≈ 60 minutes · No intermission
Repertoire
"In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46
Hedwig's Theme from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
On Halloween Night
Funeral March of a Marionette
Imperial March from Star Wars
Overture to Der Freischütz, Opus 77
CARL MARIA VON WEBER
Born in Eutin (near Lübeck), Germany, November 18, 1786
Died in London, June 5, 1826
Der Freischütz, the third of Weber’s five complete, extant operas, marked the first important instance of a national German opera. In form, it descended from the Singspiel tradition – stage works with passages of spoken German dialogue alternating with musical numbers – but in content it set itself apart from its illustrious predecessors like Mozart’s Zauberflöte and Beethoven’s Fidelio through the use of specifically German subject matter. In this respect, it set the example for later operatic expressions of national feeling: Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Britten’s Peter Grimes, and Copland’s Tender Land. One writer observed that the Overture to Der Freischütz could easily be the overture to one of the Grimm’s fairy tales, for the heart and soul of German folklore is embodied in this opera, involving as it does a dark mysterious forest, huntsmen, a friendly hermit, ghosts, evil spirits, a devil and a pair of lovers.
Weber selected the story from a collection of supernatural tales, the Gespensterbuch (Ghost Stories) of Apel and Laun. Friedrich Kind fashioned the libretto, working closely with Weber. The complete opera had a highly successful premiere in Berlin on June 18, 1821, but the overture alone had first been heard nine months earlier in Copenhagen, and was published separately under its own opus number.
The overture is a synthesis of the opera that follows. The slow introduction features a horn quartet, softly and gently evoking the peaceful, romantic forest. A dark shadow crosses the sylvan setting – the evil Samiel lurks about, portrayed by a string tremolo and soft throbs from the timpani. The music of the allegro section is at first stormy and restless, representing the events of the wild, macabre Wolf’s Glen scene, replete with ghosts, goblins, eerie winds and a host of supernatural occurrences. This leads into a long solo for the clarinet, Weber’s favourite instrument. Then comes the heroine Agathe’s theme – a soaring, graceful melody in the clarinet and strings. Throughout the symphonic development, the forces of good and evil engage in a dramatic conflict. But, as in most fairy tales, good triumphs in the end. Following a long, pregnant pause, fortissimo chords for the full orchestra lead to a return of Agathe’s theme, and the overture ends joyously.
Program notes by Robert Markow
Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Danse macabre, Opus 40
Infernal Dance from The Firebird (1919)
Artists
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A passionate communicator, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. He is concurrently the Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Artist in Residence and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, and Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education of the San Francisco Symphony.
Daniel served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and was Cover Conductor with the Washington National Opera in 2020.
Daniel is the host of Canadian Broadcasting Company’s (CBC’s) nationally broadcast weekly radio show Centrestage.
He was also the subject of an award-winning, full-length CBC documentary called Disruptor Conductor, focussing on his concerts for neurodiverse, prison, African diaspora, and LGBTQ2S+ populations.
Daniel earned his Bachelor degrees in Music Performance and Education from the University of Calgary, and his Master of Philosophy in Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.
Since its debut in 1969, the National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra has been praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary educational programs, and its prominent role in nurturing Canadian creativity. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, reaching and representing the diverse communities we live in with daring programming, powerful storytelling, inspiring artistry, and innovative partnerships.
Alexander Shelley began his tenure as Music Director in 2015, following Pinchas Zukerman’s 16 seasons at the helm. Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and former Chief Conductor of the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (2009–2017), he has been in demand around the world, conducting the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and Stockholm Philharmonic, among others, and maintains a regular relationship with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and the German National Youth Orchestra.
Each season, the NAC Orchestra features world-class artists such as the newly appointed Artist-in-Residence James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Joshua Bell, Xian Zhang, Gabriela Montero, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, and Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds. 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 versatile theatre artist, Marie-Ève Fontaine works across Canada as an actor, puppeteer and animator. Her theatre credits include roles in Les Zaventures de Zozotte for Théâtre de Dehors, Les fourberies de Scapin for Fâcheux Théâtre, and Le dire de Di by Michel Ouellette for Théâtre Catapulte and Théâtre français de Toronto. Marie-Ève also shares her passion for stories through puppetry and storytelling workshops. In addition to her work as an artist, Marie-Ève is involved in various cultural activities, notably as an advisor to the young ambassadors of the BIG BANG Festival at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Katherine Ng has been actively working as a professional dancer since 2014. Born and raised in Ottawa, she graduated from The School of Dance’s Contemporary Dance Diploma, under director Sylvie Desrosiers. Her career began in Montréal, where Katherine had the opportunity to perform and create with <AP&A>, Interlope, La Tresse, and many more, while participating in many international dance festivals. She also had the opportunity to work on a touring production called Pearl Production with choreographer Daniel Ezralow. Where East meets West, Pearl Production had an exchange with dancers from Nanjing, China. Her last contract was with MGM in Macau, where she had worked with Michael Jackson’s trusty choreographer Travis Payne. Currently, she is working with Ottawa Dance Directives and recently performed a work by Jocelyn Todd and Tedd Robinson.
Jack Dillabough is an Ottawa local actor and writer who has been in performance since he was a wee lad. He is an especially avid Halloween enthusiast and is beyond honored to be an NAC-certified werewolf! It's always been a personal dream of his to be a spooky dancing ghoul, and now he gets to live that reality!
Simone Brown is a French-Canadian artist, born in Fujian Province, China, and she was raised into the Franco-Ontarian community in Ottawa. Simone graduated from The School of Dance Contemporary Dance Diploma Programme in 2022.
Dancer, choreographer and teacher, Siôned is a vibrant member of the Canadian dance community. Siôned Watkins brings over 20 years of professional dance experience to her movement teachings. After graduating from Les Atelier de danse de Montréal, she began dancing for various Montréal dance companies including 10 years of international touring with Danièle Desnoyers' company, Le Carré Des Lombes. After studying and training in a myriad of movement methodologies, Siôned was introduced to Gyrokinesis® in 2007 during a residency in Banff with Dana Gingras and thus began her journey to becoming a certified and licensed Gyrotonic® and Gyrokinesis® instructor. Also an Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) practitioner, Siôned is dedicated to sharing these modalities with professionals, teachers and students alike. She has taught at École De Danse De Montréal, UQAM, Concordia University, Université d'Ottawa, School of Dance and Ottawa Dance Directive. Siôned is the Dance Education Associate and Teaching Artist for the National Arts Centre.
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Official Car of the NAC Orchestra
