Overture Magazine: 2016-2017 Season September - October 2016 | Page 38

{ program notes
sounds, this time from an ensemble
of bassoons and clarinets, introduce a
searing development that is essentially
one long crescendo that culminates
in a shattering climax, intensified by
blows of the tam-tam (gong). Then the
movement winds down and closes in a
weeping duet of two piccolos grieving
for the dead.
The second-movement Scherzo is
Shostakovich’s portrait of Stalin, set to
the 2/4 rhythm of the gopak dance from
the dictator’s native Georgia. Blaring
brass and military snare drums intensify the mood of maniacal energy and
brutality. The music blows itself out in
just four minutes.
In C minor, the third movement is the
Symphony’s most enigmatic and personal.
Violins open with a nervously creeping
theme asking “Is it safe to come out yet?”
Then to a rat-ta-tat rhythm, Shostakovich
introduces himself via a motive of four
notes spelling his initials: D-E-flat (E-flat
is S in German notation)-C-B (B-natural
is spelled as H) — D-S-C-H. In a later
reappearance, the DSCH motive becomes
a puppet-like dance driven by a half-crazy
(jangling tambourines), half-menacing
orchestra: a powerful musical image of
the composer trapped by the whims of the
Soviet machine.
After a brooding minor-mode introduction, the finale finally emerges in E
Major for a chirpy, bustling, “lets-geton-with-life” theme. This is an authentically Russian finale — crazy, even a little
vodka-drunk— that captures the mood
of a people who have been beaten and
tormented and still retain their capacity
to laugh. With a loud orchestral shout of
the DSCH motive, complete with mocking drum roll and crashing gong, the
composer rejoices that he, too, is among
Stalin’s survivors.
Instrumentation: Three flutes including
piccolos, three oboes including English horn,
three clarinets including E-flat clarinet, three
bassoons including contrabassoon, four
horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba,
timpani, percussion and strings.
Notes by Janet E. Bedell, Copyright ©2016

36 O v ertur e |

www. bsomusic .org

Dvořák Symphony No. 8
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Friday, October 21, 2016 — 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 23, 2016 — 3p.m.
Music Center At Strathmore

Saturday, October 22, 2016 — 8 p.m.

Hannu Lintu, Conductor
Angela Hewitt, Piano

Einojuhani Rautavaara

Cantus Arcticus
(Concerto for Birds and Orchestra)
Suo
Melankolia
Joutsenet muuttavat

Ludwig van Beethoven

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, opus 15
Allegro con brio
Largo
Rondo: Allegro
ANGELA HEWITT

INTERMISSION

Antonín Dvořák

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, opus 88
Allegro con brio
Adagio
Allegretto grazioso
Allegro ma non troppo

The concert will end at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Friday, 9:50 p.m.
on Saturday, and 4:50 p.m. on Sunday.

Official Piano of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra