Tea & Symphony

2 012 S E A S O N

Fri 12 October 11am

Bachianas Brasileiras

Tea & Symphony

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INTRODUCTION

Bachianas Brasileiras

In the mid-20th century, Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote a set of nine suites titled Bachianas brasileiras. Two of them call for an orchestra of cellos. Their inspiration was the contrapuntal and highly structured music of Johann Sebastian Bach, in Villa-Lobos’ eyes a ‘universal folkloric source’.

Bach’s music is for all time and all people; on another level his writing certainly has a folkloric element (though we may not always think of it that way). Some of the best examples can be found in his celebrated suites for solo cello. Bach writes stylised versions of popular baroque dance forms, exploiting the possibilities of what was then a newly emerging instrument.

More than two centuries later, Villa-Lobos made his own innovations by combining elements of Bach’s baroque dances with the eclectic rhythms and melodies of Brazil. The result is a wonderful fusion of traditional structures and contemporary ideas. The two Bachianas brasileiras suites in this concert play with the many expressive possibilities available to a whole ensemble of one instrument. The orchestra of cellos provide melody, accompaniment and everything in between.

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The cellos of the Sydney Symphony rehearsing in the Royal Albert Hall in London during the 2010 Europe tour.

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Bachianas BrasileirasJian Wang CELLO

Jacqueline Porter SOPRANO Cellos of the Sydney Symphony

Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) Bachianas brasileiras No.1 for 8 cellos

Introduçãto (Embolada)Prelúdio (Modinha)Fuga (Conversa)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)Cello Suite No.1 in G, BWV 1007

PreludeAllemandeCouranteSarabandeMenuets I & IIGigue

Air on the G String (from BWV 1068) arranged Colin Hampton for four cellos

Villa-LobosBachianas brasileiras No.5 for soprano and cellos

Aria (Cantilena)Dansa (Martelo)

Qigang Chen (born 1951)You and Me for solo cello and cello ensemble

2012 season tea & symphonyFriday 12 October, 11am

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

This concert will be recorded for later broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

Estimated durations: 20 minutes, 19 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 4 minutesThe concert will conclude at approximately 12.10pm.

Biscuits at Tea & Symphony concertskindly provided by Kambly

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ABOUT THE MUSIC

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHGerman composer(1685–1750)

JS BACH Cello Suite No.1

The chief joy of Bach’s six suites for solo cello is undoubtedly their masterful adaption of baroque dance forms for this expressive instrument. Whether in a stately sarabande or a lively gigue, each movement amplifi es the cello’s rich sonorities and allows the instrument to sing. The famous Prelude of the fi rst suite, almost improvisatory in feel, is striking for its sense of rhetoric – as if engaging in a rambling, scholarly conversation.

These suites were written around 1720 at the court of the Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen, possibly for the brilliant cellist and gambist Christian Ferdinand Abel. Nothing remotely like them had been written before. The cello had only recently usurped its older cousin the viola da gamba, and Bach’s solo suites were new and novel.

The Prelude of the fi rst suite is followed by fi ve stylised dance movements. The allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue are standards, with a galanterie (a fashionable French dance such as a menuet or gavotte) inserted before the fi nal movement. Bach took the conventional dance forms of the day and lifted them to a new level of intricacy. His audience would have recognised the style and steps – knowing, for example, the courante as a lively dance in three – but would have found these suites a little complex for dancing.

Following the discursive Prelude, the graceful Allemande is essentially melodic in nature. The player must cross back and forth between the diff erent strings to create the illusion of an independent bass line and implied harmonic accompaniment. The Courante runs along cheekily, with longer bass notes clearly outlining the ever-changing harmonies. There is a constant sense of forward motion – any feeling of repose is more a comma than a full stop.

