CYPRUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - STARLIGHT 1 // CHARLES OLIVIERI-MUNROE

 

CYPRUS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

STARLIGHT 1

Lemesos: Thursday 21 October 2021

Pattihio Municipal Theatre, 20:30

Lefkosia: Friday 22 October 2021

Nicosia Municipal Theatre, 20:30

The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra is very happy to welcome on stage the renowned trumpet soloist Sergei Nakariakov, who has been dubbed “Paganini of the trumpet” and “Caruso of the trumpet” for his dazzling virtuosity, suave and velvet-toned sound and deep sensitivity.

Prepare yourselves for a treat, as Sergei Nakariakov will perform Tchaikovsky’s "Variations on a rococo theme", under the baton of maestro Charles Olivieri – Munroe, who joins the podium of the orchestra once again.

Beethoven’s delightful and vigorous Symphony no. 4, along with Joseph Suk’s sunny and serene Serenade for strings, perfectly complement this unique programme.

Josef Suk: Serenade for strings, op. 6

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Variations on a rococo theme in A major, op. 33 (arr. for flugelhorn by Mikhail Nakariakov)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 4 in B flat major, op. 60

Soloist: Sergei Nakariakov (trumpet)

Conductor: Charles Olivieri – Munroe

Ticket prices:

Stalls Premium Seats: €35 / €28 (concession)

Stalls Regular Seats: €30 / €24 (concession)

Balcony: €22 / €17 (concession)

Season Tickets for Starlight Series

4 concerts

Stalls Premium Seats €120

Stalls Regular Seats €100

Balcony €72

Concessions available to: Students, soldiers, pensioners, large and five-member families on presentation of ID.

Free Entrance for people with disabilities.

Ticket presales:

Nicosia Municipal Theatre (Mouseiou avenue 4, 1097 Lefkosia) - Online at www.cyso.org.cy

- Pallas Theatre Box Office every Wed: 16:00-19:00

- Nicosia Municipal Theatre Box Office 2 hours before the concert if no restrictive measures apply.

Pattihio Limassol Municipal Theatre (Ayias Zonis 4, 3027 Lemesos, 25 377277) - Online at www.pattihio.com.cy

- Box Office: Mon-Fri and at the box office before the concert if no restrictive measures apply.

SERGEI NAKARIAKOV

“Sergei Nakariakov plays the trumpet the way the rest of us breathe – if we are lucky.” (San Francisco Chronicle)

Sergei Nakariakov, the israeli-russian trumpet player, has established himself as one of the most sought-after trumpet players on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, a suave and velvet-toned sound and a deep sensitivity he was named “The Paganini of the trumpet” and “Caruso of the trumpet”. Nakariakov has single-handedly brought the flugelhorn to prominence on the concert platform. He has developed long-standing relationships with many of the world’s most respected leading orchestras, conductors and musicians.

Nakariakov’s repertoire covers not only the entire range of original literature for trumpet, but is continually expanding into broader territories, comprising many fascinating transcriptions and commissions by Peter Ruzicka, Uri Brener, Enjott Schneider and Jörg Widmann, while he searches for ever new means of musical expression.

“In Sergei Nakariakov Widmann found a soloist to whom he could write an almost unplayable solo part.” (Online Music Magazin)

Nakariakov has performed with many of the world’s most respected conductors including Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Spivakov, Saulius Sondeckis, Christoph Eschenbach, Yuri Temirkanov, Jiří Bělohlávek, Jaap van Zweden, Yuri Bashmet, Sir Neville Marriner, Mikhail Pletnev, Dmitri Sitkovetsky, Kent Nagano, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Hugh Wolff, Ton Koopman as well as great orchestras. Furthermore, he regularly collaborates with many of the world’s leading musicians like Vadim Repin, Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, Emmanuel Pahud, Julian Rachlin, Dmitri Sitkovetsky for chamber music projects. With the pianist Maria Meerovitch and his sister, Vera Okhotnikova, he combines a long musical-friendly collaboration.

Sergei Nakariakov’s discography with Teldec Classics International (Warner) has drawn the most enthusiastic public and critical acclaim and incorporates the most famous original repertoire trumpet as well as numerous arrangements for trumpet and flugelhorn.

Born in Gorky, Sergei began to play the piano when he was six years old, but moved on to the trumpet, a change of direction in which he was supported by his father, Mikhail Nakariakov, who has transcribed many classical concerts for the trumpet and created a unique repertoire for Sergei. He gave him his technical knowledge and helped him to develop still further his exceptional feel for music.

Sergei Nakariakov plays on AR Resonance trumpet and mouthpieces and flugelhorn by Antoine Courtois, Paris.

CHARLES OLIVIERI-MUNROE

Conductor

Charles Olivieri-Munroe's hold on public imagination stems from a combination of talent and charisma. He is increasingly recognized in the international press for his innovative programming, interpretation of Slavic repertoire and his passion for purity of orchestral sound. From his home in Prague his career takes him across five continents, appearing with many of the world’s finest orchestras including: Israel Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Berlin Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Danish Radio Symphony, Kyoto Symphony and others.

