Photo by Oded Antman


PROGRAM INFORMATION

 

The Israel Philharmonic

Lahav Shani, Music Director

Monday, November 7, 2022
7:30 PM
Bing Concert Hall


Artists


The Israel Philharmonic
Lahav Shani, Music Director

The Music Director's position is endowed by The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation

View the full orchestra roster here


Program


SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)

Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 (Classical)

           I. Allegro con brio

           II. Larghetto

           III. Gavotte: Non troppo allegro

           IV. Finale: Molto vivace        

 

PROKOFIEV

Selected Movements from Romeo and Juliet

           Montagues and Capulets (Suite No. 2)

           Dance (Suite No. 2)

           Masks (Suite No. 1)

           Romeo and Juliet, “Balcony Scene” (Suite No. 1)

           Romeo and Juliet before Parting (Suite No. 2)

           Death of Tybalt (Suite No. 1)

 

—INTERMISSION—

 

PROKOFIEV

Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100

           I. Andante

           II. Allegro marcato

           III. Adagio

           IV. Allegro giocoso

 

 

The Israel Philharmonic gratefully acknowledges American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic for their generous underwriting of the ensemble’s United States touring program.

Exclusive Tour Management and Representation:
Opus 3 Artists
470 Park Avenue South, 9th Floor North, New York, NY 10016
www.opus3artists.com

 

 

This performance is generously supported by the Koret Foundation and Taube Philanthropies

   

 

Season Sponsor: 

 

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.

HEALTH AND SAFETY: Masks are no longer required for indoor performances but are strongly recommended.


Program Notes


SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 25 (Classical)​

           I. Allegro con brio
           II. Larghetto
           III. Gavotte: Non troppo allegro
           IV. Finale: Molto vivace  
      

Serge Prokofiev's highly personal and unique style stems mainly from his harmonic innovations, which were so bold that in a certain part of his first piano concerto he has each hand playing in a different key. He was referred to as "futurist," the dissonances he was so fond of caused music critics to describe his music as "football music," but, on the other hand, Dmitri Shostakovich said of him: "This is a man with tremendous creative abilities." Although Prokofiev's music abounds with particular harmonies and dissonances bearing his unique stamp, it is at the same time both lyrical and extremely melodious.

All these characteristics are indeed present in the first of the composer's seven symphonies. It is not in vain that Prokofiev entitled this symphony "Classical." It bears characteristics of the classic period in terms of structure, atmosphere, orchestration, and character of the musical themes, in the tradition of the 18th century. The symphony's four movements are set in the order customary in Haydn's time, however, the sharp transitions from one key to the other, so typical of Prokofiev, are very prominent.

The first movement, Allegro con brio (lively with brilliance), is in sonata form. The first theme opens in the work's key, D major, and is immediately repeated in C major. The transition theme is based on the first theme and the second theme is in A major, which is the Dominant key of D major. This progression complies with the harmonic rules of Haydn's time. In the development section, Prokofiev moves between various keys, presenting the two themes of the exposition in different variants, including rhythmical. In the recapitulation, the composer inverts the order of the keys: C major first, followed by D major.

The second, slow movement is in A-B-A form, typical of 18th-century symphonies, yet, rhythmically, it is very modern.

The third movement is the customary dance movement. However, unlike Haydn, who mainly wrote minuets, Prokofiev deviates from tradition by introducing a gavotte. This dance stems from the 16th and 17th centuries rustic European dances, that found their way into the aristocratic dance halls. It has a quadruple metre, but the accent on the third weak beat of the measure gives the impression of a triple metre. This movement is built in two parts, the second part followed by a repeat of the first.

The fourth movement is very lively. This Finale is also cast in sonata form, with an exposition consisting of a first theme, a transition, a second theme, and closing themes; a development followed by the recapitulation, in which the exposition is repeated with changes.

Prokofiev the pianist composed this symphony as an exercise in composition, for the first time without piano. His true wish was for it to become classical. The symphony was premiered in Petrograd on 21 April 1918, conducted by the composer. His wish was indeed fulfilled, and it has become one of his most popular and loved works.