In the second half of the refl ective Sarabande, Bach gives the soloist an additional chance to show off : a passage that must be played across multiple strings at once. The cellist plays rich bass chords that support a fl owing upper line, an eff ect all the more striking because the movements so far have focused on a single melodic line. The self-confi dent fi rst Menuet provides a contrast to its introspective minor key partner, which interrupts the running motion with neat steps. Charming and joyful, the fi rst Menuet returns quickly and confi rms the overriding major key. Finally, a fl uid, almost jocular Gigue gives the impression of a lively conversation that links back to the suite’s rhetorical beginning. Arching legato phrases alternate with brief passages of clipped staccato to bring an elegant zest to the toe-tapping fi nale.

Solo for one?‘Solo’ sonatas during the baroque period nearly always called for accompaniment – a harpsichord to fill in harmonies and a viola da gamba, cello or bassoon to strengthen the bass line. The original manuscripts of Bach’s cello suites, however, are marked senza basso (without bass), clearly identifying them as truly solo works. They’re something of an oddity, along with the six sonatas and partitas for solo violin, and a single partita for solo flute that Bach wrote around the same time. The soloist is the single object of our attention, weaving harmonic accompaniment around its own melodies.

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JS BACH Air on the G String

Bach’s ‘Air on the G String’ feels expansive, the bright major key contrasting with sweeping melodic lines to create a sense of almost pleasurable yearning. As the only non-dance movement (apart from the overture) in Bach’s otherwise lively third orchestral suite, it provides a moment of refl ection and repose. No wonder it’s his most recorded work.

The well-known title isn’t Bach’s. It dates from the 19th century, when this music fi rst became famous in an arrangement for violin and piano by the German violinist August Wilhemj. Wilhemj transposed the movement from its original key of D major down to C major so that it could be played entirely on the violin’s lowest string, which is tuned to a sonorous G. The name stuck, and almost certainly helped to boost the Air’s popularity. But the arrangement has also incited criticism; many today feel it is overly romantic, and that it takes away something of Bach’s ingeniously crafted counterpoint between the lower voices.

British cellist Colin Hampton’s arrangement for four cellos remains in the key of C so as to fully utilise the instrument’s own G string (though here it is the second lowest). It also looks back to the original Air, as the independent instruments form a balanced ensemble more akin to Bach’s chamber orchestra.

The Sydney Symphony first performed the Orchestral Suite No.3 in 1950 as part the Bach Bicentenary, conducted by Eugene Goossens, and most recently in the 2005 Mozart in the City series, conducted by Dene Olding. In 1958 the ABC presented Edmund Kurtz in Sydney in a performance of the first Bach cello suite.

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…a moment of reflection and repose.

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QIGANG CHEN You and Me

In 2008, the Beijing Olympics closed with a gesture of global unity: the song You and Me, performed by Huan Liu and Sarah Brightman atop a revolving globe displaying images from the games. Composer Qigang Chen was musical director of the opening and closing ceremonies, a brilliant display of Chinese music and artistry. In the dazzling conclusion of the event, Chen’s song, its pentatonic theme giving a distinctly oriental fl avour, also showed a harmonious melding of Chinese and Western infl uences.

This arrangement of You and Me has been specially commissioned for Jian Wang and the cellists of the Sydney Symphony, exploring the dreamy melody as chamber music. The simple theme is initially presented by the solo cello with an undulating, plucked accompaniment. Chen then gives the soloist a fl owing, virtuosic line as the melody is repeated in the ensemble, much as the way a theme would be passed to the orchestra in a concerto. A secondary melody soon emerges from a quicker, rustling texture. The overall eff ect is ethereal, a fragment of song explored, then left to fl oat away.

QIGANG CHENChinese composer (born 1951)

French-Chinese composer Qigang Chen was a teenager during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In 1983, a postgraduate award allowed him to study in France with Olivier Messiaen, who described his work as displaying ‘real inventiveness, very great talent and a total assimilation of Chinese thinking to European musical concepts’. Chen’s best-known works are the ballet Épouses et concubines (Wives and Concubines, 2003, an adaption of the 1991 film Raise the Red Lantern), and Reflet d’un temps disparu (Reflections on a Time Past) for cello and orchestra, which was premiered by Yo-Yo Ma.

