Humperdinck - Hänsel und Gretel Vorspiel

Engelbert Humperdinck (The original - not the 60’s and 70’s crooner) was a German composer (1854-1921). His beloved
opera Hänsel and Gretel was based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the same name. His sister wrote some verses and asked her brother Engelbert to set them to music. He presented the work in progress to his fiancée as a Christmas present and then set to expand it into a full, 3-act opera. It premiered in Weimar in 1893 with Richard Strauss conducting and was an immediate success. 

The overture or “vorspiel” contains many of the melodies from the opera, notably the “evening prayer” (“when at night I go to sleep”). I’m sure many a child has had this sung to them as they lie awake worrying about that horrid witch and her oven…

The piece is a masterful blend of colours - his orchestrating prowess inspired by Richard Wagner’s work and close friendship. Hansel and Gretel has become a staple of the repertoire and has introduced thousands of children to the wonders and beauty of opera. 

Lalo - Symphonie Espagnole IV mvt

Lalo’s fame as a composer began to grow during the 1870s as a consequence of several unexpected factors that, happily for him, converged at the same time: the support of the newly formed Société National, support from private individuals, and, perhaps most importantly the support of the great Spanish violinist Pablo de Sarasate, for whom the Symphonie espagnole was written, and who performed it in February of 1875. There is generally not enough importance placed on the role of great instrumentalists and their inspiration given to composers to write for them. One
cannot have one without the other!

We hear today the fourth movement, presenting a sense of melancholy, if not mournfulness. A contrasting section in D major pierces the sadness, as the violin soars toward the brightness of what will come in the last movement.
 
Mozart - Concerto for Violin No. 3 in G Major, K 216

All of Mozart’s five authentic violin concertos were written in the same year to a, then, 19 year old wunderkind!
 
At the time, Mozart was Konzertmeister at the Salzburg court. He wrote concertos for fellow violinist Gaetano Brunetti. The scoring is light, and the solo writing gracefully ornate. The first theme of the opening movement is borrowed from an aria in Mozart’s opera Il rè pastore, premiered in Salzburg a few months earlier. Odd that he would borrow such a thing from himself, as he seemed to have no end of musical ideas pouring out of his pen. He must have loved the idea and sought to show it in a more prominent setting.

Barber - Adagio for Strings

Rarely does a living composer receive such recognition and praise during their lifetime. His Adagio, most notably used in the movie Platoon, brought his name to the greater world in 1983 when the movie was released.
 
The Adagio for Strings is also connected with one of the great names in conducting, Arturo Toscanini, who presented its world premiere with his NBC Symphony on a nationwide broadcast (November 5, 1938) and then took it, as the only work by an American composer, on a tour of South America with the orchestra.
 
The work was originally the slow movement of Barber’s only string quartet, written when he was a student in Rome. The composer's own arrangement is what we hear now. It has been performed on many special occasions - the funerals of Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Princess Grace of Monaco.
 
Haydn - Violin Concerto no. 1 in C major
 
In 1761, Haydn was working for royalty. Notable for the Prince Esterházy in his court as Vice-Kapellmeister. Again, we see that the concerto was written for a specific violin virtuoso, namely Alois Luigi Tomasini, then the first violinist (later concertmaster) of the court orchestra. The concerto, of course, was created to show off Haydn’s skills and inspiration as much as the soloist’s artistry.

The composition utilizes the alternating voices of soloist and orchestra to deliver the beautiful and subtle themes. The
concerto hearkens back to the baroque in some of the dotted rhythms found in the French Baroque overtures, but the skill and communication of Haydn is classical, even at this early stage of his career.
 
Beethoven Leonore Overture #3 
 
Beethoven oddly wrote no less than 4 overtures for his opera Fidelio. None of them seemed to convey the power of the story and the love and fidelity of Leonore, who, disguised as a man under the assumed name of Fidelio, rescues her husband, Florestan, from political imprisonment and imminent death. The overture, oddly, uses little of the material from the opera itself, yet gives us the power and drama required to set the stage.
 
Note the opening as Florestan descends to his dungeon cell, where he awaits his execution. His realization that his love,
Leonore, is responsible for his liberation as we hear the trumpet calls approaching, heralding his freedom. The overture ends in wild jubilation, celebrating his freedom and love for Leonore.

Program notes by Daniel Warren 2026