서울시립교향악단, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

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SPO Chamber Series II: Brahms & Bruch

SCHEDULE: 20240330 Saturday 20:00

PLACE: IBK Chamber Hall

SOLOIST: Thomas Hampson, Baritone

PROGRAM: Hermann, Capriccio No. 1 in D minor for 3 Violins, Op. 2; Brahms, Vier ernste Gesänge, Op. 121
more; Brahms, Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101; Bruch, String Octet in B-flat major
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PRICE: R 70,000 S 40,000 A 10,000

※ Please make sure that your mobile phone is switched off.
※ Please do not applaud between the movements.

SPO Chamber Series II: Brahms & Bruch

Saturday 30th March, 2024 8PM IBK Chamber Hall, Seoul Arts Center

Program

Hermann, Capriccio No. 1 in D minor for 3 Violins, Op. 2
violin Wojciech Dziembowski, Sangmee Huh, Jiwon Kim

Brahms, Vier ernste Gesänge for baritone and strings, Op. 121 *arr. David Matthews

Denn es gehet dem Menschen. Andante semplice

Ich wandte mich. Andante

O Tod, wie bitter bist du. Grave

Wenn die Menschen - und mit Engelszungen redete. Andante con moto ed anima

violin Yeonkyung Joo, Wojciech Dziembowski, Jiwon Kim, Sangmee Huh, viola Yunji Kang, Dale Kim, cello Hein Choe, Hyunjung Ban, baritone Thomas Hampson

* Subtitles(German/Korean) will be provided on screen

--------------------- Intermission 15 mins ---------------

Brahms, Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101
Allegro energico

Presto non assai

Andante grazioso

Allegro molto

piano Sang-il Han, violin Yeonkyung Joo, cello Hein Choe

Bruch, String Octet in B-flat major

Allegro moderato

Adagio

Allegro molto

violin Yeonkyung Joo, Wojciech Dziembowski, Jiwon Kim, Sangmee Huh, viola Yunji Kang, Dale Kim, cello Hein Choe, Hyunjung Ban

Total duration around 90mins(incl. intermission)

Friedrich Hermann(1828-1907), Capriccio No. 1 in D minor for 3 violins, Op. 2(1855)

Many a performer-cum-composer contributed to the development of Romantic music in the nineteenth century. In violin music, the contributions from Paganini, Vieuxtemps, and Sarasate were noteworthy.

Friedrich Hermann was one of them as well. Hermann was born in Frankfurt and studied at the Leipzig Conservatory. After graduation, he became a principal violinist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and a professor at his alma mater.

Capriccio No. 1 is the first of Hermann's three capriccios for the rare combination of three violins, and was first performed at a concert held at the Leipzig Conservatory, in which the composer participated as the third violin. It begins with a short introduction labeled 'slow', while the main section, designated as 'fast', begins with an fervent first theme and moves on to a lyrical second theme. Afterwards, the two themes alternate and develop, leading to a spectacular conclusion.

Johannes Brahms(1833-1897), Vier ernste Gesänge for baritone and strings, Op. 121(composed in 1896, arranged in 2013) *arr. David Matthews

Clara Schumann suffered a heart attack in March 1896. Johannes Brahms, her life-long friend and secret admirer, was greatly shocked to hear the news. Having an intuition that she would die soon, Brahms immediately immersed himself in writing and finished Vier ernste Gesänge (Four Serious Songs). Brahms took the lyrics of the songs from Martin Luther􏘧s translation of the Bible.

Vier ernste Gesänge is distinctly different from the composer's previous songs. The influence of folk songs has disappeared, and rather than being a strophic song in which each verse has the same melody, it takes the form of a through-composed song which opts for a continuous progression of music without repetition. Brahms refused to perform this piece during his lifetime, implying that it originated from 'a significant personal experience.'

In today's performance, the string section of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra performs the arranged version by British composer David Matthews from piano to string orchestra.

Johannes Brahms(1833-1897), Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101(1886)

After completing his Fourth Symphony in 1885, Brahms no longer wrote symphonies, and focused on chamber music, solo pieces, and songs in his late years. Among Brahms􏘧s piano trios, there are three that still exist, and the Third Trio is the shortest and most concise of them. The composer wrote this work while staying in Hofstetten, a resort town in Switzerland, in the summer of 1886. The premiere took place on December 20th of the same year by the composer himself, violinist Jenő Hubay, and cellist David Popper.

Max Bruch(1838-1920), String Octet in B-flat major(1919~20)

Max Bruch, like Johannes Brahms, mostly wrote works that were faithful to classical principles. He especially enjoyed composing chamber music, and since he had to financially support his wife and children, he had to write mainly works that could be easily sold. His final and posthumous work is also chamber music.

Bruch's String Octet in B-flat major is originated from the String Quintet written between January and March of 1919. Bruch's later years were dotted with pain, including the death of his wife Clara Tuczek, his country's defeat in World War II and the resulting economic chaos. The composer adapted the quintet into an octet even while suffering from depression. Shortly after completing this work, Bruch's health deteriorated rapidly and he died on October 2, 1920.

The usual string octet has four violins, two violas, and two cellos―two string quartets combined―but Bruch went for a richer texture and weightier sound by replacing the second cello with a double bass in this piece.

Text by Jingyu Hwang / Translation SukHo Lee