Ravinia 2022, Issue 3

Oh you men who think or say that I am malevo- lent, stubborn, or misanthropic, how greatly do you wrong me. You do not know the secret cause which makes me seem that way to you. From childhood on, my heart and soul have been full of the tender feeling of goodwill, and I was ever in- clined to accomplish great things. But, think that for six years now I have been hopelessly afflicted … finally compelled to face the prospect of a last- ing malady (whose cure will take years or, per- haps, be impossible). Though born with a fiery, active temperament, even susceptible to the di- versions of society, I was soon compelled to with- draw myself, to live life alone. If at times I tried to forget all this, oh how harshly was I flung back by the doubly sad experience of my bad hearing. Yet it was impossible for me to say to people, ‘Speak louder, shout, for I am deaf.’ Ah, how could I pos- sibly admit an infirmity in the one sense which ought to be more perfect in me than in others, a sense which I once possessed in the highest per- fection, a perfection such as few in my profession enjoy or ever have enjoyed.—Oh I cannot do it; therefore forgive me when you see me draw back when I would have gladly mingled with you. Had this document been discovered during Beethoven’s lifetime, his aloofness might have been better understood and forgiven. Beethoven continued to compose during this disheartening period, producing among oth- er works the Symphony No. 2 in D major. Completed in 1802, its score was dedicated to Prince Karl von Lichnowsky, one of his patrons. At the first performance on April 5, 1803, Beethoven programmed several other large-scale compositions, among them his Symphony No. 1 in C major, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, and oratorio Christus am Ölberg . The Symphony No. 2 marked a turn- ing point in Beethoven’s musical language. In many respects it continued the Classical sym- phonic tradition of Haydn and Mozart. Indi- vidual movements follow rather conventional designs, and the themes owe much to the 18th century. Beethoven revealed the Romantic side of his personality in a new breadth of expres- sion, which would emerge more fully in the Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major (“Eroica”). –Program notes © 2022 Todd E. Sullivan The village of Heiligenstadt JERI LYNNE JOHNSON, conductor For Jeri Lynne Johnson’s biography, see page 44. RASHADA DAWAN, Grown Narrator A proud Chicago South Shore native, Ra- shada Dawan is known for her powerhouse voice and commanding stage presence. She has cultivated a variety of television, concert, and theatrical stage credits across the United States and is grateful for every opportunity to bring joy through the arts. The executive director of B. FLi Productions, she is also a Jeff Award–nominated actress. Dawan’s stage credits include Shenzi in the “Gazelle” national touring company of Disney’s The Lion King ; Mayme in Intimate Apparel with Northlight Theatre; Gloria in Madagascar as well as roles in Junie B. Jones and The Nut- cracker at the Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire; Elf: The Musical at the Paramount Theatre Aurora; the title role of Caroline, or Change with Firebrand and TimeLine Theatre; Djem- be with Foresight Theatricals; Something in the Game with the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University’s Wirtz Center; The Winner of Our Discontent and A Red Line Runs Through It with Second City; Elton John’s Aida at The Muny in Saint Louis; and Dynamite Divas , Black White Love Play , and The Other Cinderella with Black Ensem- ble Theatre. On screen, Dawan has had roles in Chicago PD , Shameless , Hope Springs Eter- nal , Easy , The Red Line , Proven Innocent , 61st Street , and The Chi . ZIARE PAUL-EMILE, Young Narrator Recently a graduate of Northwestern Univer- sity with a bachelor’s degree in theater and a musical theater certificate, Ziare Paul-Emile made her professional debut as Bet in Oliver! at the Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire and had begun rehearsals to appear as Savannah in Disney’s Freaky Friday with Porchlight Mu- sic Theatre in early 2020. At Northwestern, her credits included Adelaide in Guys and Dolls , Nia in In the Red and Brown Water , Sarah understudy in Ragtime , and roles in The Who’s Tommy and Water by the Spoonful . Additionally, among other performances in connection with the university, she traveled to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with North- western’s American Music Theatre Project to perform Legacy: A Mother’s Song and work with artists from the Royal Conservatory of Scotland. NIK KMIECIK, Someone Else Nik Kmiecik is a graduate from North Cen- tral College in Naperville and has regularly been performing in and around Chicago for the past seven years. His local credits include Andrej in Once at the Paramount Theatre; A Christmas Carol at Drury Lane Theater; Twelfth Night at Writers Theatre; SS! Twelfth Night , SS! Macbeth , Love’s Labour’s Lost , and Henry V at the Chicago Shakspeare Theatre; Can-Can , Minnie’s Boys , Call Me Madam , and Broadway in Your Backyard with Porchlight Music Theatre; Hello Again at Theo Ubique; The Hundred Dresses at the Chicago Chil- dren’s Theatre; Frankinland with Jackalope Theatre; The Distance with Haven Theatre; and Edward Tulane and Pinocchio with Fila- ment Theatre. CHICAGO SINFONIETTA Since its founding in 1987 by Paul Freeman, the Chicago Sinfonietta has been an acclaimed cultural leader and a powerful champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in orchestras, in both its programming and the composi- tion of the ensemble itself. The Sinfonietta has performed in Orchestra Hall in down- town Chicago since its inception, and it is has also been in residence at Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College in Naperville since 2011. Its first two decades were highlighted by six European tours with Freeman, as well as two performances at the Kennedy Center, 15 recordings, and a nine-year relationship with The Joffrey Ballet as its official orchestra. In 2011 Mei-Ann Chen succeeded Freeman as music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, and the orchestra was honored with both AS- CAP’s and the League of American Orches- tras’ awards for adventurous programming after her first season. The ensemble has since been featured in Symphony magazine for its model of programming, and it has also been recognized with a MacArthur Award for Cre- ative and Effective Institutions—the “genius award” for non-profit organizations—in 2016 and a League of American Orchestras Cat- alyst Award for institutional development and anti-racism training in 2020. Beyond its critical acclaim for performances of both standard repertoire and music by composers of color—introducing generations of concert- goers to “new” works and bringing attention to deserving but under-recognized compos- ers—the Chicago Sinfonietta is celebrated for its myriad education and community programs. Its classroom programs include Audience Matters, focusing on 4th–6th grade students in partnership with more than 20 Chicago Public Schools and nine Aurora schools, and Student Ensembles with Ex- cellence and Diversity (SEED), a mentoring program for talented high school musicians. The Residents Orchestrate Project reimagines the role that the orchestra can play in histor- ically under-resourced Chicago neighbor- hoods. And the Sinfonietta’s nationally rec- ognized Project Inclusion fellowships train and mentor of young musicians in the areas of administration, ensemble performance, conducting, and composition. The Chicago Sinfonietta first appeared at Ravinia in 2004 for the American premiere of the Zulu opera Princess Magogo , and today returns for its sixth season at Ravinia. RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIA MAGAZINE 53