CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Sunday, November 16th, 2008 at 2:00 PM

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor
Eyal Ein-Habar, Flute
David McFerrin, Baritone

BERNSTEIN Halil
BERNSTEIN Concerto for Orchestra, "Jubilee Games"
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4

Encores:
PUCCINI Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut
ABREU Tico-Tico No Fubá

This concert is made possible by the generous support of Nash Family Foundation.

This concert is also made possible by a generous gift from Linda and Stuart Nelson.

Major funding for Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds has been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Alice Tully Foundation, American Express, Bob and Martha Lipp, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, Nash Family Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. A. Alfred Taubman.

Additional funding provided by GWFF USA Inc., and Linda and Stuart Nelson.

Generous support has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Program Notes:

LEONARD BERNSTEIN (1918–1990)
Halil

Halil was first performed at Carnegie Hall on September 22, 1985, with Ransom Wilson, flute, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Bernstein.

The last decade in the life of Leonard Bernstein was an almost frantic period of traveling, composing, teaching, and performing all over the world. In 1980, in addition to international conducting and recording programs, he wrote the delightful, eight-movement Divertimento for Orchestra for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s centenary season; Touches, a virtuoso test piece for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; and, later in the year, A Musical Toast (for orchestra), dedicated to the memory of the conductor André Kostelanetz.

In the winter of 1980–81, Bernstein composed Halil (the Hebrew word for flute), which he described as a nocturne for solo flute, string orchestra, and percussion. The work is dedicated “to the spirit of Yadin and his fallen brothers.” Yadin Tanenbaum was an Israeli flutist killed in the 1973 war and, although Bernstein never met him, he said: “I know his spirit.”

As he had done before, the composer uses the conflict between tonal and non-tonal music to express the struggle between the anguish of war and the desire to live in peace, and the work moves between an angular 12-tone row and moments of great lyricism. He also borrows the language of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, and the Nocturne of the title is Bartókian “night music,” in which there is “an ongoing conflict of nocturnal images: wish dreams, nightmares, repose, sleeplessness, night terrors—and sleep itself, Death’s twin brother.” In this last description, Bernstein, a lifelong insomniac, might have been describing his own troubled feelings.

As with many Bernstein works, there is a program. A 12-tone flute melody leads to a series of continuous variations. It remains lyrical, until the strings and percussion build to a climax, against which the flute re-enters in “singing” fashion. “Shrieking” and “crude” episodes follow (the horrors of war) before lyricism returns, but the flute is now silent, suggesting the death of the protagonist. Halil is a work that can be appreciated without reference to program notes. It is an immediately accessible flute concerto, often presented in contemporary programs.


LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Concerto for Orchestra, “Jubilee Games”

Tonight’s performance marks the Carnegie Hall premiere of the Concerto for Orchestra.

Bernstein’s Concerto for Orchestra was a work in progress over five years. He began it in the summer of 1985, writing Jubilee Games in two movements (Free-Style Events and Diaspora Dances) for the 50th anniversary of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1986. Composed in a hurry, and because of time pressures, he planned additional movements at a later date. The first of these was an Opening Prayer, for baritone and orchestra, written in 1986 for the re-opening of Carnegie Hall. By 1989, he had completed an extended set of variations, which became the new second movement (the prayer became a fourth movement, Benediction), and the work was re-titled Concerto for Orchestra.

Throughout his career, Bernstein was often accused of being a “reactionary” composer, but the criticism was misinformed. He wrote from the heart in an eclectic, personal, “American” style that he developed over many years and, although he never chose to become part of any current musical fashion, he still experimented. Aleatory music (taken from the Latin aleator: a dice thrower) had been around for centuries. Mozart wrote a musical game in which 12 interchangeable musical phrases could be chosen at random from a throw of dice. In the 20th century, Charles Ives experimented with chance and improvisation, and many leading composers like Pierre Boulez composed aleatory works. It was only natural that Bernstein, a man who loved crosswords, anagrams, word games, and puzzles, would try his hand at such musical mental gymnastics.

Bernstein introduced both aleatory and numerological techniques into Concerto for Orchestra. Following Biblical injunction, every 50th year is celebrated with the sounding of the ram’s horn (shofar), and the work opens thus, while players in the orchestra shout sheva (Hebrew for seven) seven times, followed by hamishim (50) to acknowledge the 50th birthday. In addition, players improvise their parts, sometimes playing to accompany pre-recorded tapes.

The second movement presents a theme and variations of greater simplicity, with unusual couplings of instruments (flute with horn, trumpet with double-bass, clarinet with trombone, timpani and percussion, alto flute with bass clarinet etc.). As Bernstein changed the title of the work to Concerto for Orchestra (also the name of a work by Bartók that he greatly admired and frequently conducted), it has been suggested that he may have been inspired by the second movement of the Bartók work, Giuoco delle coppie (Play of Couples).

