Senior PACO

Concert Program Notes:

Antonin Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 - Iona Liu, violin - Senior PACO

Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was the first Bohemian composer to receive worldwide recognition and was known for turning folk music into Romantic music. Although he was meant to become a butcher and join his family business, he switched careers due to his musical talent, learning the violin, organ, piano, and viola. Dvořák eventually began to compose, writing string quartets and attempting symphonies. In 1870, he wrote his first opera and continued to write several more. While he had begun to be recognized in Prague at the age of 33, Dvořák was virtually unknown outside the area. However, at the Austrian State Prize, Dvořák impressed Johannes Brahms with his inventiveness and musical lines. Brahms became a mentor to Dvořák, promoting his music, arranging for performances, introducing him, and helping with editing and proofreading. Dvořák was an avid train fanatic; he was obsessed with the arrivals and departures of trains and memorized their schedules. Outside of composing, conducting, and performing, he would spend hours at the Franz Josef I station, making records, befriending railroad workers, and watching the trains.

It was at this age of 33 that Dvořák composed his Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 (1875), one of his most popular orchestral works. He wrote the work in under two weeks. The five movement work is characterized by its upbeat dance motives, lyrical melodies, and folk influences. The Serenade’s first movement, Moderato, introduces a mellow, lyrical main theme, which is traded throughout the sections, and gradually builds in energy. Then, the Tempo di Valse is a quicker, lively waltz with a syncopated melody. The Vivace is an energetic and playful movement, but still includes the lyrical aspects from the previous movements. It features Dvořák’s Bohemian themes. Movement four, Larghetto, is then the slowest and calmest movement, greatly contrasting the previous movement. It sets a few themes that reappear in the fifth movement. The finale, Allegro vivace, features many call and response motifs between the upper and lower strings and is full of syncopation. It pulls melodies from other movements, namely the 4th and brings the entire piece to a thrilling and captivating end.

Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 - Emma Spence, cello - Senior PACO

In 1936, the American composer Samuel Barber took a vacation with his partner, Gian Carlo Menotti, throughout Europe. While on this trip, Barber was struck with a jolt of inspiration that prompted the writing of his String Quartet Op.11. This work is based on Virgil’s didactic poem Georgics. It is composed of three movements: Molto allegro e appassionato, Adagio and Molto allegro (come prima) – Presto. The fiery and energetic first and third movements enclose a slow and hauntingly beautiful Adagio.

In 1938, Barber arranged the Adagio for String Orchestra (which he consequently named Adagio for Strings), the orchestration of which he sent to the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini was so moved by the orchestration that he performed it across both Europe and South America. Though the opening night received mixed reactions from critics, the piece has presently taken its place in the classical cannon. The piece calls back to an archaic Renaissance- adjacent chant. Though simple, the work is full of raw, human emotion: the profoundness of the notes is the draw, not the ornamentation. Each chord is stacked with tension and a deep sense of melancholy and longing.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Four Novelletten for String Orchestra, Op. 52 - Justine Liu, violin - Senior PACO

British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was born to a white, English mother and a Sierra Leonean father. He was raised by his single mother, and picked up violin at a young age. His musical talent led him to the Royal College of Music at fifteen years of age, where he began studying composition. Coleridge-Taylor, working under Charles Villiers Stanford, was recognized for his skill, sometimes receiving more attention than his classmates Ralph Vaughan-Williams and Gustav Holst. In the 1890s, he grew curious about his heritage and explored Pan-Africanism in America. From then on, his composition style blended traditional African tunes with European classical music. 

In 1903, Coleridge-Taylor took inspiration from Robert Schumann’s 8 Novelletten for solo piano and infused elements from his African heritage. The result was a piece filled with lyrical melodies and romantic sentimentality: his Four Novelletten for String Orchestra, Op. 52, a four movement work written for string orchestra, triangle, and tambourine. The first movement, Allegro moderato, is a graceful and lively opener while the second movement, Larghetto, is composed of two flowing motifs: one duple and one triple. The third movement, Andante con moto, features an emotional solo violin line, expressing the composer’s love for his instrument. Finally, the vibrant fourth movement, Allegro Molto, concludes the piece in a rush of energy and excitement.

Scenes from the concert: