Chicago Philharmonic 2021-2022

THE CHICAGO PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY | 2021-2022 SEASON 9 Chicago Philharmonic 2021 2022 SEASON Out of the Silence Sunday, September 12, 3:00pm North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Scott Speck conductor Njioma Grevious violin Sergey Gutorov clarinet WILLIAM GRANT STILL Out of the Silence (1939) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 (1791) I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Rondo: Allegro Intermission MARCUS NORRIS Glory (2019) AARON COPLAND Appalachian Spring (1944) Performance time is approximately 2 hours WILLIAM GRANT STILL (1895-1978) Out of the Silence (1939) WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791) Clarinet Concerto in A Major (1791) MARCUS NORRIS (b. 1991) Glory (2019) William Grant Still is perhaps best known today as the rst African American to conduct a major American orchestra, and to have his own composition performed by one. Although this was an extraordinary feat, Still’s legacy is much more complex. Born in Mississippi in 1895 and raised in Arkansas, Still mingled with some of the greatest musicians and thinkers of the 20th century. He studied with French musique concrète pioneer Edgard Varèse, arranged music for Artie Shaw and Paul Whiteman, and worked on Broadway and in the lm industry. It is o en argued that George Gershwin, known to be a fan of Still’s, copied melodies from Still and many other black artists of his era. While we may never know whether Gershwin copied Still or was simply inspired by him, Still’s innovative blends of blues, jazz, and classical music certainly pre-date Gershwin’s. Out of the Silence , the fourth movement of Still’s mystical Seven Traceries , was written for his wife, pianist Verna Arvey, and later arranged for ute, piano, and strings. e title likely refers to the warm piano melody which gently breaks up the surrounding chilly, dissonant chords. Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major stands as the nal major work the composer wrote, just a er e Magic Flute and La clemenza di Tito . It was written for Anton Stadler, a fellow drinker, gambler, and fair-weather friend of Mozart’s. Stadler’s character was apparently a little sour (he owed Mozart a great sum of money at the time of his death), but Mozart greatly enjoyed his company, and his musical talent was undeniable. With Stadler as a muse, Mozart wrote pages upon pages of fabulous music for clarinet, including the magni cent Clarinet Concerto. e Concerto has the intimate feel of chamber music, with smaller forces and plenty of meticulous interplay between the soloist and orchestra. Here, Mozart abandons the bold timpani, trumpets, and extended cadenzas of his earlier piano concertos. Instead, he highlights the versatility of the clarinet: the soloist wallows in the lonely Adagio and then leaps through e ervescent scales and arpeggios in the lively Rondo. " Glory is inspired by trying to reach triumph, despite adversity, and trying not to lose your heart in the process. Commissioned by the Jackson Symphony Orchestra, I was challenged to try to write a piece inspired by Beethoven’s rst piano concerto. Beethoven was a German composer from the 1800s, and I’m a Black American kid that came up in the 90s... As much admiration, reverence, and respect as I have for Beethoven, it's only natural that our culture, musical vocabulary, sensibilities, and life experiences are vastly di erent.