 

—Tsilli Rudik


SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Selected Movements from Romeo and Juliet

           Montagues and Capulets (Suite No. 2)
           Dance (Suite No. 2)
           Masks (Suite No. 1)
           Romeo and Juliet, “Balcony Scene” (Suite No. 1)
           Romeo and Juliet before Parting (Suite No. 2)
           Death of Tybalt (Suite No. 1)
 

The wonderful music Prokofiev wrote for the ballet Romeo and Juliet occupies an honorable place in the ballet repertoire, alongside Tchaikovsky's three great ballets (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty). In various periods of his life, Prokofiev composed music for seven complete ballets. Two of them—Romeo and Juliet (1935) and Cinderella (1944)—were immensely successful and won the recognition and love of audiences, ballet companies, conductors, and orchestras. They are great peaks of twentieth century ballet and music tradition. Like Stravinsky, Prokofiev felt a strong and direct affinity to Tchaikovsky and to the Russian ballet tradition and had a rare gift for writing brilliant ballet music and a unique sense for the art of dance. His music is characterized by sharp contrasts between agitated drama and delicate lyrical expression, an ability to invent melodies and a total and highly imaginative command of the art of orchestration. This music is bold and savage, and at the same time romantic, poetic and colorful, rich with captivating tunes. However, Prokofiev's music always bears a distinct personal stamp. His most outstanding achievement in the field of ballet is undoubtedly the music to Romeo and Juliet.

Prokofiev left his native Russia in 1918, a short time after the Revolution. He lived and was active as a composer and pianist mostly in France and the U.S., where he wrote some of his best known works (the opera The Love for Three Oranges, the "Classical" Symphony, and the First Violin Concerto). In 1933 he returned to the USSR, encouraged by the Soviet authorities, and in 1936 sold his apartment in Paris and finally settled back in Moscow with his family. The first great task he took upon himself at the time was to write ballet music for the Kirov Theater in Leningrad. However, the compositional process and the materialization of this project were complex and full of unexpected turns. Prokofiev suggested Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a theme. The Kirov management turned down the idea and Prokofiev signed a contract with the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. In the spring of 1935 he formed the plot together with celebrated choreographer Leonid Mikhailovich Lavrovsky, and in the summer of that year completed the score. But the Bolshoi Theatre also refused to perform the ballet, claiming that it was impossible to dance and that the story does not have a happy end. Their refusal probably stemmed from their doubt as to Prokofiev's political loyalty and the real meaning of his "return to the right path" after his long stay abroad.

Since it did not seem possible to produce a complete ballet, Prokofiev decided, in the meantime, to prepare an orchestral suite, comprising seven excerpts from the ballet music, for concert performance. The premiere, in November 1936, was a surprising and encouraging success, and Prokofiev subsequently compiled an additional orchestral suite in 1937, as well as a collection of ten pieces from the ballet arranged for solo piano (a third orchestral suite appeared in 1946). The first two suites were enthusiastically received, and soon established their formidable place in the repertoire of orchestras in the USSR and the U.S. Following this success in the concert hall, the Kirov Theater in Leningrad began renegotiating with the composer, but with no concrete results. Therefore, the Brno Opera House in Moravia initiated a production of the complete ballet, with the composer's consent. The world premiere took place on 30 December 1938. Prokofiev was not present at this performance. In the meantime, Lavrovsky suggested Prokofiev alter and add several musical excerpts. At first Prokofiev turned him down, but eventually he agreed to write a few new numbers and make minor changes in the original orchestration, taking into consideration the dancers' requests. The preparations and rehearsals were intense. The festive premiere at the Leningrad Kirov Theater took place on 11 January 1940 with the legendary Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova as Juliet and Constantin Sergeyev as Romeo. The ballet was a true triumph for the composer and the company, receiving continuous applause and praise. Prokofiev's ingenious music became one of his best compositions and a staple of the standard repertoire of prestigious ballet companies worldwide.

Despite the unprecedented success and achievements, Prokofiev was headed for hard times (along with Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Miaskovsky), being banned and attacked by the Communist party and the Soviet regime. After 1948 his works were rarely performed in the USSR and he and his second wife, Mira Mendelssohn, who was Jewish, were left almost penniless. He was not paid official royalties for his works. The young Mstislav Rostropovich, his devoted friend, came to his aid and devoted friend, came to his aid and raised havoc at the main office of the Composers' Union in Moscow, eventually resulting in a one-time grant for the composer and his family.

The complete ballet music, with its prologue, epilogue and three acts, consists of 52 varied pieces, contrasting in character and mood. The composer chose 21 numbers for his three suites, not necessarily following the development of the story. The various numbers reflect and express a wide range of events and emotions: animosity and constant rivalry, aggressive conflicts, ardent love and passion, sensuality and innocence, grief and mourning.

The music features folk dances, gay and colorful festivities, masks and folk instruments, presenting members of the two rival families, servants and commoners, both old and young, in the towns where the plot takes place: Verona and Mantua. Prokofiev adhered to the Shakespearean plot and main theme: the sad affair of two young lovers, Romeo and Juliet, whose great love gives them the power and ability to resist the circumstances that force them apart, but in the end are defeated by fate. And only after the tragic events, peace and reconciliation are achieved.