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HEITOR VILLA-LOBOSBrazilian composer(1887–1959)

VILLA-LOBOS Bachianas brasileiras

It took the genius of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos to imagine combining the balance and fi nesse of Bach with the catchy rhythms of South America – the result was his Bachianas brasileiras. The collection fuses the feel of Brazilian rhythms and melodies with the structures and intricate textures of the European classical heritage. Baroque forms from the time of Bach are prominent; toccata, gigue and fugue all make an appearance. Composed between 1930 and 1945, each of the nine suites is scored for a diff erent combination of instruments, ranging from a duo of fl ute and guitar to a full symphony orchestra. The fi rst and fi fth suites feature the cello, a favourite instrument of Villa-Lobos and one that he himself played – he’d spent his teenage years freelancing in Rio de Janeiro’s busy theatres and hotels.

As in all the Bachianas brasileiras, the movements of No.1 have two titles. The fi rst is traditionally European, hinting at its baroque derivation, the second is nationalistic and full of local fl avour, for example, ‘Fuga’ and ‘Conversa’ (Conversation) for the third movement.

The fi rst movement begins boisterously, with insistently repeated rhythms in the lower voices. The fl irtatious but somewhat sinister melody grows out of this, winding its way gradually up the texture to a register usually reserved for the violin. Melodic lines are tossed between parts, using the full range of the cello to create a richly orchestral sound. The mood can’t settle, at times it’s joyous, at others shadowy and mournful. By the second movement, it has settled on melancholy, as the leading cello presents a plaintive melody supported by chorale-like chords. But for the most part, this movement focuses on the ensemble as a whole, with intertwined lines breathing and sighing as one.

The fi nal movement, a fugue, is masterful. Villa-Lobos considered the Bachianas suites a ‘homage to the great genius of Johann Sebastian Bach’ whom he considered ‘a kind of universal folkloric source’, but it’s important to recognise the originality of his musical gesture and form. Just as Bach would have done, Villa-Lobos introduces the subject of his fugue in each of the four voices one after the other; each voice then recedes into the texture to provide the counterpoint for the next statement. The fugue subject continues to develop, audible sometimes in its entirety, at others only as snippets. While Villa-Lobos’s harmonic rules may not be as strict as those employed by Bach, this movement clearly captures the essence of the

…a homage to the great genius of JS Bach…

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fugue’s musical form and sets it spinning with a Brazilian twist.

The fi fth Bachianas, the most beloved of Villa-Lobos’s works, combines sensuous dance rhythms with the infl uence of traditional Brazilian song. The fi rst movement’s haunting melody is introduced by the soprano (in wordless vocalise) and cello together, giving the timeless, folkloric feel for which the piece is known. It was begun in 1938 and like No.1 employs an orchestra of cellos to create a rustling, pizzicato accompaniment of interlocking rhythms. The middle section introduces dramatic lyrics, with their spontaneous, highly charged delivery suggesting, as does the poem, that all is not well. Expansiveness returns in the fi nal section, this time with the soprano humming her lines as if it were a lullaby. Written in 1945, the second movement is in the style of a north-eastern Brazilian song where the text is delivered very fast. The cello’s accompaniment morphs with the singer’s changing emotions, though always returning to the restless opening theme. The driving rhythms of the Dansa carry the singer along in a whirl of musical colour.

The Sydney Symphony first performed Bachianas brasileiras No.5 in 1952 with soloist Dorothy Maynor, and the most recent performance was as part of the 2005 Kaleidoscope series in an arrangement by Lalo Schifrin. The orchestra’s only performance of No.1 was in the Music for Spring series in 1999.

