory and Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted a rehearsal of their orchestra.

War RequiemVladimir Ashkenazy admits to not liking everything Benjamin Britten wrote, but the War Requiem, he says, is ‘one of Britten’s best pieces, maybe the best’. In its music, its text and its effect, it is ‘absolutely compelling’.

The War Requiem was composed in response to the horrors of World War II and was dedicated to the memory of four of Britten’s friends. It was an ambitious and daring musical creation, but also deeply symbolic. Perhaps most significant was Britten’s intended casting, and this is something Ashkenazy has set out to replicate for our performances in November, with Russian soprano Dina Kuznetsova, English tenor Andrew Staples and German baritone Dietrich Henschel.

The three nationalities were chosen by Britten to represent three principal countries in the conflict. (The first recording features the soloists he had in mind: Galina Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.) And the symbolism reaches full weight when tenor and baritone, as two dead soldiers, sing the lines from Wilfred Owen’s World War I poem, Strange Meeting: ‘I am the enemy you killed, my friend.’

Britten’s War Requiem uses its multinational cast to issue a call for peace, a call that seems as relevant today as it did in 1961. It’s not merely a protest against war, but music that Britten hoped would make us ‘think a bit’.

War RequiemMaster Series 8 and 9 November | 8pm

The Score

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From left: Zhu Siyao, Guo Lu, Chen Chen

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUSTMr Kim Williams AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair, Ms Catherine Brenner, The Hon Helen Coonan, Ms Renata Kaldor AO, Mr Robert Leece AM RFD, Mr Peter Mason AM,Mr Leo Schofi eld AM, Mr John Symond AM, Mr Robert Wannan

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Operating in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart & Darwin

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BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphony.com/bravo

LET’S MISBEHAVE!Dust off your tux and shake out the feather boa – it’s time for the SSO Roaring 20s Ball. Taking place on Saturday 23 November at Paddington Town Hall, your fun night out will include a 50-piece orchestra, music from the jazz age and dancing! Tickets may be purchased through our box office 02 8215 4600. More information here: sydneysymphony/20sball

REAL JOBSIt’s not uncommon for friends to ask young musicians about their jobs: What do you do all day? And why do you have to practise so much? Perhaps you’ve occasionally wondered the same. SSO Fellow, flautist Laura van Rijn, has written a blog post answering these questions and others. Read it at: blog.ssofellowship.com/2013/08/what-do-you-do

WELCOME PARTNER

We’re pleased to announce that the Hotel Intercontinental Sydney is a new Gold Partner of the SSO. Keep an eye out for exclusive dining and accommodation packages in Stay Tuned, program books and at sydneysymphony.com

EARLY BIRDSThe winners of our 2013 Season Emirates Early Bird prize, Joyce and Ivan Cribb, returned from their prize trip to Barcelona (and a side trip to France) with glowing reports and memories to cherish. A highlight was hearing the local Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra perform Mahler’s First Symphony.

You could win this year! The 2014 Season Emirates Early Bird prize closes soon. This time the prize is two business class Emirates flights

to Dubai plus five nights’ luxury accommodation Enter the draw by booking your 2014 SSO subscription by 10 September 2013. T&Cs apply.

CONQUERORSThe mighty Team Sydney Symphony Sprint put in a valiant – nay, impressive! – effort in the recent City to Surf. Fastest on the day was double bassist David Campbell, with a time of 59:22. Breathing down his neck was Principal Trumpet David Elton, mere hundredths of a second behind. Go team!

EMIRATES RENEWALWe recently announced the renewal for three years of our principal partner relationship with Emirates, making it one of our longest-standing corporate partnerships. Among the benefits: SSO audiences receive an exclusive 10% online discount on all Emirates flights. How? Visit sydneysymphony.com/emirates

CODA