≈ 2 hours · With intermission
Repertoire
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47
Born in Hämeenlinna (Tavastehus), Finland, December 8, 1865
Died in Järvenpää, near Helsinki, September 20, 1957
In 1902, the German violinist Willy Burmester had asked Sibelius to write him a concerto. When Sibelius sent him the piano reduction of the first two movements in September of 1903, Burmester was enthusiastic and suggested the premiere be given in Berlin in March of 1904. But Sibelius had other ideas. Due to strained financial circumstances, he wanted the concerto performed as soon as possible, and secretly asked another violinist to give the premiere in Helsinki at an earlier date. What Sibelius got in the end was a far inferior soloist (a local teacher named Viktor Nováček, who never did learn the concerto properly), a cool reception at the premiere, mostly negative reviews in the press, and the justifiable resentment of Burmester.
Following the premiere, the concerto was put aside for over a year until Sibelius got around to revising it. He toned down some of the overtly virtuosic passages, tightened the structure of the outer movements and altered the orchestration of numerous passages. The revisions amount to far more than mere window dressing, and the results are fascinating to compare with the original.
On October 19, 1905, the concerto received its premiere in the final form in Berlin, with Karl Halíř as soloist and none other than Richard Strauss on the podium. Shortly afterwards, Sibelius’ friend Rosa Newmarch told him that “in 50 years’ time, your concerto will be as much a classic as those of Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky.” How right she was!
Sibelius’ affinity for the violin stemmed from his youth, when he aspired to become a great violinist. “My tragedy,” he wrote, “was that I wanted to be a celebrated violinist at any price. From the age of fifteen, I played my violin for ten years, practicing from morning to night. I hated pen and ink.… My preference for the violin lasted quite long, and it was a very painful awakening when I had to admit that I had begun my training for the exacting career of an eminent performer too late.” His very first composition (Vattendroppar), written at the age of eight or nine, was a piece for violin and cello. Although he left just one violin concerto, he also composed numerous short pieces for the instrument, mostly with piano.
The solo part is one of the most difficult in the entire repertoire. Virtuosic passages abound, but they are welded to disciplined musical thought; there is no empty display material here. The orchestral writing bears much evidence of Sibelius’ deep interest in this medium, and serves a far greater purpose than a mere backdrop for the soloist. Dark, sombre colours predominate, as is this composer’s tendency, lending an air of passionate urgency to the music. Note particularly the third theme in B-flat minor in the first movement, played by the unison violins, or the second theme of the finale, again played by the violins, with its interplay of 6/8 and 3/4 metres.
Attention to the formalities of sonata form is largely avoided in favour of originality of thought. In the first movement, there is no development section as such; instead, each of the three main themes is fully elaborated and developed upon initial presentation. A cadenza occurs at the point where a full development would normally stand, followed by a recapitulation of the three themes, each of which is subjected to further expansion. In the Adagio movement, Sibelius contrasts the long, dreamy, reflective opening theme with a turbulent and darkly passionate section in the minor mode. The finale, in rondo form, calls to the fore the full technical prowess of the soloist. Energetic rhythms suggestive of the polonaise and gypsy dances offer further elements of excitement to this exuberant movement.
Program notes by Robert Markow
Artists
Karen Gomyo, “a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance, and intensity” (The Chicago Tribune), possesses a rare ability to captivate and connect intimately with audiences through her deeply emotional and heartfelt performances. With a flawless command of the instrument and an elegance of expression, she is one of today’s leading violinists.
Karen’s most recent performance highlights include debuts with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Orquesta Nacional de España, Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Pittsburgh Symphony, and returns to the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, as well as an Australasian tour.
Karen is committed to contemporary music. In February 2024, she returned to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Year 2020, a concerto for trumpet, violin and orchestra by Xi Wang. Earlier, Karen gave the world premieres of Samy Moussa’s Violin Concerto Adrano with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Samuel Adams’ Chamber Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
As a passionate chamber musician, Karen has had the pleasure of performing with artists such as Olli Mustonen, James Ehnes, Emmanuel Pahud, Julian Steckel, and mezzo-soprano Susan Graham. A champion of the music of Astor Piazzolla, in 2021 Karen released A Piazzolla Triology on BIS Records. It follows Karen’s first project with BIS, a collection of duo works by Paganini and his baroque predecessors recorded with guitarist Ismo Eskelinen, released in 2019.
Born in Tokyo, Karen began her musical career in Montreal and New York. She studied under the legendary pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School before continuing her studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and New England Conservatory.
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.
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