Program notes and introduction by NAOMI JOHNSON © 2012AYO Music Presentation Fellow

Aria

Tarde, uma nuvem rósea lenta e transparente,sobre o espaço sonhadora e bela!Surge no infi nito a lua docemente,Enfeitando a tarde, qual meiga donzelaque se apresta e alindasonhadoramente,Em anseios d’alma para fi car bela,Grita ao céo e a terra, toda a Natureza!Cala a passarada aos seus tristes queixumes,E refl ete o mar toda a sua riqueza… Suave a luz da lua desperta agora,A cruel saudade que ri e chora!Tarde, uma nuvem rósea lenta e transparente,sobre o espaço sonhadora e bela!

Ruth V. Corrêa

A rosy, transparent cloud wandersover the spacious sky, dreamlike and beautiful!Gently the moon rises from a boundless depthornamenting the evening like a lovely maidenwho prepares and adorns herself,as in a dream,and, anxious to reveal her beauty,evokes heaven and earth and all Nature!The little bird has ceased its mournful lament,the sea displays her silvery treasures,and now the moonlight awakens the bitter-sweet pain of piercing desires!A rosy, transparent cloud wandersover the spacious sky, dreamlike and beautiful!

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Dansa

Irerê, meu passarinho do Sertão do Cariri,Irerê, meu companheiro, Cadê vióla?Cadê meu bem? Cadê Maria?Ai triste sorte a do violeiro cantadô!Ah! Sem a vióla em que cantava o seu amô,Ah! Seu assobio é tua fl auta de Irerê:Que tua fl auta do Sertão quando assobia,Ah! A gente sofre sem querê!Ah! Teu canto chega lá do fundo do sertão, Ah! Como ua brisa amolecendo o coração, ah!Irerê, Solta teu canto!Canta mais!Pra alembrá o Cariri!

Canta, cambaxirra! Canta, juriti!Canta Irerê! Canta, canta sofrê,Patativa! Bemtevi!Maria acorda que é diaCantem todos vocêsPassarinhos do sertão!Bemtevi! Eh! Sabiá!La! liá! liá! liá!Eh! Sabiá da mata cantadô!Liá! liá! liá!Eh! Sabiá da mata sofredô!O vosso canto vem do fundo do sertãoComo uma brisa amolecendo o curação.

Irerê, meu passarinho do Sertão…

Manuel Bandeira

Irerê, my little nestling from the wilds of Carira,Irerê, my loved companion,Where goes my dear? Where goes Maria?Ah, sorry is the lot of him who would sing!Ah! Without his fl ute no song of gladness can he bring,Ah! His whistle shrill must be his fl ute for Irerê:But yours the fl ute that once in forest wilds was sounding,with its message of grief and woe!Ah! Your song came from out of the depths of the forest wilds, Like summer winds that comfort every mournful heart.Ah! Irerê! Sing and enchant me!Sing once more!Bring me songs of Cariri!

Sing! My lovely songbird, sing your song again, Sing, my Irerê! Sing of pain and sorrow, as the birds of the morning wake Maria in the dawning.Sing with all your voices birds of the woods and of the wilds sing your songs, ye forest birds!La! liá! liá! liá!Ye nestlings of the singing forest wilds.Liá! liá! liá!Ye suffering birds.Oh yours the songs that comes from the depths of the forest wildslike summer winds that comfort every mournful heart.

Irerê my little nestling…

Reproduced by permission of Schirmer Mu sic.Translation by H edwig Roediger (Aria) and Harvey Offi cer (Dansa)

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Jacqueline Porter SOPRANO

Jacqueline Porter holds an honours degree in Music Performance and a Bachelor of Arts (Italian) from the University of Melbourne and was a recipient of the 2010 Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust Scholarship. She is a principal artist with Victorian Opera and appears regularly as a soloist with the major Australian orchestras and choral societies. She has worked with celebrated conductors including Neville Marriner, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Oleg Caetani, and her performances are frequently broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

Her concert repertoire includes Berlioz’s Nuits d’été, Britten’s Illuminations, Brahms’s A German Requiem, Enescu’s Vox Maris, Fauré’s Requiem, Haydn’s Theresa and Nelson masses, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and Serenade to Music.