 

—Yisrael Daliot


SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)​ 
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100

           I. Andante
           II. Allegro marcato
           III. Adagio
           IV. Allegro giocoso

On 7 May 1918, six months after the 1917 Revolution and just 16 days after he conducted the premiere of his "Classical" Symphony (no. 1), Prokofiev left St. Petersburg for the West. He spent some 15 years there (mainly in Paris, but also with extended visits to the U.S.), working and evolving in conditions unimaginable to his colleagues back in Russia. Then, after a few tentative visits to his homeland, he returned in a gradual process of repatriation between 1932 and 1936. He was in many ways different from the young composer who had left the country in 1918. The jarring, frequently abrasive style, that had earned him the reputation of an enfant terrible and provoked some fairly hostile demonstrations, was now replaced with a more lyrical, warmhearted approach: he set out to touch people's hearts, with beauty, humor, and compassion. His bent for satire was still strong but took a gentler form now, in contrast to the brittle and biting style of earlier years.

The Fifth Symphony was composed toward the end of what the Russians called "The Great Patriotic War," and reflects that moment in time in a very positive sense. The Symphony is not "about" World War II, but the war, as an omnipresent part of every Russian's life at that time, surely had a role in determining the character of its music. By the time Prokofiev conducted the Symphony's premiere, the war's victorious conclusion was clearly in sight. Prokofiev said that his Fifth "was completing, as it were, a long period of my works. I conceived it as a symphony of the greatness of the human spirit. I cannot say I deliberately chose this theme; it was born in me and clamored for expression." Much was expected of it in war-torn Moscow, where renowned pianist Sviatoslav Richter attended the premiere on 13 January 1945: "I will never forget the first performance... on the eve of victory... When Prokofiev mounted the podium and silence set in, artillery salvoes suddenly thundered. His baton was already raised. He waited, and until the cannon fire ceased, he didn't begin. There was something very significant, very symbolic in this. A sort of common borderline had come for everybody."

There is no element of cynicism in the Fifth Symphony; it is patriotic music on a grand scale. The opening movement is in sonata form, but it is also a succession of long, arching melodies—"slowly singing strata," in the words of one early critic—above a constantly shifting rhythmic and harmonic background. The opening theme is an asymmetrical melody that rises an octave and a half in the space of two measures, establishing a mood of unpretentious seriousness. A bridge section, characterized by a rising bass line, leads to the second main theme, a sweet melody introduced by the flute and oboe. The exposition's closing section contains two new ideas: a forceful melody in dotted rhythms and a nervous figure in sixteenth-notes. Prokofiev's development is concerned largely with the first theme and material from the closing section. There is a conventional recapitulation, and the movement ends with an exultant transformation of the opening theme. For the most part, a spirit of rumination prevails throughout the first movement. There is tension, there is urgency, but the overall impression is as if one were collecting one's thoughts in a place recently quieted. Much of its dramatic excitement is achieved by harmonic means, characteristic of Prokofiev, and his dense orchestration throughout only enhances the movement's monumental effect.

The two central movements are a study in contrast. The second movement is set in a three-part fantastic scherzo form, with elements of the composer's earlier style and evocations of his more boisterous ballet scenes. The outer sections are loosely based on two ideas: an ostinato-style bass line, and a shrill Russian-flavored dance. The composer developed and modified both ideas extensively. The central trio presents a more lyrical melody, tinged with humor. Its invigorating contrast is provided by the unleashing of a flood of new ideas that, in their rhythmic metamorphoses, conjure up various lighthearted images. Many of the musical ideas in this sardonic movement were apparently "leftovers" from his work on the Romeo and Juliet ballet score in the mid-1930s. Darting between these animated episodes is a wistful figure in the strings, that constitutes a mystic connection with the preceding movement and those to come; its music, hard-edged and precise, hints at ragtime. The return of the sinister and macabre scherzo is unexpected.

After the witty scherzo, the Adagio is pensive and somber. The long first theme is presented by the clarinets and then repeated and varied. The dirge-like second theme contains references to both the first theme of this movement and the main theme of the opening movement. A development section, which combines material from the transition and the second theme, builds gradually into a huge orchestral climax. The opening triplet figure returns, and there is a brief recapitulation of the first theme only. The coda introduces a final melody: a consoling answer to the first theme. The Adagio is an exalted validation of Prokofiev's statement of intent. The music has a tragic cast, but it is far from being a lamentation or anything even close to one. It is at once noble and sensuous, neither grandiose nor understated, without embarrassment or apology in its outpouring of feeling. The second half of the movement is ecstatic on a level beyond sumptuousness. The Adagio introduces its haunting melody over the kind of "pulsing" accompaniment Prokofiev always favored. 