The third movement involves some complicated mathematics, combined with gematria (assigning numerical values to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet). The first dance tune is in 18/8 time, and the orchestra whispers hai and hayyim (“alive” and “life”). This unusual meter was chosen because the letters form the numerical equivalent of 18. Further complications include mathematical allusions to the founding of the orchestra in 1936, and the number of “just men” that God requires in each generation. This is only a brief analysis of Bernstein’s extraordinary thought processes. What emerges are delightful, rhythmical dances that recall his own Hassidic origins and, in his words, “a New Yorkish kind of jazz,” adding, “Horas are strictly excluded, as is whatever could slither in under the rubric of “disco”!

The final movement is typical of Bernstein’s “thoughtful” style, and the singer intones (in Hebrew) words from the Book of Numbers that are equally familiar to the Christian world: “May the Lord bless and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”

As ever, Bernstein’s final message prays for peace.


PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)
Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36

Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 received its Carnegie Hall premiere on November 18, 1892, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Anton Seidl.

Like his colleagues Borodin (doctor), Mussorgsky (military), Rimsky-Korsakov (naval officer) and Cui (military), Pyotr Tchaikovsky might well have undertaken music as a secondary occupation to his career in the Ministry of Justice. His great fortune was a new Conservatory of Music, founded in St. Petersburg by Anton Rubinstein in 1862, and Tchaikovsky enrolled there in 1863, moving to Moscow in 1865 as a member of the staff of another new conservatory established there by Anton’s brother, Nikolay Rubinstein. He remained there for more than a decade, until financial assistance from a rich widow, Nadezhda von Meck (whom he never ever met), allowed him to devote his life to composing.

In the spring of 1877, when he had more or less completed sketches for his Fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky found himself “stalked” by a troubled young woman, Antonina Milyukova, who claimed she had known him at the Moscow Conservatory. She avowed her love, and threatened suicide if he rejected her. Tchaikovsky, aware of his own homosexuality, visited her, and told her, quite kindly, that he could not love her.

By a curious coincidence, he had recently read Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, and was inspired by it as the subject of his next opera. As he worked on the project, his imagination was stirred by Onegin’s cruel rejection of Tatyana and, almost on the spur of the moment, he returned to Antonina and proposed marriage, but made it clear that there could be no physical relationship between them.

In the next period, he completed the sketches of his Fourth Symphony, and immediately began work on Eugene Onegin. By the time he returned to Moscow, for a July wedding, he had already completed two-thirds of the opera. His marriage was a disaster and, by the first week of August, he fled from his wife, pretending that he was taking a cure in the Caucasus. While there, he scored some of the Fourth Symphony and continued work on Onegin. The beginning of the Conservatory year forced his return to Moscow and, following an unsuccessful suicide attempt, he left the country, traveling to Switzerland, France, and Italy. Fortunately, the Conservatory continued to pay his salary, and Madame von Meck added a large sum that would give him financial independence. He completed the scoring of the Symphony in January 1878.

In a letter to Mme. Von Meck, to whom the Symphony is dedicated, Tchaikovsky, explaining that it was difficult to give words to musical ideas, gives a brief outline of the symphony’s intentions. The dramatic opening theme represents Fate, from which one cannot escape, although daydreams (represented by the clarinet) offer an occasional refuge. For an instant, there is joy, but this is eventually shattered by reality and Fate.

In the second movement, the composer recalls the weariness of evening, in which happiness and troubles are remembered. An oboe solo suggests the bitter-sweet amalgam of such memories. The Scherzo, played with pizzicato strings, suggests a series of fleeting images that color the imagination after a glass or two of wine: friends drinking, a street song, a distant band of soldiers passing by.

The Finale suggests an optimistic response to gloom in the pleasure of other people’s company, helped by a second theme, based on a Russian folk song. Suddenly, like the ghost of Banquo, the Fate theme dramatically returns, but joy triumphs, and the symphony ends on a positive note.

—Paul Myers

Copyright © 2008 by The Carnegie Hall Corporation

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) is one of Israel’s oldest and most influential cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1936, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has dedicated itself to presenting the world’s greatest music to audiences in Israel and around the world. Founded by Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, the IPO represents the fulfillment of his dream “to unite the desire of the country for an orchestra with the desire of the Jewish musicians for a country.” Huberman spent countless hours persuading first-chair musicians of Eastern European and German orchestras, who had lost their jobs as a result of Nazism, to immigrate to Palestine. In doing so, Huberman created an “orchestra of soloists” which, under the esteemed leadership of Zubin Mehta, continues to absorb new immigrants and serve as a gathering point for musicians from all over the world.