Recent career highlights include The Bells by Rachmaninoff (Ashkenazy, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Grieg’s Peer Gynt and Prokofi ev’s Ugly Duckling (Ashkenazy, Sydney Symphony, also released on CD), Last Night of the Proms (Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra) and a Mozart and Haydn tour with the MSO. Her operatic roles include Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), Despina (Così fan tutte), Drusilla (L’incoronazione di Poppea) and Clorinda (Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda) for VO, and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) for the State Opera of South Australia.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Jian Wang CELLO

Jian Wang began studying the cello at the age of four, and while at the Shanghai Conservatoire was featured in the 1980 documentary From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China. He entered the Yale School of Music in 1985 as a student of Aldo Parisot, and made his professional debut at Carnegie Hall the following year.

Since then Jian Wang has performed with many leading orchestras around the world, collaborating with conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Charles Dutoit, Alan Gilbert, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Neeme Järvi, Christoph Eschenbach and Mark Wigglesworth. He also appears regularly at festivals such as Verbier, Miyazaki and Tanglewood, and in 2008 made his debut at the BBC Proms.

Jian Wang has recorded the Brahms Double Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic, Claudio Abbado and Gil Shaham, and the Haydn concertos with the Gulbenkian Orchestra under Muhai Tang. He has recorded the complete Bach cello suites, and his live recording of the Elgar concerto with the Sydney Symphony and Vladimir Ashkenazy was released in 2011.

Jian Wang’s most recent appearance with the Sydney Symphony was in 2010 when he performed the Lalo Cello Concerto. He will join the orchestra on this month’s tour to China, performing the Dvorák concerto.

Jian Wang’s instrument is graciously loaned to him by the family of the late Sau-Wing Lam.

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Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Sydney Symphony 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 Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Symphony also performs in venues throughout Sydney and NSW and makes regular international tours.

The Sydney Symphony’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 position 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 Live label has captured performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The orchestra has also released recordings with Ashkenazy on the Exton/Triton labels, and numerous recordings for ABC Classics.

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

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Sydney Symphony BoardJohn C Conde ao ChairmanTerrey Arcus amEwen CrouchRoss Grant

Jennifer HoyRory JeffesAndrew Kaldor

Irene LeeDavid LivingstoneGoetz Richter

Catherine Hewgill Principal

Leah Lynn Assistant Principal

Kristy Conrau

Fenella Gill Timothy NankervisElizabeth NevilleChristopher PidcockDavid Wickham

CELLOS OF THE SYDNEY SYMPHONY

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SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS

Sydney Symphony Leadership EnsembleDavid Livingstone, CEO, Credit Suisse, AustraliaAlan Fang, Chairman, Tianda GroupTony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner PrettyInsurance Australia Grou pMacquarie Group FoundationJohn Morschel, Chairman, ANZ

Andrew Kaldor, Chairman, Pelikan ArtlineLynn Kraus, Sydney Office Managing Partner, Ernst & YoungShell Australia Pty LtdJames Stevens, CEO, Roses OnlyStephen Johns, Chairman, Leighton Holdings,

and Michele Johns

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

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 & 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

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

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

Directors’ Chairs

01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09

Sydney Symphony VanguardVanguard CollectiveJustin Di Lollo – ChairKees BoersmaRose HercegDavid McKeanAmelia Morgan-HunnJonathan Pease

Ron ChristiansonMatthew ClarkBenoît CocheteuxGeorge CondousMichael CookPaul CousinsJustin Di LolloRose GalloSam GiddingsDerek HandRose HercegJennifer Hoy

