Concert 1
Music of Britten, Martin and Beethoven
Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 3:00 PM
(Pre-Concert Conversation at 2:00 PM)
Sanders Theatre
Harvard University, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
Martin Six Monologues from “Jedermann”
Christòpheren Nomura, baritone
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
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Benjamin Britten exploded onto the British musical scene in the 1930s with a series of stunning youthful masterpieces that proclaimed the appearance of a modern master. Among them is the bewitching Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, written to showcase the virtuosity of London’s leading string orchestra of the day. The composer also put his own extraordinary compositional virtuosity on display with a young man’s captivating insouciance and panache. Starting with Bridge’s sentimental, turn-of-the-century theme, the Variations run through a dizzying gamut of moods, forms, and national styles. At one moment the work sounds English, suddenly it’s French, then Italian, then German, then... well, it’s hard to say.
Frank Martin’s Six Monologues from “Jedermann” is a work of deep religious conviction. The monologues, drawn from the famous play “Everyman” by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, trace the deeply moving stages in the emotional and spiritual journey of a wealthy and arrogant man who, learning that he is soon to die, resists with every fiber in his being until, gradually, he learns true wisdom in acceptance. This sublime work, a true masterpiece by Switzerland’s greatest composer, is still insufficiently known by music lovers. Joining Discovery Ensemble will be baritone Christòpheren Nomura, one of America’s most compelling recitalists, who will bring to the performance the urgency and personal communicative power that this unique work demands.
And, returning to earth after the mystical, transfigured close of the Martin Monologues, the concert closes with Beethoven’s eternally youthful Seventh Symphony. This dancing, athletic, overwhelmingly joyous work continues, even after two centuries, to be the most popular of all the Beethoven symphonies.
Christòpheren Nomura
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Since making his New York City debut, baritone Christòpheren Nomura has performed throughout the world, hailed as one of classical music's "rising stars" by the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Nomura has earned a prominent place on the operatic, concert and recital stages. In the realm of opera, Mr. Nomura is a noted Mozartean, known for his portrayals of Don Giovanni, Papageno in The Magic Flute, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte. He has performed with the Dallas Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Carolina and Hawaii Opera Theatre, among others.
Christòpheren Nomura has appeared with many of the prominent North American orchestras in wide-ranging repertoire. He has appeared with the Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Vancouver Symphony and the Baltimore Symphony, performing under internationally renowned conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, James Conlon, Sergiu Comissiona, Christof Perick and Roger Norrington. During the 2010-11 season Mr. Nomura made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Known for his deep commitment to the art of the recital, Mr. Nomura has given more than 250 recitals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. He has appeared at Lincoln Center, the “Making Music” series at Carnegie Hall, the Bank of America Celebrity Series in Boston, the Rising Stars Series at Ravinia, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Vancouver Recital Society. He was Artist-In-Residence with San Francisco Performances for four seasons from 2001-2005 and returned for their 30th Anniversary season in 2009.
Christòpheren Nomura's discography includes recordings on the Sony, Dorian, Teldec, London, Denon, TDK and L'oiseau Lyre labels. His recording of the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 on Telarc was nominated for a Grammy (Best Classical Ensemble Recording). He recorded Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin for Well-Tempered Productions and Never Broken a solo recording of contemporary compositions released in 2004 by Center Stage Records. All Is Bright with Grant Llewellyn and the Handel and Haydn Society was released in December 2005.
