5th Brandenberg on 5th
Monday, March 8, 2010 – 8pm
Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra (debut)
Maria Nemtsova, piano
William Noll, conductor
Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra
Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra is Naples newest addition to the area’s cultural life. Founded by CCC's Artistic Director William Noll, the purpose of this ensemble is to bring to light the wealth of repertoire written prior to the advent of the large modern-day symphony orchestra. The orchestra further establishes the enriching variety of cultural activities of Naples’ main-street district, Fifth Avenue.
Jasper Quartet
Bio information
Maria Nemtsova, piano
Maria Nemtsova, piano, was born in Moscow, and studied at the Myaskovsky Children’s Music School and then at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory where she graduated with honors in 2007. Nemtsova gave performances in Moscow, Krasnodar, Nijniy Novgorod, Prague, and Vienna. In 2002, she won first prize in the Serebryakov Young Pianists International Competition in Volgograd, Russia. In 2006, she participated in the international festival Slavic Spring in Prague (Czech Republic), in the international festival “Toliatti`s autumn” in Toliatti, Russia, and in the Piano Texas International Academy and Festival (USA) where she won the Concerto Competition and subsequently performed Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. In 2007, Nemtsova gave a solo recital in Birmingham (USA) and participated in the international festival “Primavera classic”, where her chamber ensemble won the Audience Appreciation prize. During that year, she also made her London debut at St. George's Hanover Square where she performed the Bach-Busoni “Chaconne”, Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor Op.35 and the Pletnev transcritption for piano of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”. She performed this latter work for HRH The Earl of Wessex at the International Award Gala Concert in October 2007. Nemtsova has recordings with the international competition prize-wining bassist, Dmitry Stepanovich and saxophonist Vitaly Vatulya. Her performances have also been broadcast on Russian radio and television. She is currently studying for a post-graduate diploma at the Royal College of Music, London where she is the 2007-2009 William Smith International Performance Scholar. A video of her performance of Beethoven's sontata op.111 from the Cetara Master Piano Festival (Italy) can be seen here.
William Noll, conductor
Conductor, classical and jazz pianist William Noll is a performance veteran of the major concert halls of the United States and Europe. From Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York to festivals and tours in Italy, Belgium, Austria and China, Mr. Noll embodies excellence in performance as evidenced by his leadership with major musical organizations: The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (Assistant Conductor to Maestro Robert Shaw and Resident Pianist), the Atlanta Opera (Founding Director), the Choral Guild of Atlanta (Artistic Director), Providence Opera Theatre (Artistic Director) as well as guest conductor with various summer festivals including Aspen (CO), Spoleto (SC) and Brevard (NC). Mr. Noll began his opera career in his early 20's and his jazz career at age 35. When asked about his musical duality of classic and jazz, he replies, "I have always done what was expected. I never think of separate 'hats' ... it's all music to me. I don't care to categorize it – It's all great music to be performed well."
An opera specialist, Noll has conducted for the New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall, as well as for Opera Naples (FL), Atlanta Opera, Providence Opera Theatre (RI) in such classic works as Rigoletto, La Traviata, Rienzi, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Pearl Fishers, Flying Dutchman, and Carmen.
As an orchestral interpreter, Noll has led the New Mexico Symphony, the Savannah Symphony (GA), and Opera Orchestra of New York's summer concerts. In the spring of 2000, Noll made his conducting debut in Beijing in a sold-out performance of an all-Tchaikovsky program. A last-minute replacement for Maestro Jens Nygaard, he led the Jupiter Symphony Orchestra (NY) in three sold-out performances of works by Haydn, Villa-Lobos and Glazunov. Noll led the AIMS Festival Orchestra (Austria) to critical acclaim in a program of French opera scenes. He continues his association as conductor with the esteemed Miami International Piano Festival and their rosters of exceptional international artists in a series of concert collaborations spanning from Asia to the United States.
As a classical pianist, Mr. Noll appeared as soloist with the Jupiter Symphony Orchestra (NY) under conductor Jens Nygaard in performances of the fiery and virtuosic Concerto No. 2, op. 56 by Polish composer Xaver Scharwenka. In honor of the composer's centennial anniversary, Noll appeared as soloist in Aaron Copland's Piano Concerto with the Dekalb Symphony (GA). He recently appeared as guest soloist with the Tupelo Orchestra (MS), in a heralded performance of Univ. of Michigan composer Michael Daugherty's innovative piano concerto "Le Tombeau de Liberace". Mr. Noll has collaborated with James Levine, Robert Shaw, Zubin Mehta, Julius Rudel, Milton Katims, John Nelson, Eve Queler, Jorge Mester, Christian Badea, and Donald Vorhees, among many others.
As a jazz pianist, Noll had the honor of an invitation by members of the Royal Family, HRH Prince Edward and Countess Sophie, to give the inaugural performance on their new Steinway at their Royal Residence. His catalog of commercial recordings of classical, symphonic and jazz repertoire continues to grow on Newport Classic, Intersound, Pro-Jazz, Time-Life, and Sony labels. Television and radio credits include classical concerts and jazz orchestra specials for PBS, live simulcast performances for national networks, and over six years of hosting "Fanfare," an Atlanta weekly radio feature. His most recent broadcast was an hour-long Christmas Day special for CBS.
