≈ 2 hours · With intermission
Last updated: March 8, 2023
Program
ALISON YUN-FEI JIANG Flowing Waters for Orchestra* (17 min)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 (27 min)
I. Allegro molto appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
LILI BOULANGER Nocturne for Violin and Orchestra, arr. Sarah Slean (3 min)
INTERMISSION
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique” (45 min)
I. Adagio – Allegro non troppo
II. Allegro con grazia
III. Allegro molto vivace
IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso
*World Premiere; NAC Orchestra commission as part of the Carrefour Composer Program, made possible by the Canada Council for the Arts
Repertoire
Largo ma non tanto (2nd mvt) from Concerto for Two Violins, BWV 1043 (March 9th only)
Flowing Waters for orchestra
Canadian composer Alison Yun-Fei Jiang (b. 1992) explores the intersections of cultures, genres, people, memories, and emotions in her music. By drawing inspirations and influences from personal life experiences as well as an array of sources such as East Asian aesthetics and philosophies, Chinese opera, Buddhism, natural landscapes, art, film music, popular music, and literature, she creates musical narratives and experiences in a lyrical, dynamic, and storytelling nature. Her music has been performed in Canada and across the United States and has garnered awards and recognitions from the SOCAN Foundation, ASCAP, and the International Alliance for Women in Music, among others. Alison is the RBC Affiliate Composer with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (2022–24) and was a Carrefour Composer-in-Residence with the National Arts Centre Orchestra (2020–22).
Alison composed Flowing Waters for orchestra in 2022. Commissioned by the NAC Orchestra, the work receives its world premiere tonight. She shares the following description of the piece:
Flowing Waters is a tone poem and a meditation on waterways, landscapes, nature, and life. The title comes from the name of an ancient Chinese Guqin piece, which depicts the imagery and sounds of water in different states. Like creating an unfolding scroll of a traditional East Asian landscape painting with an ink brush (a genre called “mountain and water”; in Chinese: “shanshui” “山水”), in Flowing Waters, I attempt at “painting” a naturalistic impression of waterways and landscapes by using the orchestra as a sonic brush stroke. In the piece, some opening melodies are musical and metaphoric representations of water streams. As the piece—the musical “scroll”—unfolds, those initial melodic, metaphoric water streams take the listeners on a journey, where they run and morph into orchestral textures, sometimes transform into rhythms and percussive sounds, and other times weave into and out of ambiguous soundscapes. It is as if water flows from high up in the mountains down to some lower streams, into vast seascapes, and back into the sky as mists and clouds. In this naturalistic and poetic depiction of waterways, the distinction between orchestral foreground and background often becomes blurred. This is similar to treatments of the ink flow in traditional East Asian landscape paintings and calligraphy, where clear and distinctive ink lines could flow and morph into ambiguous splashes of dots, blocks, and textures.
Drawing from the Taoist idea that people should strive to be like water, which is flexible, yielding, and benefits all things, Flowing Waters is also a metaphoric narrative, where I draw parallels between the impermanent states of fluid waters and the ever-changing, transforming, and resilient human mentality and identity in the journey of life.
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
I. Allegro molto appassionato
II. Andante
III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace
The facility, polish, and effortless grace found in Mendelssohnʼs Violin Concerto totally belie the creatorʼs struggle to compose it. This enormously popular concerto, Mendelssohnʼs last major composition, occupied him for over five years (1838–44), during which he carried on a lively exchange of ideas about the structural and technical details with the concertoʼs dedicatee, violinist Ferdinand David (1810–73). When Mendelssohn (1809–47) became conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, he instated David as his concertmaster. At the concertoʼs premiere on March 13, 1845, David was, of course, the soloist.
Mendelssohn, trained in the Classical tradition, nevertheless possessed a Romantic streak, which manifested itself in the poetic fantasy that infuses his music, and in the liberties he took with regard to formal construction. For example, there is no opening orchestral introduction. The soloist enters with the main theme almost immediately. All three movements are joined, with no formal pauses to break the flow. A cadenza, which normally would appear near the end of a concertoʼs first movement, in this work is placed before, not aer, the recapitulation.
