Program Notes

Concerto for Two Pianos (1932)

Francis Poulenc 1899-1963
Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was born to a wealthy Parisian industrialist family. Looming over Poulenc’s teen years were the devastating horrors of World War I, in which he served. The Great War darkened many of the artists of Poulenc’s day, leading to purposeless music and literary heroes that struggle for no reason or victory… the sign of the ‘lost generation.’ But, young Francis was of a very different nature than many of his contemporary artists. Described as a buoyant and exuberant youth, this inner joy let him rise above the darkness and is reflected in his music.

Poulenc started his musical training on the piano at age 5, and continued on the side as he got older, as his father was determined music would be a hobby while managing the family industrial interest would be his vocation. This changed when both his mother and father passed away before 1918. At that point, his piano teacher, Richardo Vines, also became his spiritual and professional leader. Poulenc was adopted into “The 6” in Paris, where he exchanged music and ideas with other members that included Honegger and Milhaud. They rebelled against both the old Romantics and the new Impressionists as they searched for something “new”. However, through his long composing and performing career, Poulenc remained committed to music that makes the audience feel and connect to something, and the feeling he was best at was a playful joyousness.

Tonight’s selection, the first movement of Concerto pour deux pianos (Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra) in D minor, is a perfect example of Poulenc’s energy and enthusiasm. Written and premiered in 1932 with the composer at one of the keyboards, it was a great success. Both the esoteric critics of the day and the popular audiences responded to the musical joy of this piece. Poulenc himself, thought it was the best thing he had ever done and would commence a new period of creative efforts.

The first movement, Allegro ma non troppo (fast, but not too fast) begins with high energy, and is built on a constant, energetic pattern of moving, punctuated eighth notes that runs through the fast sections. The focus is less on virtuosic display and more on ensemble cooperation between the two soloists and the orchestra, which acts as a third voice. Following a contrasting lyrical section, a slower interlude introduces a unique element: the influence of Javanese Gamelan music, which Poulenc heard in 1931. This distinct style is re-imagined by Poulenc as an ostinato, over which he creates lyrical lines that lead to a serene end of the movement.

Scheherazade

Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov 1844-1908
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was a key figure in creating a distinct Russian musical style for the world’s concert halls. As a prominent member of “The Great Five,” he championed Russian modalities, orchestral colors, and exotic subject matter, becoming a master of using instrumental colors to paint unique imagery. His influence can be heard in the variety and color of works like Stravinsky’s Petrushka.

Tonight’s masterwork Scheherazade, written in 1888, is Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s defining work. This piece, originally a ballet suite, was later gathered into "movements" for a stand-alone concert presentation. The amazing orchestral colors, variety of themes, and eastern modalities are just as alive and vivid tonight as they were 140 years ago when Rimsky-Korsakov first presented it.

The premise of the story centers around Scheherazade, the daughter of a Persian nobleman serving in the court of King Shahyr. As the story goes, King Shahyr, betrayed by his first wife, vowed to execute each new bride before sunrise. Scheherazade volunteered to be the next bride and, being a gifted storyteller, enacted a plan to save her life and the lives of future brides. Night after night, she spun a tale so engaging that the King granted her “one more night” to finish. After 1001 Nights of enchanting tales—of genies, flying carpets, sailing adventures, and magical animals—the King had fallen in love, becoming a ruler known for wisdom and mercy. This transformation is the backstory to all the stories in the Arabian Nights.

Rimsky Korsakov did not want to write program music, with each movement representing the details of a specific Arabian Nights story, and in later additions, he did away with titles altogether. As he later stated:

“All I desired was that the hearer, if he liked my piece as symphonic music, should carry away the impression that it is beyond a doubt an Oriental narrative of some numerous and varied fairy-tale wonders and not merely four pieces played one after the other and composed on the basis of themes common to all the four movements.”

While not program music, per se, there are leitmotifs representing the major characters:
I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship - The dramatic opening brass statement is the Sultan’s theme, followed by a beautiful violin solo that is Scheherazade’s theme. We hear ascending chords in the woodwinds, signaling that we are moving into the magical realm of storytelling. Both themes recur throughout the entire piece, unifying the movements and hinting that Scheherazade leads the sultan to see himself as the hero of the stories, and her as the heroine. So when she tells of Sinbad the Sailor, we hear the Sultan’s theme.

II. The Story of the Kalendar Prince - A Kalendar is a term for a type of wandering ascetic mystic, and in the context of the Arabian Nights, the term is typically used for a prince who has been dispossessed of his kingdom or title and has taken on the life of a traveling dervish, often with an air of adventure and mystery. There are several such stories that this could be taken from, each featuring many exotic and perilous voyages and adventures. With the introduction of exotic new themes evoking the far East, Rimsky Korsakov keeps it simple, changing the accompaniment figures to provide variety for his themes.

III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess - This movement is the lyrical heart of the work as it depicts the budding romance between a prince and princess through two distinct, intertwining themes that eventually dance together. We hear the Prince’s theme first (played by the violins), and later we are introduced to the princess (introduced by the clarinet accompanied by a snare drum). Toward the end, the two melodies are woven together, and we are reminded throughout of Scheherazade’s presence as she continues spinning the beautiful tale to save her life.

IV. Festival at Baghdad — The Sea — The Ship Breaks against a Rock Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman - This last movement increases the energy and brings the suite to a breathless and virtuosic conclusion. Rimsky-Korsakov masterfully weaves together themes from the previous three movements, creating a high-energy mosaic that begins with a vibrant, bustling street festival. The music eventually surges into a powerful orchestral storm, reprising the majestic sea motif from the opening movement as the narrative reaches its dramatic climax: the shipwreck. As the chaos subsides, the savage brass theme of the Sultan Sharyar returns, but it is now softened and subdued. The work ends peacefully with Scheherazade’s high, ethereal violin solo, signifying her ultimate triumph over the Sultan's cruelty through the power of her storytelling.