In celebration of SCHÖNBERG's 150th birthday!
ABOUT ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG (1874-1951)
Arnold Schönberg, a towering figure in 20th-century music, was an Austrian composer renowned for his pioneering work in atonal and twelve-tone composition. Born in 1874, Schönberg's innovative approach revolutionized the landscape of classical music, breaking away from the traditional tonal system that had dominated Western music for centuries. His move towards atonality, beginning with works like the "Verklärte Nacht" (Transfigured Night), and later his development of the twelve-tone technique, fundamentally altered the way music is structured and perceived. Schönberg’s influence extended beyond composition to pedagogy; his teaching shaped the careers of notable students such as Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Despite facing considerable resistance and controversy during his lifetime, Schönberg’s contributions have become foundational to modern music, marking him as a crucial architect of contemporary musical expression.
Kammersymphonie, Op. 9 (1906/1923)
ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG
ARR. WEBERN | (1874-1951)
Arnold Schoenberg's Kammersymphonie, Op. 9, stands as a significant early work that marks a significant point in the composer's development. This chamber symphony is scored for a relatively small ensemble, but its intricate structure and rich texture demonstrate Schoenberg's departure from the lush Romanticism of his earlier compositions. The work is composed in three movements: Allegro, Andante, and Allegro, each exploring different facets of musical expression and complexity.
Despite its modern tendencies, the Kammersymphonie retains a sense of classical form, making it a bridge between late-Romanticism and the avant-garde. Its diverse textures and orchestration provides a compelling glimpse into Schoenberg's transformative period as a composer.
Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912)
ARNOLD SCHÖNBERG
Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21, composed in 1912, is a groundbreaking atonal melodrama for voice and chamber ensemble. The work is structured in 21 short movements, each featuring a text by Albert Giraud that portrays the enigmatic and often surreal adventures of the character Pierrot, a clown-like figure. Using a technique known as Sprechstimme, which blends speaking and singing, Schoenberg creates a distinctive, eerie atmosphere that complements the fragmented, often dissonant musical language.
SECTION 1
I. Mondestrunken (Moondrunk)
II. Columbine (Columbine)
III. Der Dandy (The Dandy)
IV. Eine blasse Wäscherin (A Pallid Laundrymaid)
V. Valse de Chopin (Valse de Chopin)
VI. Madonna (Madonna)
VII. Der kranke Mond (The Sick Moon)
SECTION 2
VIII. Nacht (Night)
IX. Gebet an Pierrot (Prayer to Pierrot)
X. Raub (Theft)
XI. Rote Messe (Red Mass)
XII. Galgenlied (Gallows Song)
XIII. Enthauptung (Beheading)
XIV. Die Kreuze (The Crosses)
SECTION 3
XV. Heimweh (Nostalgia)
XVI. Gemeinheit (Mean Trick!)
XVII. Parodie (Parody)
XVIII. Der Mondfleck (The Moonfleck)
XIX. Serenade (Serenade)
XX. Heimfahrt (Journey Homeward)
XXI. O alter Duft (O Ancient Scent)
PERSONNEL
Lindsay Kesselman
Lindsay Kesselman is a twice GRAMMY-nominated soprano known for her warm, collaborative spirit and investment in personal, intimate communication with audiences. She regularly collaborates with orchestras, wind symphonies, chamber ensembles, opera/theater companies, and new music ensembles across the United States, often premiering, touring and recording new works written for her by living composers. She is a passionate advocate for contemporary music, and has commissioned/premiered over 100 works to date.
Recent and upcoming highlights include frequent performances of Darkening, then Brightening by Christopher Cerrone across the country, a tour culminating at National CBDNA with the UNC Greensboro Wind Ensemble, premieres of wind transcriptions of Caroline Shaw’s Is a Rose and Maria Schneider’s Winter Morning Walks, Pierrot Lunaire with Ensemble ATL, Energy in All Directions by Kenneth Frazelle with Sandbox Percussion at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the role of Anna in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins with the Charlotte Symphony, the role of Ada Lovelace in a new opera, Galaxies in Her Eyes by Mark Lanz Weiser and Amy Punt, Astronautica: Voices of Women in Space with Voices of Ascension, ongoing performances of works written for Kesselman by John Mackey with orchestras and wind symphonies across the country, the John Corigliano 80th birthday celebration at National Sawdust (2018), Quixote (Amy Beth Kirsten and Mark DeChiazza) with Peak Performances at Montclair State University (2017), a leading role in Louis Andriessen’s opera Theatre of the World with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dutch National Opera and an international tour of Einstein on the Beach with the Philip Glass Ensemble (2012-2015).
Robert J. Ambrose
Conductor Robert J. Ambrose enjoys a highly successful and diverse career as a dynamic and engaging musician. His musical interests cross many genres and can be seen in the wide range of professional activities he pursues. Dr. Ambrose studied formally at Boston College, Boston University and Northwestern University, where he received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting.
Dr. Ambrose has conducted professionally across the United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. His interpretations have earned the enthusiastic praise of many leading composers including Pulitzer Prize winners Leslie Bassett, Michael Colgrass and John Harbison. Dr. Ambrose is considered an authority on Arnold Schoenberg’s landmark piece Pierrot Lunaire, having conducted it several times in three different countries. He has conducted over two dozen premiere performances including works by Michael Colgrass, Jonathan Newman, Joel Puckett, Christopher Theofanidis and Joseph Turrin. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public Radio.
Dr. Ambrose is founder and music director of the Atlanta Chamber Winds a professional dectet specializing in the promotion of music by emerging composers as well as lesser-known works of established composers. Their premiere compact disc, Music from Paris, was released in 2009 on the Albany Records label and has received outstanding reviews in both Fanfare and Gramophone magazines.
As a guitarist, Robert Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras. His rock band “Hoochie Suit,” formed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and performed for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma and Daniel Barenboim.
Dr. Ambrose currently serves as director of bands, associate professor of music and associate director of the School of Music at Georgia State University, a Research I institution of 32,000 students located in Atlanta, GA. As director of bands he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, maintains a highly selective studio of graduate students in the Master of Music in wind band conducting degree program, and oversees a large, comprehensive band program comprised of four concert ensembles and three athletic bands. He lives in Peachtree City, GA with his wife Sarah Kruser Ambrose, a professional flute player, and daughters Isabelle and Hannah.