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Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten

Lachrymae for Viola and Strings

Maiya Papach, viola

When the eminent violist William Primrose accepted Benjamin Britten’s invitation to perform at the third annual Aldeburgh Festival, in 1950, the composer created Lachrymae: Reflections on a Song of John Dowland, a viola and piano duet for them to perform together. A quarter-century later, and at the urging of another violist, the ailing Britten created a version that replaced the piano with string orchestra, in what turned out to be one of his final works.

Britten’s Lachrymae takes its source material from the English lutenist and composer John Dowland (1563-1626), famous for his lute solos and his lovesick, melancholy songs. Dowland had given an instrumental set the title of Lachrymae, Latin for “tears.” Britten borrowed the title and music from two beloved songs: “Flow My Tears,” which appears in the sixth variation, and “If My Complaints Could Passion Move,” the ostensible “theme” of Britten’s work, although it only unveils itself in the final variation.

The opening section captures the heavy mood and smooth harmonic motion of Dowland’s song. Mutes help darken the sonic palette, and only half the usual number of violins are used, shifting the emphasis to the lower strings (and creating less high-range interference for the delicate viola solo). Most of the variations last less than a minute, each developing a particular sound for a few aphoristic phrases before moving on, as in the soloist’s pizzicato phrases in the second variation, framed by sparse, somber chords. The final variation is the longest, migrating from the soloist’s insistent tremolo and haunting drones to the archaic, viol-like setting of Dowland’s melody.

Aaron Grad ©2014

Intermission
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Franz Joseph Haydn Listen to Audio

Franz Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 101, The Clock

During his long tenure with the Esterházy family, Franz Joseph Haydn spent much of his time dutifully entertaining his patrons at a remote country estate. He encountered a vastly different environment during his two visits in the 1790s to London, a bustling city that welcomed him as a celebrity. Contrasting the lofty, refined tastes of the Austrian nobility, London audiences favored splashy and spectacular entertainment — ranging from revivals of George Frideric Handel oratorios involving hundreds of performers to popular caricatures such as The Beggar’s Opera. Haydn, in his second set of “London” symphonies, seemed to respond to English tastes by writing music with extra panache. He added the robust tone of clarinets in all but one symphony, and he incorporated flashy gestures that inspired nicknames still associated with several works: Military (Symphony No. 100), The Clock (Symphony No. 101) and Drum Roll (Symphony No. 103).

Haydn began the Symphony No. 101 in Vienna and completed it in London in 1794. Considering the adjustment period new music often endures before being embraced by the public, the immediate success Haydn achieved was remarkable, as evidenced by the review published in the Morning Chronicle two days after the premiere. The critic declared, “As usual the most delicious part of the entertainment was a new grand Overture [Symphony] by HAYDN; the inexhaustible, the wonderful, the sublime HAYDN! The first two movements were encored; and the character that pervaded the whole composition was heartfelt joy. Every new Overture he writes, we fear, till it is heard, he can only repeat himself; and we are every time mistaken.”

As with most of the “London” symphonies, No. 101 begins with a slow introduction. This subdued Adagio builds anticipation for the body of the first movement, which gallops in with five-measure phrases that spill over the expected subdivisions of four measures. The Andante movement, with the “tick-tock” flavor of its accompaniment, is responsible for the symphony’s nickname, The Clock. The graceful melody and steady accompaniment form the basis of a set of variations, including a dramatic, minor-key escapade that recalls Haydn’s Sturm und Drang (“storm and stress”) stylings from an earlier decade.

Haydn deserves credit for making the minuet an indispensable component of the symphony, expanding the structure from earlier three-movement models. This minuet is one of his richest, with a full-throated scoring that includes trumpets and timpani. In the contrasting trio section, a running motive recalls the main theme of the first movement.

The finale packs a typical Haydn punch: it throttles back to just strings in a piano dynamic for the first fifty-five measures, and then unleashes the full forte power of the orchestra right at a major point of arrival, with the last note of the earlier phrase doubling as the first note in a new motive. The same dovetailing trick binds another quiet string passage to an even bolder mood change, with a sudden shift to the minor key blasted by the entire ensemble at a fortissimo dynamic. Later, a hushed fugue volleys among the string sections on the way to a grand arrival, ushering in one last statement of the main theme.

Aaron Grad ©2022

About This Program

Approximate length 2:00

We celebrated the centenary of Benjamin Britten, one of the twentieth century’s definitive musical voices, with a three-week Britten festival. The centerpiece of this first of three programs is Britten’s penetrating Lachrymae for viola and strings, featuring Principal Violist Maiya Papach as soloist and director. Also on this program is Haydn's inventive Clock Symphony, led by concertmaster Steven Copes.

Please note: this program has changed from what was originally published. Tickets printed for Britten, Mendelssohn and Shostakovich are still valid for this week's performances. You may use your original tickets regardless of the printed concert title, as long as the printed date is correct.