Elements of Surprise

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770—1827)
Leonore Overture No. 1

Ludwig Van Beethoven, the musical giant who expanded the form and scope of the symphony and ushered in the Romantic Era with his towering presence, wrote but one opera, Fidelio. Beethoven’s zeal for revising and polishing his compositions can be observed in his four attempts at writing and revising Fidelio and its overture, Leonore, giving rise to much confusion. The opera, set in eighteenth century Spain, tells the story of Leonore, a noble woman of Seville who disguises herself as an errand boy, Fidelio, in order to free her husband, Florestan, who is being held in chains as a political prisoner.

The first version of Fidelio, opening with the overture now known as Leonore No. 2, debuted in Vienna in 1805. This first production was not well received, in part because Beethoven’s supporters were not in the audience. They had fled the city a few weeks before, in advance of Napoleon’s troops occupying Vienna. These French troops proved to be an unappreciative audience, and the production closed after only three performances. Recognizing the weaknesses of his first foray into opera, Beethoven set about revising his work. In 1806, his new version was performed twice in that same Vienna theater, preceded by a new version of the overture, now known as Leonore No. 3. Beethoven composed Leonore No. 1 for another production of Fidelio planned for Prague; but the plans fell apart, and Leonore No. 1 was was never performed with the staged opera. The version of Fidelio that is performed today was revised by Beethoven with the assistance of a new librettist, and premiered at the Kärntnerthor Theatre (Theatre at the Carinthian Gate), Vienna, on May 23rd, 1814, along with the fourth version of the overture, known as the Fidelio Overture.

Leonore No. 1 was rediscovered in 1828, and premiered in a concert setting to commemorate Beethoven’s death, the previous year. The opening of the Overture feels unsettled, as the musical line meanders at varying speeds up and down scales, punctuated by full chords until the woodwinds lead the way into a lively melody. Quotations from Florestan’s aria arise in the slower middle section, and at the end the overture prepares to set up the opening scene of the opera with a building excitement that leaves the listener feeling ready to embark on an adventure.

Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (1824—1910)
Flute Concerto in D Major, Opus 283

I Allegro molto moderato
II Lento e mesto
III Moderato – In tempo animato – Tempo I – Più mosso – Più lento maestoso

German composer, teacher, pianist, and conductor Carl Reinecke made his mark in the European musical community of the mid-nineteenth century, where he was well received for his work as a solo pianist and accompanist, rubbing shoulders with musicians such as Mendelssohn, the Schumanns, and Liszt. Reinecke has an outstanding reputation as a teacher. Upon his appointment as director of the Leipzig Conservatory in 1897, he transformed the institution into one of the most renowned conservatories in Europe. As a composer, Reinecke is best known for his numerous piano compositions. Many of his exercises, sonatinas, canons, and nursery rhymes became standards of the student piano repertoire, along with his successful concertos for flute and harp.

Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D major, Op. 283 was one of his last compositions, completed in 1908. The first movement opens with a glimpse of the beautiful flute melody before the orchestra enters with a solid introduction for the proper virtuosic entrance of the soloist. The movement proceeds in a turbulent mixture of dance rhythms, emotional intensity, and mystical melodies that heighten the listener’s excitement. The suspense continues with the mysterious and foreboding introduction of the second movement, over which the soloist’s wafting, lyrical melody soars. The third and final movement opens with a much more playful feeling, as solo melody and orchestra skip along. Occasional moments of unanticipated intensity from the orchestra interrupt the light flute solo, until the soloist assumes a dramatic tone and embarks on a whirlwind display of virtuosic skill. The Concerto concludes with a final, unified statement of orchestra and soloist together.

Flutist Eduardo Enrique Gómez enjoys a versatile career as orchestral player, soloist, teacher and technician. He began his studies in his native Venezuela, moving to Montreal, Canada in 1997 after winning a position with the Montreal Symphonic Community Orchestra. Mr. Gómez toured Brazil, Mexico, Curaçao, Spain and France in 1998, with the Lara Symphonic Orchestra. He has performed as soloist with a number of orchestras. He has been invited twice to perform with the prestigious Annual National Flute Association Convention, performing with the Flutist’s National Orchestra of Venezuela. Mr. Gómez has taught at festivals throughout Latin America. He has three recordings to his credit. In addition to his performance career, Mr. Gómez is a Flute Finisher Technician for Nagahara Flutes in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

David Feltner (born 1959)
Piccolo Concerto

“I was delighted when … Eduardo Gomez asked me to write a piccolo concerto for him. He specifically wanted to showcase a new model of piccolo, the Nagahara Mini, which has a new design that overcomes many of the limitations of the traditional piccolo…” An innovative design extends the low register, and an increase in the diameter of the tone hole size provides additional ventilation that expands the possibilities of musical expression, offering a wider range of dynamic contrast and broader tone color palette.