Damian Kassagbi Chris KeherElizabeth LeeAntony Lighten Gary LinnaneDavid McKeanHayden McLeanAmelia Morgan-HunnHugh MunroFiona OslerPeter Outridge

MembersMatti AlakargasNikki AndrewsJames ArmstrongStephen AttfieldAndrew BaxterMar BeltranKees Boersma Peter BraithwaiteAndrea BrownIan BurtonJennifer BurtonHahn Chau

Archie PaffasJonathan Pease Seamus R QuickMichael ReedeJacqueline RowlandsBernard RyanAdam WandJon WilkieJonathan WatkinsonDarren WoolleyMisha Zelinsky

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PLAYING YOUR PART

The Sydney Symphony 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 AbelGeoff Ainsworth am & Vicki AinsworthRobert Albert ao & Elizabeth AlbertTerrey 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 GordonMs Rose HercegMr Andrew Kaldor & Mrs Renata Kaldor aoD & I KallinikosJames N Kirby FoundationMrs Joan MacKenzieJustice Jane Mathews aoMrs Roslyn Packer aoDr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June RoartyPaul & Sandra SalteriMrs Penelope Seidler amMrs W SteningMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetMr Peter Weiss am & Mrs Doris WeissWestfi eld GroupMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oamKim Williams am & Catherine DoveyJune & Alan Woods Family Bequest

Gold Patrons$10,000–$19,999Mr C R AdamsonStephen J BellAlan & Christine BishopIan & Jennifer BurtonCopyright Agency Limited The Hon. Ashley Dawson-DamerEdward FedermanFerris Family FoundationNora GoodridgeMr Ross GrantThe Estate of the late Ida GuggerHelen Lynch am & Helen BauerRuth & Bob MagidThe Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran MeagherMrs T Merewether oamMr B G O’ConorMrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet CookeHenry & Ruth WeinbergAnonymous (2)

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

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We’re connecting the musical dots for people

‘But then Lawrence [Dobell, Principal Clarinet of the Sydney Symphony] rang to say there was a job coming up, and I had to audition.’

Twenty-two years later, Kees is breaking new ground for Sydney Symphony Vanguard, a member-ship program that takes classical music and fuses it with other genres, all in an intimate setting. It’s an informal and engaging, restless and sometimes irrever-ent approach to music making. ‘Vanguard seeks to find another subset of our audience,’ Kees explains. ‘We’re connecting the musical dots for people. If some-one’s interested, then they can find new ways to engage.’

On the home front, there’s more music in the family – his gorgeous wife Kirsty McCahon is also a bass player. ‘I get my most severe criticism from her, and also the most genuine com-pliments. She understands the lifestyle and the life. If there’s a big concert coming up for either of us, we have an innate under-standing about when not to push the buttons.’ There are draw-backs though. ‘I bought a beauti-ful Italian instrument some years ago, which she decided would be perfect for her, and now I don’t get to touch it!’ *Sigh*

sydneysymphony.com/vanguard

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How did the youngest son of eight children raised in rural South Australia come to be the Principal Double Bass of the Sydney Symphony? As Kees (rhymes with ‘bass’) Boersma jokes, ‘all the trades were taken care of, so I was given pretty free rein in what I wanted to do!’ Music was his preferred holiday activity, and involvement with youth music organisations even-tually led him to the Australian Youth Orchestra. Playing Mahler Six at the Perth Festival was a key moment. ‘You can have one experience like that that completely blows your mind, and makes you want to take the

jump.’ For Kees, the spark had ignited.

After studies, Kees made his way to Holland, the country of his ancestors, and played in the Concertgebouw Orchestra for a number of seasons. But military service loomed. ‘They did grant me a year’s grace,’ he says, ‘but my efforts to convince the authori-ties that my Dutch wasn’t good enough to follow orders eventu-ally failed – even though I used my thickest Australian accent!’

Returning to Australia and accepting a short-term contract with Orchestra Victoria, a rest-less Kees considered a return to an earlier television career.

