{ program notes
Mathias Bothor-DG
( Washington ), Toronto Symphony Orchestra and radio orchestras in Munich , Hannover and Leipzig among many others .
In opera , Mr . Goodwin has led at the Komische Oper Berlin , at the Teatro Real Madrid and at Scottish Opera , Opera Australia and the Staatstheater Karlsruhe .
Mr . Goodwin toured extensively with the Academy of Ancient Music , recording Schutz choral music , Mozart ’ s singspiel ‘ Zaide ’ and two discs of music by John Tavener commissioned for the AAM . Three of these CDs were nominated for Grammy ( USA ) and Gramophone ( UK ) awards .
His recordings also include CDs of Strauss , Hartmann , Handel ’ s Riccardo Primo and Athalia , and a highly acclaimed CD of Elgar ’ s Nursery Suite for Harmonia Mundi . With the Münchner Rundfunkorchester he has recorded two CDs for Sony : one that includes Prokovief Peter and the Wolf and the other , “ under the stars ,” in collaboration with violinist Charlie Siem .
Mr . Goodwin has worked with national youth orchestras . In 2007 , Paul Goodwin was awarded the Handel Honorary Prize of the City of Halle ( Saale ) in recognition of his extraordinary services to performances of works by George Frideric Handel .
Paul Goodwin is making his BSO debut .
Jan Lisiecki
Pianist Jan Lisiecki ’ s highlights this season include a tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra , and performing in the opening festival of the new Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg .
Mr . Lisiecki made his Carnegie Hall debut in January 2016 . During the 2015 – 2016 season he also performed with the Bamberger Symphoniker in Lucerne , with the Cleveland and San Francisco Symphony orchestras and toured Europe with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra , which he led from the piano .
In 2013 , Mr . Lisiecki substituted at short notice for Martha Argerich , performing Beethoven ’ s Piano Concerto No . 4 in Bologna with the Orchestra Mozart . He crowned that season with Schumann ’ s Piano Concerto at the BBC Proms . The following year he performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra , the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala in Milan , NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo among others , while giving recitals at Wigmore Hall , Rome ’ s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and in San Francisco .
In 2012 , the pianist signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and released his first recording , featuring Mozart ’ s Piano Concertos K . 466 and 467 in 2012 , followed in 2013 by Chopin ’ s Etudes Op . 10 and 25 . His January 2016 recording features Schumann ’ s works for piano and orchestra . In early 2017 , Mr . Lisiecki ’ s rendition of Chopin works for piano and orchestra is scheduled for release .
Mr . Lisiecki came to international attention in 2010 , when the Fryderyk Chopin Institute issued a recording of Chopin ’ s piano concertos , performed live by the pianist when he was 13 and 14 .
Born to Polish parents in Canada in 1995 , Mr . Lisiecki began piano lessons at the age of 5 and made his concerto debut four years later . He donates his time and performances to such organizations as the David Foster Foundation , the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the Wish Upon a Star Foundation . In 2012 , he was named UNICEF Ambassador to Canada after serving as a National Youth Representative since 2008 .
Jan Lisiecki is making his BSO debut .
About the concert :
Dumbarton Oaks
Igor Stravinsky
Born in Oranienbaum , Russia , June 17 , 1882 ; died in New York City , April 6 , 1971
Turning away from the massive orchestrations of his earlier ballets Petrushka and The Rite of Spring — and also from the excesses of 19 th -century Romanticism — Igor Stravinsky in the 1920s and ‘ 30s adopted a lean and clean “ neo-Classical ” style that drew inspiration from both the Baroque era of Bach and Vivaldi and the later Classical era of Mozart and Haydn .
The Concerto in E-flat is directly modeled after Bach ’ s Brandenburg Concertos , especially the Third Concerto . It was written in 1937 – 1938 on a commission by Mr . and Mrs . Robert Woods Bliss of Washington , D . C .; its subtitle comes from the name of their famous estate , Dumbarton Oaks , to this day site of many international conferences . Stravinsky was still living in France at the time , but receiving many commissions from America . Shortly after completing this work , he lost his daughter , wife and mother within a seven-month period , and these tragedies , combined with the onset of World War II and his strong American connections , caused him to move here permanently in 1939 .
Dumbarton Oaks is scored for a small , neo-Baroque ensemble of flute , E-flat clarinet ( not yet invented in Bach ’ s time !), two horns and strings . Its colors are much brighter and brasher than Bach ’ s , and the tone throughout is somewhat mocking and sarcastic . The first movement sports a festive bell-like opening , as well as motives in the woodwinds resembling carillon peals later in the movement . The upper strings and flute immediately launch a chugging pattern stolen from the Third Brandenburg . A moment later , the violins introduce a mindlessly repetitive three-note fugue subject , which gets more elaborate each time it comes back .
A very simple motive , introduced by the violas , generates the music of the second movement ; its middle section features woodwind solos over a hazy background of oscillating strings . Percussive Stravinskian rhythms propel the finale ’ s refrain , and over a stealthy bass , sharp woodwind dissonances suggest a mock-menacing Hitchcockian atmosphere . The refrain keeps returning in different guises , framing a fugal episode Bach might have enjoyed and a sweetly trilling string episode borrowed from Mozart ’ s courtly world .
Instrumentation : Flute , clarinet , bassoon , two horns , three violins , three violas , two cellos , two double basses .
March – APRIL 2017 | Overture 17