Rich in folklore and bouyant energy, Pacific SYmphony’s final café Ludwig concert—“CzecH Mate” — features chamber music by janacek, martinu and dvorak
Orange County, Calif.—May 2012—Take a musical journey to the heart of Europe for Pacific Symphony’s final Café Ludwig concert of the season, “Czech Mate,” as the chamber series uncovers the colorful folk melodies of the Czech Republic. Anchoring the program is Dvorak’s highly revered Piano Quintet No. 2, a chamber masterpiece by one of the primary fathers of Czech nationalism. The concert opens with the heroic adventure and gifted narrative of Janacek’s “Pohádka” for cello and piano. Then, Martinu’s “Three Madrigals” sparkles with French influence and a distinctive vigorous style as the themes for violin and viola entwine and chase one another. Piano sensation and host Orli Shaham leads principal Symphony musicians Raymond Kobler (concertmaster), Bridget Dolkas (violin), Robert Becker (viola) and Timothy Landauer (cello), in an afternoon performance taking place Sunday, May 13, at 3 p.m. in the intimate Samueli Theater (next to the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall).
Tickets are $59 and $75 and include coffee, tea and treats. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.
“Since we were dedicating each of the programs on this season’s Café Ludwig to a specific country, I was particularly excited to focus the last show on the Czech lands,” says Shaham. “There is much richness to the music from here, and this program provides a nice balance between well-known works and lesser-known ones.
“Dvorak’s Piano Quintet is perhaps one of the greatest masterpieces of the chamber repertoire, and a concert staple,” says Shaman. “It is an impassioned work, full of vivacity and life, and as always with the music of Dvorak, filled with the most beautiful folk melodies.”
Dvorak set the standard for combining Slavic folk music with classical techniques, and he further advocated the use of indigenous music in America in his well-known symphony, “From the New World.” His Piano Quintet No. 2 provides an appealing balance of intimacy and grandeur, using Bohemian dance rhythms and melodies in a bright and energetic pace.
“It’s also a lovely way to end our season, as the quintet is one of the largest ensembles we present at Café Ludwig, and it’s a nice way to include as many of the wonderful musicians of Pacific Symphony as possible,” continues Shaham. “I chose the Janacek ‘Pohádka’ and the Martinu ‘Madrigals’ to go alongside this quintet because I wanted to highlight individual members of the string quartet. These works also explore some of the more intimate, more esoteric, lesser-known examples of the use of Czech folk song in music.”
Janacek’s attraction to a great story is not only showcased in his nine operas, but also in one of his most popular works, “Pohádka,” based on “The Tale of the Tsar Berendyey,” which also provided the basis for Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird.” The piece evokes a mythic atmosphere and the dramatic voice of a young prince who ventures into the underworld and fights his way back to win the hand of his sovereign’s daughter.
Martinu, on the other hand, was fascinated by English Renaissance songs called madrigals that were set to poetry. His work “Three Madrigals” was claimed by Virgil Thomson from the New York Herald Tribune to be “a delight for musical fantasy, for ingenious figuration [and] for Renaissance-style evocation.” Dedicated to two young siblings, Lillian and Joseph Fuchs, who were distinguished soloists on the viola and violin, respectively, Martinu applied his own childhood training on violin to the piece.
“All three works on the program have qualities of fairy tales. Pohádka literally means ‘fairy tale.’ The Czech composers of this era have a tradition of storytelling which pervades their music, and this combined with their nationalistic use of folk tunes gives their music a unique sound. The fact that these compositions are separated by 40 or 60 years is audible—Janacek and Martinu have used Dvorak as their model for how to incorporate the music of their homeland in their concert works, but they have also been able to expand on his ideas and to include some of the developments of the early 20th century in their music. The results are fascinating and also hauntingly beautiful.”
A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety and vitality, Shaham has established an impressive international reputation as one of today’s most gifted pianists. Hailed by critics on four continents, Shaham is in demand for her prodigious skills and admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch praised her “wit, passion, delicacy and humor,” and London’s
Guardian has called Shaham’s playing “perfection.” Recognized early for her talent, Shaham received her first scholarship at age 5 to study at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem. By age 7, she traveled to New York, and a year later became a scholarship student at The Juilliard School.
Café Ludwig returns next season with three elegant afternoons of chamber music hosted by Shaham and featuring principal Symphony musicians. Stroll through the French countryside on Oct. 7 with music by Poulenc, Ravel and Chausson for “The French Connection.” On Jan. 20, 2013, “Woodwind Magic” features the unique personalities of the wind instruments in works by Prokofiev, Bruch, Stravinsky and Mozart. Then on April 28, 2013, discover “The Brilliance of Brahms” with three works by this favored Romantic composer.
Jayce Keane
Director of Public Relations