MARRIED TO MUSICPrincipal Double Bass Kees Boersma pinpoints some defining moments in his musical journey.

ORCHESTRA NEWS | SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2012

Spanish GuitarsSpanish rhythms are so compellingly infectious, aren’t they? Whether it’s the flowing festival dance of the sevillanas, or the macho zapateado dance step of the flamenco, these traditional sounds get your toes tapping, and conjure images of toreadors and Andalusian plains.

The gypsy dances of Manuel de Falla’s Love, the Magician were originally conceived in 1915 as a ballet for which Falla created original melodies that sounded like Spanish folk tunes. This popular work has been transcribed many times since. For instance, the swirling, mesmerising Ritual Fire Dance was a favourite encore of pianist Arthur Rubinstein (‘I had to repeat it three times!’). In November, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet bring their own arrangement for four guitars and orchestra.

Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto andaluz – an original work for four guitars and orchestra – was commissioned by Celedonio Romero, who premiered the piece with his three sons. The second son, Pepe, later taught all four founding members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (and when one left the group he was replaced by the student of another member!). So each member of the LA Guitar Quartet has in some way inherited the spirit of Rodrigo.

Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 15 Nov | 1.30pmKaleidoscope Fri 16, Sat 18 Nov | 8pm

The Score

BAPTISM OF FIREFrom inspiring audiences of tomorrow to the demands of being a conductor-understudy – the role of Assistant Conductor is a big commitment.

Artistic Focus

Conducting eight concerts for almost 7,000 school children and their teachers is one heck of a way to begin your tenure as an assistant conductor, but Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis didn’t bat an eyelid. From the whirling of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers to the surging motion of Paul Stanhope’s Groundswell, she captured the attention of the musicians and her young audience.

Jessica’s appointment was announced in July, just as she began her first stint with the orchestra. ‘They were three utterly brilliant weeks,’ she says. During that time, she assisted conductors Simone Young and Jakub Hr °uša (who was filling in at short notice for Tugan Sokhiev), as well as conducting education concerts at City Recital Hall Angel Place and Sydney Olympic Park.

Shortly after completing a two-year appointment as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jessica received an email ‘completely out of the blue’ from our Director of Artistic Planning, Peter Czornyj, asking if she’d be interested in auditioning for the Assistant Conductor position in Sydney.

‘I was busy working on a new opera in Glasgow, so I had to make the return journey [to audition] in the space of three days – not to be recommended! But I’m pleased to be able to say that it must have gone well, because here I am now!’

Peter Czornyj agrees. ‘Jessica really impressed us with her thorough preparation and clear technique, demonstrating a range of gestures and inspirational authority.’

Jessica will accompany the orchestra on the upcoming tour to China, assisting Vladimir Ashkenazy and being ready to stand in at a moment’s notice. Next year she will spend four months with the orchestra. ‘Some of the conductors I’ll assist will have done the pieces over 50 times. They have a huge amount of experience, and as an emerging conductor there’s so much I can learn from them. Each week I work as assistant I need to learn the music as though I were conducting the rehearsals and concert myself – in case I have to go on and sub for them. It’s a big commitment.’In 2013 Jessica Cottis will conduct concerts in the Mozart in the City and Tea & Symphony series.

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Proud sponsor of theSydney Symphonyin their 80th yearof timeless entertainment

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Philanthropy Highlight

Madama Butterfly and ‘Un bel di’. Not a bad introduction to classical music. The young Ray Wilson’s connection with music was forged at the free summertime concerts – ‘my family were quite poor’ – at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Later came a move to Sydney ‘to work at a pretty rough printing company. I had a little transistor radio tuned to the ABC on my desk, and I would just listen, listen, listen.’ Here Ray met and worked for the late James Agapitos, the man who soon became his partner in business and in life.

