Ravinia 2021 - Issue 2

TODD ROSENBERG (STERN) little opera comes to me so quickly that I can hardly keep pace, each piece wants to jump ahead of the previous one. Sometimes I begin one before the last is finished.” The full opera was composed and orchestrated between Au- gust 1860 and February 25, 1862. Working in unfamiliar comic surroundings, Berlioz cre- ated his last theatrical masterpiece, which premiered on August 9, 1862. (Thirty-one years later, Giuseppe Verdi would travel a similar path in his operatic swan song based on Shakespeare’s Falstaff .) Béatrice et Bénédict opens with the victori- ous return of Sicilian troops after their recent conquest of the Moors. Leonato, the governor of Messina, informs his daughter Héro and her cousin Béatrice that Claudio and Béné- dict have returned safely with the others. Héro sings of her love for Claudio; Béatrice ridicules Bénédict. Through cunning trick- ery, Béatrice and Bénédict discover love for one another by the end of the opera. LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–90) West Side Story Medley (arranged by Joshua Bell, William David Brohn, and Charles Czarnecki) Scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, bass trombone, tuba, keyboard (piano, harp, and celesta), snare drum, timbales, marimba, suspended cymbal, castanets, tambourine, triangle, bass drum, timpani, strings, and solo violin and soprano For notes on West Side Story , see page 55. –Program notes © 2021 Todd E. Sullivan Hector Berlioz by lphonse Legros (c. 1860) FELIX MENDELSSOHN “Ah, ritorna, età dell’oro” Ah, ritorna [bell’] età dell’oro alla terra abbandonata, se non fosti immaginata, nel sognar felicità! —Pietro Metastasio, Il trionfo di Clelia Fu il mondo allor felice che un tenero arboscello, un limpido ruscello le genti alimnetò. Sì, sì! —Pietro Metastasio, Giustino LÉO DELIBES Les filles de Cadix Nous venions de voir le taureau, Trois garçons, trois fillettes, Sur la pelouse, il faisait beau, Et nous dansions un boléro Au son des castagnettes. “Dites-moi, voisin, Si j’ai bonne mine, Et si ma basquine Va bien ce matin. Vous me trouvez la taille fine? … Ah! ah! Les filles de Cadix aiment assez cela.” Et nous dansions un boléro, Un soir, c’était dimanche, Vers nous s’en vint un hidalgo Cousu d’or, la plume au chapeau, Et la poing sur la hanche: “Si tu veux de moi, Brune au doux sourire, Tu n’as qu’à le dire, Cette or est à toi. —Passez votre chemin, beau sire … Ah! ah! Les filles de Cadix n’entendent pas cela.” FERDINAND HÉROLD “Jours de mon enfance” Jours de mon enfance, Ô jours d’innocence! Votre souvenance Est pour moi le bonheur. Malgré la cour et malgré le roi, Mergy, je veux n’être qu’à toi! Oui, Marguerite en qui j’espère, Protège une pauvre étrangère. Elle m’a dit en souriant: “Rassurez-vous, un pauvre enfant.” Oui, malgré la cour, malgré le roi, Mergy, je veux n’être qu’à toi! Ô Dieu du jeune âge Par un doux présage Soutiens mon courage, Inspire-moi, J’espère en toi. Rassure-toi pauvre Isabelle L’amitié te sera fidèle. Ah, return [beautiful] golden age to the abandoned land, if you weren’t imagined in dreaming of happiness. The world was happier then than a tender sapling. A clear stream nourished the people. Yes, yes! We were coming from seeing the bull, three boys, and three girls. Everything on the lawn looked beautiful, and we were dancing a bolero to the sound of the castanets. “Tell me, neighbor, if I look good and if my Basque corset fits well this morning. Do you think my waist looks slender? … Ah! ah! The girls of Cadiz love it so much.” And we were dancing a bolero one evening—it was Sunday— when toward us approached a gentleman wearing gold embroidery, a feather in his hat, and a fist on his hip. “If you want me, little brunette with the sweet smile, you just have to say so, and the gold is yours.” “Move along, handsome sir … Ah! ah! The girls of Cadiz don’t listen to that kind of talk.” Days of my childhood, oh, days of innocence! Your memory is dear to me. Despite the court, despite the king, Mergy, I want to be only yours. Yes, Marguerite, in whom I hope, protect a poor stranger. She said to me with a smile: “Rest assured, my child.” Yes, despite the court, despite the king, Mergy, I want to be only yours. Oh, God of young age, by a sweet omen sustain my courage. Inspire me. I hope in you. Rest assured, poor Isabelle, friendship will be faithful to you. MICHAEL STERN, conductor First completing undergraduate studies in American history at Harvard, Michael Stern, the son of violinist Isaac, subsequently earned a music degree at the Curtis Institute under the guidance of Max Rudolf, whose textbook The Grammar of Conducting he later co-ed- ited. He is currently music director of the Kansas City Symphony and founding artistic director and principal conductor of the IRIS Orchestra, having led each for 16 and 21 sea- sons respectively, and was recently named music director of the Stamford Symphony. Since 2008, Stern and the Kansas City Sym- phony have partnered with Reference Re- cordings, recently releasing new music from American composer Adam Schoenberg as well as Gustav Holst’s The Planets , and albums of Elgar, Sibelius, and Saint-Saëns. With the IRIS Orchestra, Stern puts special emphasis on American contemporary music, including on recordings for the Naxos and Arabesque labels, having commissioned and premiered works by such composers as William Bolcom, Chris Brubeck, Richard Danielpour, Stephen Hartke, Edgar Meyer, Jonathan Leshnoff, Ned Rorem, and Huang Ruo, among others. Having previously served of the faculty of the Aspen’s American Academy of Conduct- ing, Stern regularly returns to the festival as a guest, and he has also led such ensembles as the Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, National, Pittsburgh, and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestras, the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, and the New York Philharmonic. Annually he conducts the Guangzhou Symphony Orches- tra as part of YouthMusic Culture Guangdong with Yo-Yo Ma and the National Repertory Orchestra. His credits overseas also include guest conducting the London Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras, Royal Stockholm, Helsinki, Israel, and Moscow Philharmonics, and the Vienna Radio Symphony in addition to previously holding titled positions with the Saarbrücken Radio Symphony in Germany and the Lyon and Lille National Orchestras in France. Michael Stern simultaneously made his Ravinia and CSO debuts in 1995, and he returned to the festival in 2011, 2017, and 2018. RAVINIA MAGAZINE • JULY 24 – AUGUST 15, 2021 64