The term “well-bred” is often invoked to describe this concerto, and it is nowhere more appropriate than in describing the quiet rapture and poetic beauty of the second movementʼs principal theme. A moment of sweet melancholy in A minor intrudes briefly, with trumpets and timpani adding a touch of agitation. The principal theme then returns in varied repetition, and a gently yearning passage, again in A minor, leads to the finale. As in the two previous movements, the soloist announces the principal theme, one of elfin lightness and gaiety.
Program note by Robert Markow
Nocturne for Violin and Orchestra, arr. Sarah Slean
French composer Lili Boulanger (1893–1918) was an immense musical talent from a young age. Despite suffering chronic illness, she composed prolifically, creating substantial, potently expressive works for choir, voice, piano, chamber ensemble, and orchestra, and was at work on an opera when intestinal tuberculosis claimed her life at only 24 years old. In 1913, she became the first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome. Her distinctive style bears qualities typical of early 20th-century French music, influenced, notably, by Gabriel Fauré and Claude Debussy in her synthesis of tonal and modal harmony, combined with her imaginative use of instrumental colour and layered textures.
Although her frail health prevented her from pursuing a comprehensive musical education at the Paris Conservatoire, Boulanger had her prodigious musical abilities nurtured through private instruction. In 1911, the year she wrote this Nocturne, she was studying with French composer Georges Caussade, preparing to compete for the Prix de Rome. The work was originally conceived as a “short piece” for flute and piano although it has been more frequently performed in a transcription for violin and piano. The version you’ll hear tonight has the piano part arranged for string orchestra by Canadian composer Sarah Slean.
It was the publisher who added the title “Nocturne”, yet the piece certainly shares characteristics with that genre of composition that is evocative of the night—an enigmatic atmosphere, perhaps tinged with anxiousness, as well as connotations of romantic passion. Boulanger masterfully conveys these qualities through her impressionistic use of harmonic colour (here, given a certain richness and subtlety in the orchestral arrangement), which supports a sumptuous violin melody. The beginning is somewhat tentative, but gradually, the violin gains confidence, becoming more impassioned and rhapsodic, while the accompaniment’s sparse texture fills out accordingly. Following an intense climax, the music subsides in a state of blissful peace.
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, "Pathétique"
I. Adagio – Allegro non troppo
II. Allegro con grazia
III. Allegro molto vivace
IV. Finale: Adagio lamentoso
“I definitely consider it the best, and, in particular, the most sincere of all my works. I love it as I have never loved any other of my musical offspring,” wrote Tchaikovsky to his nephew Bob Davidov in August 1893, after completing the score, begun seven months earlier, to his sixth symphony. He referred to it in a letter to his publisher as his “Patetitčeskaja simfoniye”; the closest English translation is “passionate symphony”, but the French subtitle “Pathétique” adds another layer of meaning. Coming from the “grande passion pathétique” of French opera (as noted by music theorist Timothy Jackson), it refers to the genre’s engagement with “difficult”, that is, forbidden relationships. Tchaikovsky had been fascinated with such works, probably relating them to his own struggle with homosexuality at a time and place where he could not openly have romantic relationships with men. Therein lies a clue to the “secret program” he told Bob was contained in his Sixth Symphony—their unmentionable love relationship.
While the Sixth Symphony conforms in large part to the general structure and processes of the “classic” Austro-German symphony, the secret program clearly shapes some of the work’s formal innovations, thus intensifying its dramatic arc, as you’ll read about below. Also notable is Tchaikovsky’s deliberate use of the key of B minor, in which much of the symphony is firmly planted. Generally avoided, historically, by composers writing symphonies (Beethoven dubbed it the “black key”), B minor’s association with feelings of melancholy and anguish was ideal for the expression of intense emotions concerning romantic love. (It’s worth noting that Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy (1880) and his Manfred Symphony (1885), both of which are based on narratives about a forbidden relationship, are also in B minor.)
The first movement opens with a slow introduction “in the depths”: over sustained tones in the double basses, solo bassoon introduces a mournful theme—an ascending sequence of sighs. It picks up speed in the ensuing Allegro; several ideas follow—a strong rhythmic phrase, a chattering motif, a brass fanfare—and the mood becomes increasingly agitated. But the initial anxiety recedes, ending in a question. The answer is given by muted violins and cellos—a gorgeous theme of deep tenderness, set in sunny D major. When it returns, following affectionate duets between flute and bassoon and clarinet and bassoon, the upper strings, against the rest of the orchestra’s pulsating “heartbeats”, take it to an impassioned climax, after which the music luxuriates, as if on a fond memory, then fades out.
