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Fate and Fortune Program Notes
Bacchanale from “Samson and Delilah” (1867-1876)
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)
Premiere: 1877; Weimar, Germany under the direction of Franz Liszt
Camille Saint-Saëns, a towering figure of French musical life in the 19th century, occupies a unique position as both a custodian of tradition and a forward-thinking innovator. A prodigious talent and child prodigy, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at thirteen. Saint-Saëns was a prolific composer across numerous genres, a celebrated pianist and organist (famously lauded by Liszt as "the greatest organist in the world"), a respected teacher, and a fervent advocate for both established masters and contemporary voices.
While his extensive operatic output includes numerous works, it is Samson et Dalila that has secured a lasting place in the standard repertoire – a singular achievement considering the initial reluctance of French authorities to embrace a biblical subject on the operatic stage. The opera, with a libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire, premiered in Weimar in 1877 before finally reaching French audiences in 1890 to enthusiastic acclaim. Saint-Saëns initially conceived of the work as an oratorio but was persuaded by Lemaire to transform it into the dramatic and sensual opera we know today, based on the Old Testament story of the heroic Samson and his fateful entanglement with the seductive Delilah.
The Bacchanale from Act III is a powerful and evocative instrumental interlude. This intensely rhythmic and percussive dance sequence unfolds as Delilah attempts to seduce the captive and weakened Samson within the Philistine temple. Originally an accompaniment to a ballet sequence within the opera, the Bacchanale has taken on a life of its own in the concert hall. Its intoxicating melodies, driven by insistent rhythms and punctuated by vivid orchestral colors, depict the destructive allure that leads to Samson's final, devastating act of defiance.
Bacchanale from “Samson and Delilah” is scored for three flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harp, and strings.
Carmina Burana (1935-1936)
Carl Orff (1895-1982)
Premiere: June 8, 1937; Oper Frankfurt, Germany
The name Carl Orff (1895-1982) resonates not only within the concert hall but also in the early childhood music classroom. For those who recall the tinkling of glockenspiels and the rhythmic pulse of small xylophones in their youth, Orff's pedagogical vision is the underlying force. Orff’s profound impact on musical education, through the widely adopted Orff-Schulwerk method, stands as a testament to his belief in a child-centered, multi-disciplinary music education approach that combines music, movement, speech, and drama to foster creativity and musical development.
Yet, beyond his influential educational theories, Orff forged a distinctive compositional path, deliberately turning away from what he perceived as the exhaustion of late Romantic and Classical idioms. Instead, he sought inspiration in primal sources: the starkness of plainchant, the hypnotic power of repetitive rhythms, the sheer sonic weight of a large orchestra, and a compelling sense of primitivism. This aesthetic recalibration found its most iconic and enduring expression in his self-described "scenic cantata," Carmina Burana.
Premiered in Germany in 1937 to immediate acclaim, Carmina Burana draws its textual foundation from a collection of 13th-century Goliardic poems and songs discovered in the Bavarian monastery of Benediktbeuern (Beuern). This codex, an anthology of some 250 writings, offers a glimpse into the irreverent and often earthy world of the Goliards – itinerant poets who roamed Europe between the 10th and 13th centuries. In contrast to the chivalric themes of troubadours, trouvères, and minnesingers, the Goliards embraced more visceral aspects of life, their verses frequently exploring themes of drinking, gambling, carousing, and the corrupting influence of power. The texts Orff selected, a vibrant tapestry woven from Latin, Middle-High German, and Old French, reflect this unvarnished perspective.
Structurally, Carmina Burana unfolds in three principal sections – "In Spring," "In the Tavern," and "The Court of Love" – framed by a powerful prologue and a concluding finale. This overarching architecture is further subdivided into 25 individual movements, each functioning as a distinct vignette rather than contributing to a linear narrative. Orff deliberately avoided a traditional sense of Classical development, instead binding the work through the insistent repetition of rhythmic and melodic motifs. This emphasis on rhythmic drive and metrical force, often at the expense of intricate melodic or harmonic progression, invites comparisons to the raw energy and primal pulse found in Igor Stravinsky's Les Noces. Perhaps the most globally recognized excerpt from Carmina Burana is the opening and closing chorus, "O Fortuna." This visceral and unforgettable movement encapsulates the work's central theme: the capricious nature of fate and the relentless turning of fortune's wheel. Its powerful simplicity and dramatic impact have cemented its place as a ubiquitous cultural touchstone, transcending the boundaries of the concert hall.
Interestingly, the completion of Carmina Burana marked a significant turning point for Orff. He famously instructed his publisher to destroy all his earlier compositions, declaring that his true compositional journey began with this seminal work. This bold statement underscores the radical departure Carmina Burana represented in his artistic development, a departure rooted in a fascination with elemental musical forces and a profound connection to the power of rhythm and text.
It is impossible to discuss Carmina Burana without acknowledging the complex historical context of its creation. While Orff never formally joined the Nazi party, he was a member of the Reich Chamber of Music, a mandatory affiliation for active musicians under the Third Reich. His decision to remain in Germany during this period, despite opportunities to leave, and his subsequent denazification by American authorities (where he was cleared of party membership or collaboration) remain a subject of historical scrutiny. Orff was generally uninterested in politics. However, he benefited professionally during this era. His reputation never fully recovered from this complacency, and he never replicated the phenomenal success of Carmina Burana.
Carmina Burana is scored for three flutes, piccolo, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, bass trombone, tuba, percussion, two pianos, celesta, strings, SATB chorus, boys chorus, soprano, tenor and baritone soloists.
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