This season, Mr. Noll also celebrates his twenty-five year tenure with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company as Executive Director of Entertainment.
With William Noll's vast experience in both the classical and jazz fields as a pianist and as conductor, he is especially thrilled to be the newly appointed Artistic Director of Classic Chamber Concerts of Naples and to lead CCC in the debut of the Fifth Avenue Chamber Orchestra.
Antonio Vivaldi
(1687-1741; Italy)
Double Concerto in A
for Two Violins, RV 522
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750; Germany)
Brandenburg Concerto
no.5 in D major, BWV 1050 (1719)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791; Austria)
Piano Concerto no. 17
in G major, K. 453 (1784)
About The Music:
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - Brandenburg Concerto no.5 in D major
BWV 1050
The artistic life and times of Johann Sebastian Bach can be divided into three distinct periods. From 1708-1717 he was court organist and concertmaster to Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. He left that position to become Court Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold at Cothen. This proved to be the happiest time of Bach's creative life. He regaled the Prince with numerous instrumental concertos. What Cothen did not provide for him was church work. His skill as an organist and genius for writing music for weekly services went unutilized. Having convinced the Prince to order a new harpsichord for his concerts, Bach went to Berlin in 1718 for delivery of the instrument and, apparently, met Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg, an avid music lover who maintained his own court string ensemble. The Margrave asked Bach to write some music for his court.
Bach waited two years while busily creating a vast body of instrumental works. In 1720 Bach's wife died while the composer was away at a spa retreat with the Prince. Deep in grief, wanting to escape the environment of his personal tragedy and concerned about his children, Bach wrote six concertos for diverse instruments and string ensemble, dedicating them to the Margrave of Brandenburg. Hoping the Margrave would be hospitable to employing him as court composer, Bach wrote "There is nothing I desire more than to employ myself more worthily in your service." The Margrave did not take the bait. There is no evidence that the concertos were ever performed at the Margrave's court.
Meanwhile Bach headed to Leipzig in 1723 where he became Cantor at St. Thomas Church, responsible for music in five city churches and director of a Collegium Musicum that presented informal concerts at a local cafe. Despite political problems, this position proved the most creatively productive of Bach's career. Some of the Brandenburg Concertos were crafted from scores Bach wrote (with different instrumentation) in Weimar and Cothen. He may have kept copies and performed the works in Leipzig. In any case, Bach's pupil Kirnberger rescued the scores following the master's death in 1750.
The Brandenburg Concerto No.5 in D Major is one of the most adventurous of the set. This work marks the first time that a keyboard instrument had been used as something other than a continuo, providing rhythmic underpinning in the ensemble. (Although Bach composed this work and his later concertos for harpsichord, it is often played on a modern piano.) At the beginning of the opening Allegro, the solo flute and violin seem to be the dominant solo instruments with the keyboard in its traditional backup role; but, gradually, the keyboard begins to assert its presence until it erupts into a lengthy cadenza, including some wild, cascading figurations. The second movement Affectuoso is scored just for the three solo instrument s without the orchestral strings. A melody of plaintive beauty dominates this intimate trio. A spirited gigue permeates the final Allegro, bringing this path breaking work to a close. The six Brandenburg Concertos remain monuments of Baroque instrumental writing and occupy a special place in Bach's output.
(notes © Lawrence Budmen)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major, K. 453
The 27 piano concertos of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart changed the keyboard concerto forever. While Mozart's earliest essays in this genre were transcriptions of keyboard sonatas by Johann Christian Bach, his later piano-orchestral scores exhibit a breadth of virtuosity and, at times, poignant subtext (in modulations between major and minor keys) that presaged the five great concertos of Beethoven and paved the way for Brahms' two massive efforts. (Mozart wrote his works for the fortepiano which had a lighter touch and sound than the modern concert grand.)
In many ways the G Major Concerto (No.17) is quintessential - pathos mingle with high spirits, bold flourishes with the subtlest of gestures. Mozart wrote the work for his student Barbara Ployer, who gave the first performance in June, 1784 at her father's country estate in the presence of Mozart and the Italian composer Giovanni Paisiello. (In that year of 1784 Mozart wrote no less than six keyboard concertos.)
Mozart scored the work for one flute, oboes, bassoons and horns in pairs and strings. The concerto's first movement is marked by a profusion of thematic ideas and an extended fantasy and cadenza for the solo piano which Mozart fully annotated. The second movement is marked Andante (rather than Adagio) and speaks in ruminative tones of sadness while maintaining a polished classical veneer. The violinist-conductor Alexander Schneider once stated that the essence of Mozart's music is to be found in his operas. That is certainly true of the G Major concerto's Allegretto finale. An impish comic opera theme is followed by five variations. The fourth variation briefly introduces a moment of darkness, to be extinguished by the final variation and an extended bravura coda. This concerto presents Mozart at his imaginative, incandescent best!
(notes © Lawrence Budmen)