“I was excited to write a new work that features all these new advances. I also decided to make a special tribute to Eduardo by using the initials of his name (E and G), as well as the other letters in his name that are common note names (D and A), both as melodic motives and as main key areas. Conveniently, these also correspond to the open strings of the violins and bass, creating lots of possibilities for using natural harmonics.” [A harmonic is a high-pitched tone produced by lightly touching (not pressing) the string in precisely the right place.] The Concerto is in two movements:

The Night Sky (first movement) “was inspired by a clear night, when the stars are coming out. It begins in stillness and reflection, and over time is transformed into a bright glow. The pure voice of the piccolo floats high above, and a celestial chorus sings in sustained chords.

Wind in the Trees was inspired by a phrase that appeared in my inbox from Spanish Word A Day: susurro: whisper. Example sentence: ‘Todo el mundo ha oído el susurro del viento entre las copas de los árboles.’ (‘Everyone has heard the whisper of the wind through the treetops.’) I loved the imagery and thought the sound of the word ‘susurro’ had an appealing onomatopoeic quality to it. The movement starts quietly, with the strings playing sul ponticello [right above the bridge of the instrument, producing an eerie sound] gradually building until the trees are dancing in the wind.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732—1809)
Symphony No. 94 in G, “Surprise”

I. Adagio – Vivace assai
II. Andante
III. Menuetto: Allegro molto
IV. Finale: Allegro molto

Franz Joseph Haydn, affectionately known as “Papa” Haydn, overcame a childhood of hunger and hardship by his cheerful nature, musical talent, hard work and sheer will, to become a groundbreaking composer of the Classical Era. He was a friend and mentor of Mozart, and a tutor of Beethoven. Haydn was honored as the Father of the Symphony, and of the String Quartet. Born into a musical family in the small village of Rohrau, Austria, Haydn recalled later that music was important, and that they frequently sang with their neighbors. His father was an enthusiastic folk musician who taught himself to play the harp. Recognizing his son’s talent, Haydn’s parents sent him to live with a relative and choirmaster in Hainburg, at age 6. He never again lived with his parents. Despite hunger and neglect, he learned to play harpsichord and violin, and sang in the church choir. In 1739, he passed an audition for St. Stephens Cathedral, and moved to Vienna, where he studied Latin, voice, violin and keyboard. Always a prankster, Haydn was dismissed in 1749 for cutting off the pigtail of a fellow chorister. Taken in by a friend, he began his struggles to pursue a career as a freelance musician. As valet-accompanist for Italian composer Nicola Porpora, Haydn later said he learned “the true fundamentals of composition.” With no systematic training in music theory and composition, Haydn worked his way through the counterpoint exercises in the text of Johann Joseph Fux, and studied the works of Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach. In 1761, Haydn had the good fortune to obtain a position in the court of the wealthy Esterházy family, where he remained for the rest of his life. Haydn’s prodigious output includes 104 symphonies, 26 operas, 14 masses, and a wealth of chamber music.

Haydn expanded the structure of the symphony from three movements to four. This innovation was adopted by Mozart and Beethoven. Symphony No. 94 is one of Haydn’s most well known compositions. Written during Haydn’s first trip to London (1791—1792), the Symphony No. 94 begins with a slow introduction to an energetic first movement; a slow second movement; a third movement in the form of a minuet and trio, leading to a final, rapid fourth movement. The second movement is an Andante theme and variations in C major.

Haydn’s sense of humor was surpassed only by his musical creativity. The sudden fortissimo chord in the Andante was not in the original manuscript. As the story goes, Haydn was conducting the Symphony’s premier when he heard someone snoring during the serene Andante. He reacted by eliciting an unexpected dynamic contrast from the orchestra, bringing the snoozing patron to his feet. Hence the moniker, Surprise Symphony. Whether or not the lore is true, the now famous chord became part of the work and can still make even the most familiar listener startle.