Charles Olivieri-Munroe has held the position of the artistic director with several European orchestras including the Cracow Philharmonic Orchestra (2015-2021), Philharmonie Sudwestfalen in Germany (2011-2018), the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (2001-04) and the North Czech Philharmonic Teplice (1997-2013) with whom he is currently honorary chief conductor.

In the opera house, Charles Olivieri-Munroe has appeared at the Berlin Komische Oper conducting Verdi’s Falstaff, in Milan conducting Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Lago di Como Festival conducting Aida and at Il Teatro Fenice in Venice and at the Warsaw Chamber Opera where he led a new production of Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress. He conducted the Czech premiere of Robert Schumann’s opera Genoveva at the Czech National Theatre.

Charles Olivieri-Munroe’ career was launched by winning First Prize in the 2000 ‘Prague Spring International Music Festival’ Conducting Competition.

PROGRAMME NOTES

Josef SUK (1874-1935):

Serenade for strings, op. 6

Born and raised in a musical family in the Czech Republic, Josef Suk naturally followed a successful career as a composer and violinist. Suk entered the Prague Conservatory when he was only eleven years old, where he was associated with Antonín Dvořák, who initially served as his composition teacher and mentor, and later on became his father-in-law, when he married his daughter, Otylka. In fact, Suk started composing the Serenade for strings in 1892, the year he met Otylka and there are some interpretations that suggest the four movements represent a musical portrait of her. After a few reworks and partial performances, the Serenade eventually had its premiere in 1895, and was published the following year on Johannes Brahms' recommendation.

More frequently, it has been suggested that the most profound influence for Suk was Dvorák’s own Serenade for strings in E major, op. 22, written in 1875. The first movement, Allegro con moto, has a clear form and has a rather enjoyable, but calm character.

In the second movement, we hear a graceful, but playful, waltz, marked with a few folk elements, before it becomes more sentimental.

Even though Suk follows several conventions of the late nineteenth century form of the serenade, trying to keep a joyful character throughout, in the third movement, the Adagio, he is drawn to some darker emotions. It starts with a lyrical cello solo that develops in a surprisingly sentimental atmosphere, rather uncommon in this genre.

Suk returns to the joyful atmosphere at the end, since the concluding movement is an energetic finale, with even more evident folk-like melodies, ending cheerfully this overall sunny work.

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893):

Variations on a rococo theme in A major, op. 33 (arr. for flugelhorn by Mikhail Nakariakov)

Composed in 1876 by Tchaikovsky, Rococo Variations is intertwined with the German cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, to whom he also dedicated the work. Fitzenhagen, who was the soloist in the 1877 premiere of the work, intervened considerably in the shaping of the solo parts, but also changed the order of the variations and even reduced the original nine variations to eight. Tchaikovsky’s publisher, Pyotr Jurgenson, went on and published the altered version of the work in 1878, with the composer’s reluctant consent. Even though Tchaikovsky’s original version of the work was retrieved in 1941, it is the ‘co-authored’ one that is most frequently performed today.

It is customary that variations are written on the theme of other composers. However, Tchaikovsky composed an original theme, in the rococo style. Tchaikovsky was hugely known to admire the classical era composers, often idolising Mozart, and the influence in this work is quite evident from the use of smaller orchestra, the light accompaniment, and even the charming style.

The work starts with a short introduction, before we are introduced to the main theme by the soloist, which has the character of a rather slow gavotte dance. Eight imaginative variations follow that vary in style and no two variations assemble their phrases in the same manner, yet maintain a continuous flow.

Τhe work is elegant and refined throughout, gratifying for both the soloist and the audience, with this arranged version for flugelhorn by Mikhail Nakariakov also adding a rather bright colour, without altering the character of the piece.

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827):

Symphony no. 4 in B flat major, op. 60

Beethoven's Fourth Symphony was composed during the summer and fall of 1806, after the composer had already completed half of what we know today as the iconic Fifth Symphony. At the time, Beethoven was residing with Prince von Lichnowsky at his summer castle near Troppau, where he met Count Franz von Oppersdorff, to whom he eventually dedicated the work to. The premiere took place at the Lobkowitz Palace in Vienna at a private concert, along with the first performance of the Fourth Piano Concerto.

The Fourth Symphony suffered the fate of all Beethoven's even-numbered symphonies, as joyful and relaxed, instead of the heroic, dramatic odd-numbered ones. It is also situated between and often overshadowed by two of Beethoven's most appreciated and frequently performed symphonies, the “Eroica” (Third) and the Symphony in C minor (Fifth). Indeed, Robert Schumann described the work as 'a slender Grecian maiden between two Nordic giants'. Nevertheless, it is a finely crafted work, predominantly cheerful in character, and classical in style. Sharing many of the classical era formalities, Beethoven structured the work in four movements, with the opening and final movement influenced by Beethoven's teacher Joseph Haydn.

The Adagio section of first movement serves as an introduction to the symphony, and is then followed by a brighter Allegro vivace.

The second movement consists of an angelic Adagio overtaken by emotion.

Even though the composer marks the third movement as a Menuetto, it bears all the features of a Scherzo, which Antony Hopkins described "a jokey mixture of bluster and sly humour".

The same jokey mood is maintained in the finale, the Allegro ma non troppo, which concludes the piece in high spirits.

Dr. Christina Michael