The reverie is shattered by the brutal stroke of a chord, then snarling motifs; the main theme becomes a stormy fugal episode and builds to a desperate cry exclaimed in the brass. After it subsides, the trombones intone a brief quote of a chant from the Russian Orthodox Requiem, “With thy saints, O Christ, grant peace to the soul of thy servant.” From there, the first theme’s main motif reappears, restated obsessively, eventually arriving at a full statement—it’s the recapitulation, but it won’t proceed exactly as before. Instead, it drives to a catastrophic climax, to which the strings respond with a gut-wrenching lament. After a pause, the second theme returns, this time in the luminous key of B major. Sweetly tentative at first, it becomes more confident and soars to passionate heights. A chorale in the brass, then woodwinds, closes the movement with nostalgic consolation.
As a respite from the earlier intensity, the second movement is a graceful dance, unusually in five-time, featuring a mellifluous melody initially passed from cellos to the winds, then developed by the strings, who add crisp dotted rhythms. It bookends a contrasting central section in melancholy B minor, with a tune of descending sighs above insistently repeating Ds in the double basses and timpani. In the coda, the repeated Ds return as do the sighs, now given harmonic poignancy within the serene D major mood.
The Scherzo begins with rapid chattering between the upper strings and woodwinds; oboes quietly pipe a fanfare motif, which the brass picks up, then is developed playfully by the strings. Gradually, the music builds, eventually leading to a full march tune based on the fanfare, introduced very softly by the clarinet, then intensified by the violins. The opening material returns;later, there’s a massive orchestral crescendo, which arrives dramatically, via raucous brass and a whirlwind of strings and woodwinds, on a triumphant statement of the march theme, and drives to a confident finish.
But now, a significant departure from convention: “the Finale will not be a loud allegro but the reverse, a most unhurried adagio,” wrote Tchaikovsky to Bob. The Adagio lamentoso consists of two alternating sections: the first, featuring a deeply anguished melody in B minor, created by interweaving notes in the strings; the second, a heartfelt song over pulsating horns in a consolatory D major. After reaching an emotional climax, the music breaks into a cascade of scales. Silence. Then a howl of grief, which subsides and leads into another cycle of the two sections. This time, the first theme builds with an even fiercer intensity, then collapses with exhaustion. Trombones intone a solemn chorale, out of which the song, now in B minor, emerges as a lament that is steadily drawn, by pulsating double basses, to the symphony’s conclusion.
Tchaikovsky conducted the first performance of his Sixth Symphony, which he dedicated to Bob, on October 16/28, 1893, before succumbing to death, nine days later.(There’s been much speculation as to the exact cause, but to this day, it remains a mystery.) Though the symphony’s ending intimates a tragic conclusion for a love that could not see the light of day, this might not have been what Tchaikovsky thought. At the very least, in creating this work, he at last found a way to be true to himself.
Program notes by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
Canadian conductor Jordan de Souza recently completed a four-year term at Komische Oper Berlin conducting new productions of Pelléas et Mélisande, La bohème, Weinberger’s Frühlingsstürme, and Candide.
Recent concert appearances have included Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the world premiere of Simon Bertrand’s Weltengeist and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 with Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. In the current season, he will return to conduct Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and make debuts with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the NAC Orchestra, and the Orchestra della Toscana. A highlight next season will be his London concert debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, following a successful collaboration in 2021 with them conducting Der Rosenkavalier.
Jordan has conducted Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at Nationaltheater Mannheim, La bohème at Glyndebourne Festival, Die Zauberflöte at Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Rigoletto for Houston Grand Opera, Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas at Chicago Lyric Opera, and Don Giovanni at Opernhaus Zürich. Opera appearances in the current season include Tristan and Isolde (Seattle Opera), Carmen (Dutch National Opera), La Périchole (Theater an der Wien), and La bohème (Deutsche Oper Berlin).