Major soloists and conductors have always performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Its inaugural concert was conducted by Arturo Toscanini, who felt his participation was a means to demonstrate his opposition to Fascism. Its members traveled in armored cars to play in a besieged Jerusalem during the War of Independence, and, among Israelis, the memory of IPO Laureate Conductor Leonard Bernstein conducting the Orchestra in front of 5,000 soldiers on the Negev dunes after the battle for Beersheba is a historic moment. Through it all, the Orchestra has enjoyed associations with such renowned artists as Emanuel Ax, Daniel Barenboim, Yefim Bronfman, Principal Guest Conductor Yoel Levi, Yo-Yo Ma, Lorin Maazel, Honorary Guest Conductor Kurt Masur, Itzhak Perlman, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Arthur Rubinstein, Gil Shaham, Isaac Stern, and Pinchas Zukerman. These artists’ time and talent have enriched the cultural life of Israel and have helped the Orchestra to maintain its high artistic standards.

The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra has played a prominent role in many celebrations and important historic milestones for the State of Israel and remains an eloquent voice for peace in Israel and around the world.


Gustavo Dudamel’s remarkable artistry, along with his unique ability to communicate and become one with an orchestra, have helped to establish him as one of today’s leading figures in the music world. His exceptional gift, together with contagious energy, on as well as off stage, takes musicians and listeners on a memorable journey. Currently the Music Director of Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, he becomes the Music Director of Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2009–2010, and enters his tenth year as Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

Mr. Dudamel made his first appearance with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005 in Tel Aviv, and has returned to lead the ensemble in more than 30 concerts, including the opening concert of the 49th Spoleto Festival in July 2006. Whether during times of unrest or relative tranquility, Mr. Dudamel’s commitment to the IPO and the music has been unwavering: Two summers ago, for example, he led an IPO performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in Haifa just minutes after Hezbollah rockets rained down on the coastal city—echoing similar experiences of Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, and Zubin Mehta.

Mr. Dudamel’s 2008–2009 season opened in October with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra tour of Europe. Following tonight’s performance, the IPO’s US tour will continue at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC; Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center; San Diego’s Civic Theatre; Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa; and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. A two-week subscription concert series with the Los Angeles Philharmonic will follow. In December Mr. Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra will embark on a debut Asian tour to Japan, China, and Korea.

Born in 1981 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Mr. Dudamel studied violin at the Jacinto Lara Conservatory and at the Latin American Academy of Violin. In 1996 he began conducting studies with Rodolfo Saglimbeni and, the same year, was named music director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. In 1999, he assumed the music director position of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. Mr. Dudamel was awarded the 2007 Royal Philharmonic Society Music Award for Young Artists. He has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2005.

Eyal Ein-Habar, Flute
Israeli-born flutist Eyal Ein-Habar has appeared as soloist with numerous Israeli orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta, and on a concert series with Jean-Pierre Rampal and the Israel Sinfonietta. Mr. Ein-Habar has appeared with orchestras in Europe and Asia and has given recitals throughout Israel, Germany, India, and Taiwan. An active chamber musician, he is a founding member of the New Israeli Woodwind Quintet and a member of both the Israeli Flute Quartet and the Carmel Trio. In addition, he has appeared at chamber music festivals in Europe including the Schleswig-Holstein and Pottsdam Festivals in Germany and the Davos Festival in Switzerland.

A recipient of many prizes in Israel and abroad, including second prize at the Scheveningen International Music Competition (1992) and the Francois Shapira Prize (1996), Mr. Ein-Habar was awarded America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarships between 1983 and 1996. He has made numerous recordings with his chamber ensembles, and has recorded Oeden Partos’s Visions for German Radio in 1992. Mr. Ein-Habar currently serves as Assistant Principal Flutist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

David McFerrin, Baritone
Baritone David McFerrin has sung with the some of the country’s leading opera companies and is a critically acclaimed performer of concert and recital repertoire. Recent operatic performances have included Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Miami’s Seraphic Fir and Mr. Webb in the New York premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town with the Juilliard Opera Center. This past summer he made his international debut as Taddeo in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri at the Rossini Festival in Wildbad, Germany.

Mr. McFerrin’s concert performances have ranged from Mozart arias with the Miami Symphony to Bernstein Broadway classics at the Blossom Music Festival. Last season he presented Schubert’s epic song cycle Die schöne Müllerin in New York, Florida, and Minnesota, and last summer performed recitals as a member of the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. Other recent engagements have included concerts at the Blossom Music Festival, New York Festival of Song, and Five Boroughs Music Festival; a performance of Elliott Carter’s Songs of Robert Frost as part of the composer’s centenary celebration at the Juilliard Focus Festival; and a residency with the French Early Music ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Mr. McFerrin has been a soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion, Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass, Handel’s Messiah and Joshua, Haydn’s Creation, Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem, and the Fauré and Duruflé requiems.

In 2008, Mr. McFerrin was recently awarded a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation, given annually to promising young American opera singers. He has also been a regional finalist the past two years in the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition, recently placing second in the New England Region. Mr. McFerrin is a former member of the Santa Fe Apprentice Artist program. He has also been a Young Artist with the Sarasota and Central City operas, and completed a two-year residency in the Florida Grand Opera Studio. A native of western Massachusetts, he holds degrees from Carleton College and the Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music, and recently completed an Artist Diploma in Opera at The Juilliard School.