These days, the two men’s names are proudly visible in the world of philanthropy. Ray has chosen to make a notified bequest to our orchestra. ‘The bequests I’m making are in both our names. It’s a way of honouring James, and honouring our relationship. We spent 40 very happy years together.’

‘We owe it to say thank you to the institutions that have been part of our lives. It’s all about saying to the institution “I really enjoy our involvement and I want to say thank you for having given me pleasure and for improving the quality of my life.” It’s a two-way street.’

If you’re considering making a notified bequest to the Sydney Symphony, contact our Philanthropy team: philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com or call (02) 8215 4625.

Life’s gift

Stephen Johns, Chairman of Leighton Holdings, welcomes the audience to the annual special Leighton Holdings Discovery concert. On the program? Discovering Mozart with the inspirational guidance of Richard Gill (right) and the Sydney Sinfonia.

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Event News

Your Say

We like to hear from you. Write to yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001

nod to Britten in the centenary of his death. Shirley Pearson

I attended the concert last Friday night [Wagner Under the Sails] – what a magnificent performance! I don’t believe this is a word that is usually used in relation to Wagner, but the SSO sounded absolutely ravishing in the orchestral items. Simone Young did a fantastic job, inspiring the orchestra to make this 80th anniversary concert something really special. Then we come to the soloist. Christine Brewer was just brilliant. A stunning voice and I hope she will be coming back to perform with the orchestra in the future. Jerome Prince-Foster

I would like to say how much I am enjoying having Bravo! included in the concert programs – and also to say how much I always enjoy the program notes. They are consistently interesting and certainly add to the listening enjoyment. Marianne Cochrane

I remember (misty-eyed) each wonderful performance of the Sibelius cycle in 2004, and hearing Mr Ashkenazy’s words of praise for the orchestra at the final concert. To reprise the Fifth Symphony, and introduce new ones [in 2013], is for me, a fitting way to celebrate and conclude Mr Ashkenazy’s tenure… Thank you too for the

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INSTRUMENT FUND

We recently completed another round of listening sessions and tryouts for our string instrument fund – auditioning ten violins from London, and six violins and one viola from Chicago. Although the final decision wasn’t known at the time of going to print, it’s hoped that two or three instruments will have been selected from this recent group to add to our growing instrument collection. Interested in having a listen yourself? Contact philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com to ask about attending one of the listening sessions.

GROWING VANGUARD

Ten new ground-breakers signed up to our Vanguard program after a recent event, which saw members and guests transported from Chippendale to Argentina. Special guest, accordionist James Crabb, and some of our musicians

performed a selection of dazzling Piazzolla tangos, which of course demanded some dancers. The photos are on facebook.com/SydneySymphonyVanguard

FAREWELL DECCA

We recently farewelled our longest serving member of the behind-the-scenes team – Derek ‘Decca’ Coutts, who’s been our Technical Manager for 16 years. He’s upped sticks and moved out west to spend more time with family. We wish him all the very best for the future.

PROUD AS PUNCH

Som Howie, who plays clarinet in our Sydney Sinfonia, has reached the grand final of this year’s ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards (YPA). He’ll be performing Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra on Thursday 4 October at 6pm. Tune in to ABC Classic FM and catch the excitement as it happens.

CONGRATULATIONS

Young conductor Daniel Carter – who led our musicians in this year’s Playerlink program and will be conducting schools concerts for us later in the year – has received the Brian Stacey Award for emerging Australian conductors. Dan will also be heading west in October to conduct the WASO during the judge’s adjudication of the YPA grand final.

COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Are you aged between 18 and 29? Do you have an original composition for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass that hasn’t been performed before in public? Or have one in mind? Then enter our composition competition. You could have your piece performed by the Sydney Symphony Fellows and recorded for broadcast on ABC Classic FM. For more information, visit bit.ly/CompositionComp2012

CODA

BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang sydneysymphony.com/bravoBRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang sydneysymphony.com/bravo