Born in Toronto, Jordan studied conducting at McGill University, Montreal, and on graduating, joined the McGill faculty. He was also Conductor in Residence of Tapestry Opera in Toronto, conducting three world premieres.
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Celebrated for her sonorous tone, compelling interpretations and flawless technique, Francesca Dego is one of the most sought-after violinists on the international scene. She is signed exclusively to Chandos Records and her most recent release of Mozart Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and 4 conducted by Sir Roger Norrington with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra was received to unanimous critical acclaim, including BBC Music Magazine 5* “Record of the month” in November 2021. Other releases include concertos by Paganini and Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari alongside the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Daniele Rustioni, the recital discs Il Cannone and Suite Italienne, as well as a complete survey of the violin sonatas by Beethoven and of Paganiniʼs Caprices, for Deutsche Grammophon.
Francesca regularly appears with major orchestras worldwide including performances with the Philharmonia, Hallé, Ulster, Royal Philharmonic, and Royal Scottish National Orchestras; Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, and Tokyo Symphony Orchestra; Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, Orchestrede chambre de Lausanne, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova at St.Petersburgʼs renowned Stars of the White Nights festival, Teatro Regio di Torino, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and all the major Italian orchestras; Orquestra de Sevilla and de la Comunitat Valenciana at Palau de les Arts; Auckland Philharmonia, Oviedo Philharmonic, Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Santa Barbara Symphony, Het Gelders Orkest, and the Orkest van het Oosten.
Francesca also has a passion for contemporary music and counts herself a dedicatee of the works of, amongst others, Michael Nyman, Carlo Boccadoro, Cristian Carrara, Nicola Campogrande, and Marco Taralli. She is a frequent contributor to specialist music magazines, penning a monthly column for Suonare News among others, and has written articles and opinion pieces for the BBC and Classical Music Magazines, The Strad, Musical Opinion and Strings Magazine. Francesca has also recently published her first book, Tra le Note. Classica: 24 chiavi di lettura, with Mondadori in which she explores how classical music can be listened to and better understood today.
Francesca is based in London, and plays on a precious Francesco Ruggeri violin (Cremona 1697).
Saskatchewan conductor Maria Fuller is a rising star on the international music scene, praised for her “fiery and dynamic” performances (The Walleye Magazine) and “subtle control, careful focus, and thorough professionalism…” (Chronical-Journal of Thunder Bay). Sought after as a conductor, pianist, vocal coach, trumpeter, composer, and arranger, Maria brings an unparalleled energy and infectious joy to her craft on and off the podium. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano from McGill University, a Master of Music in Piano, an Artist Diploma in Operatic Coaching, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Maria was the 2019 David Effron Conducting Fellow at the renowned Chautauqua Institute, and competed in the inaugural La Maestra International Conducting Competition in Paris in 2020. In the 2022–23 season, Maria is a conductor fellow in Tapestry Opera’s Women in Musical Leadership Program.
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concer master)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Emily Kruspe
Marjolaine Lambert
Frédéric Moisan
Carissa Klopoushak
Zhengdong Liang
*Martine Dubé
*Renée London
*Erica Miller
*Oleg Chelpanov
Second violins
Mintje van Lier (principal)
Winston Webber (assistant principal)
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Emily Westell
Manuela Milani
Leah Roseman
KarolySziladi
Mark Friedman
**Edvard Skerjanc
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
*Heather Schnarr
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
David Thies-Thompson
Paul Casey
*Sonya Probst
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Timothy McCoy
Leah Wyber
Marc-André Riberdy
*Desiree Abbey
*Daniel Parker
*Karen Kang
Double basses
Max Cardilli(assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
**Hilda Cowie
*Paul Mach
*Travis Harrison
Flutes
Joanna G'froerer(principal)
Stephanie Morin
*Dakota Martin
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
Horns
Lawrence Vine (principal)
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Elizabeth Simpson
Lauren Anker
**Louis-Pierre Bergeron
*Olivier Brisson
*Corine Chartré-Lefebvre
Trumpets
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
*Amy Horvey
Trombones
*Robert Conquer (guest principal)
Colin Traquair
Bass Trombone
*Trevor Dix
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
Timpani
*Marc-André Lalonde (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Matthew Moore
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Assistant Personnel Manager
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On Leave
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees