Ravinia 2026 Issue 1

society, in all its complexity, idealism, and im- perfection, has continually reshaped interpreta- tion of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and its place in public culture—and continues to do so today. LEONARDBERNSTEIN (1918–1990) Overture to Candide Scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two B-flat, one E-flat and one bass clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, tenor drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, xylophone, harp, and strings Candide was Leonard Bernstein’s flawed master- piece. This slow-evolving piece of musical the- ater began life as Lillian Hellman’s adaptation of a play by 18th-century writer Voltaire, the “father of the French Revolution.” Hellman suggested Voltaire’s comic satire Candide as an unflattering allegory for the anti-Communist crusade—led by Senator Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee—from which America was only recently emerging. Hellman proposed the production to Bernstein in September 1950, but the busy composer/ conductor/pianist did not consent to “having a fling” with Candide for four more years. This “comic operetta” experienced a difficult gesta- tion while Hellman wrote at her typically slow pace, Bernstein worked on his film score to On the Waterfront and began West Side Story , and the whole production went through a series of lyricists—John La Touche, Dorothy Parker, and finally Richard Wilbur, with adaptations by Ber- nstein and Hellman. (Stephen Sondheim con- tributed lyrics to later productions.) A tryout production at Boston’s ColonialTheater opened on October 29, 1956. Candide moved to Broadway five weeks later, premiering De- cember 1, 1956, at the Martin Beck Theater. The show ran for a disappointing 73 performances. Critics recognized its conceptual brilliance, but audiences found the production too erudite and Leonard Bernstein confusing. Over the past seven decades, there have been numerous revivals and revisions, some in direct collaboration with Bernstein. Bernstein conducted the overture for the first time in a concert performance on January 26, 1957, with the New York Philharmonic. Its music immediately conjures an optimistic atmosphere with its preview of selected themes from the operetta. The young man Candide is betrothed to the lovely ingénue Cunegonde. Dr. Pangloss philosophizes that “All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds,” a rather naive statement immediately challenged by a series of misfor- tunes: Cunegonde’s alleged death, a death sen- tence imposed upon Candide and Dr. Pangloss by the Inquisition, the death of Pangloss, slavery, shipwreck, and poverty. Candide eventually re- nounces his teacher’s ideology and decides that the only way is “to make one’s own garden grow.” MAURICERAVEL (1875–1937) Piano Concerto in G major Scored for flute and piccolo, oboe and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, trombone, timpani, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum, tam- tam, wood block, whip, harp, strings, and solo piano The critical and monetary rewards of his first concert tour of the United States (1927–28), during which he conducted two performances of his music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, encouraged Ravel to plan a return trip for the early 1930s. This time, he considered appearing as piano soloist in an as-yet-unwritten concerto. Unexpectedly, the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgen- stein, who had lost his right arm during World War I, commissioned a concerto that could be played with the left hand alone. Ravel conse- quently found himself in the remarkable position of writing his first two concertos simultaneous- ly. His own concerto project was placed on hold while he fulfilled the Wittgenstein commission over the span of nine months during 1929–30. Ravel described this period to the London Daily Telegraph : “Planning the two concertos simulta- neously was an interesting experience. The one in which I shall appear as the interpreter is a concerto in the truest sense of the word: I mean that I have written very much in the spirit as those of Mozart and Saint-Saëns. The music of a concerto should, in my opinion, be lighthearted and brilliant, and not aim at profundity or at dramatic effects. It has been said of certain great classics that their concertos were written not ‘for,’ but ‘against’ the piano. I heartily agree. I had intended to entitle this concerto ‘Divertisse- ment.’ Then it occurred to me that there was no need to do so, because the very title ‘Concerto’ should be sufficiently clear.” The exertion of this prolonged creativity took its toll on Ravel. After finishing the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, he escaped to the Basque re- gion to regain strength before completing the Piano Concerto in G major. Already, symptoms of the mysterious neural illness that impaired his ability to compose and ultimately brought his death in 1937—Pick’s disease—had begun to surface. Ravel grew nervous as the scheduled premiere of his Piano Concerto in G major ap- proached. He determined with good, but sadly prophetic, humor, “I can’t manage to finish my concerto, so I’m resolved not to sleep for more than a second. When my work is finished I shall rest in this world … or the next!” The concerto was finally completed in 1931. Ravel decided against performing the new work himself and offered the premiere—given January 14, 1932, with Ravel conducting the Lamoureux Orches- tra at the Salle Pleyel in Paris—to Marguerite Long, who also played the subsequent European tour performances. Unknowingly, Ravel had created his last orchestral work. Ravel heard numerous popular American musi- cal idioms during his US sojourn, but was most impressed with the potential of jazz and blues. He expressed genuine interest and support for the further development of these styles during a speech before students at Rice University (April 7, 1928): “My journey is enabling me to become still more conversant with those ele- ments which are contributions to the gradual formation of a veritable school of American music. … May this national American music of yours embody a great deal of the rich and diverting rhythm of your jazz, a great deal of the emotional expression in your blues, and a great deal of the sentiment and spirit characteristic of your popular melodies and songs, worthily deriving from, and in turn contributing to, a noble heritage of music.” Ravel first heard George Gershwin’s music in New York while attending Broadway perfor- mances of Funny Face in 1927. When asked what he wanted as a birthday present, Ravel replied “to hear and meet George Gershwin.” Formal introductions were made the following year by a Maurice Ravel (1928) RAVINIA.ORG • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 71