The final movement is a rondo, set in the form of A-B-A-C-A-B-A-coda. The quiet introduction gives no hint of what is to come. The violas abruptly break in with a rollicking figure, and the sarcastic main theme of this movement is played by the clarinet. The next section contains a pointed staccato melody in the oboe and piccolo, and a lyrical figure played by the flute. After a return of the main theme, Prokofiev makes a startling change of pace. The central section is based on a hymn-like melody that recalls the style of many of his patriotic vocal works. The movement continues with restatements of the main and second sections. The symphony closes with a massive coda, combining the hymn with elements of the main theme. Soviet victory was clearly in sight in 1944 and this symphony's triumphant ending reflects optimism and joy after years of horrendous struggle. The arrival of the finale makes it clear that this "Hymn to free and happy Man" follows a general pattern rather similar to Beethoven's in his Ninth Symphony, in which the Ode to Joy bespeaks a similar motivation. Here Prokofiev created his own wordless Ode to Joy in the form of a rollicking carnival piece. Like Beethoven's choral finale, it is introduced by a "flashback" to earlier portions of the work: in this case, though, it is only the first movement that is recalled and the theme is not rejected but serves as prelude to the finale itself, and even returns to assert itself later on. The clarinet initiates the carnival activity, which quickly spreads through the orchestra. Lyric passages alternate with more exuberant ones, the latter gaining in momentum until the gaiety becomes an uproar. The percussion "battery," active throughout the Symphony, is given its head in the final pages. 

The Fifth Symphony is a work of stature and dignity, from its majestic opening to its exuberant finale. There are moments of humor and bright lyricism, but most of all it impresses one as an essentially somber and introspective score. It is thought by many to be Prokofiev's greatest symphony, and it is probably his most frequently performed. Certainly, it is his most conventional, and on that count alone it is not his most characteristic work. In a post-war interview, Prokofiev discussed the composition of the Fifth: "When World War II broke out, I felt that everyone must do his share, and began composing songs and marches for the front. But soon events assumed such gigantic and far-reaching scope as to demand larger canvasses... Finally, I wrote my Fifth symphony, on which I had been working for several years, gathering themes in a special notebook... The entire score of the Fifth was written in one month in the summer of 1944. It took another month to orchestrate it, and in between, I wrote the score for Eisenstein's film Ivan the Terrible... The Fifth Symphony was a very important composition for me, as it marked my return to the symphonic form after a long interval. I regard it as the culmination of a large period in my creative life."

-Tsilli Rudik


About the Artists


The Israel Philharmonic
The Israel Philharmonic was founded in 1936 by Bronislaw Huberman and its inaugural concert, on 26 December 1936, was conducted by Arturo Toscanini. The IPO plays in subscription series in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, in special concerts, and in various concert series throughout Israel. The IPO regularly tours the world's cultural centers and prestigious festivals. Israel's creative artists are promoted by many IPO premieres of works by Israeli composers. The IPO has contributed to the absorption of new immigrants and includes in its ranks new immigrant musicians. The orchestra has hosted the world's greatest conductors and soloists, as well as young talents from Israel and abroad. As part of KeyNote, the IPO's music education and outreach program, IPO musicians perform in numerous schools and concerts for school pupils at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv. In 1969 Maestro Zubin Mehta was appointed Music Advisor to the IPO, and in 1977 he became its Music Director. Maestro Mehta retired in October 2019, and following his retirement, the IPO has named him Music Director Emeritus. Lahav Shani became Music Director in the 2020-21 season.


Lahav Shani, Music Director
Lahav Shani, Music Director of the Israel Philharmonic, started his conducting career when he won first prize at the 2013 Gustav Mahler International Conducting Competition in Bamberg. In 2018 he became Chief Conductor of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, being the youngest Chief Conductor in the orchestra’s history. From the 2017-18 season until 2020, he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. His performances as guest conductor include concerts with the Bavarian Radio Symphony, London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Dresden Staatskapelle, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Philadelphia Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. He also works regularly with the Berlin Staatskapelle, both at the Berlin Staatsoper and also for symphonic concerts. In October 2013 he was invited to open the season of the Israel Philharmonic. An immediate re-invitation followed for the next two seasons. His close relationship with the Israel Philharmonic started in 2007, when he performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto under the baton of Zubin Mehta, and continued in 2010, when Maestro Mehta invited him to join the Israel Philharmonic on its Far East tour as pianist, assistant conductor and double bass player. Lahav Shani was born in 1989 in Tel Aviv and started his piano studies aged six with Hannah Shalgi, continuing with Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv. He then went on to complete his studies in conducting with Prof. Christian Ehwald and piano with Prof. Fabio Bidini, both at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. Whilst a student he was mentored by Daniel Barenboim. As a pianist, Lahav Shani made his solo recital debut at the Boulez Saal in Berlin in July 2018. He has play-directed piano concerti with many orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Israel Philharmonic. Lahav Shani also has considerable experience performing chamber music and recitals. He is a regular performer at the Verbier Festival, and has also appeared at the Aix-en-Provence Easter and Jerusalem Chamber Music Festivals.


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