Hugh Wolff leads the NEC Symphony through a program of three Spring-themed works:
Debussy - "Rondes de printemps," No. 3 from Images
Copland - Suite from Appalachian Spring
Schumann - Symphony No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 38 "Spring"
NEC's Jordan Hall, March 9, 2020

NEC Symphony with Hugh Wolff, conductor - March 9, 2020

The NEC Philharmonia, conducted by Hugh Wolff, performs Ludwig van Beethoven’s magnificent Symphony No. 7 in A Major, op. 92, in a special “Manuscript Expressive Markings” edition prepared by faculty violinist Nicholas Kitchen (more on this below). This concert recording was made in NEC's Jordan Hall on October 30, 2019.

Beethoven began this work during the summer of 1811 in the Bohemian spa town of Teplice, while seeking a respite from the ill health that was increasingly tormenting him. Added to this personal challenge was a societal one: the Napoleonic War which had convulsed Europe for years and which was now galloping recklessly towards its own denouement. 

Apparently his time of convalescence at the spa served him well for within a few months Beethoven was enough recovered not only to complete the symphony, but also to conduct its premiere performance in 1813 to instant acclaim. 

From the stirring but troubled first movement, through the famous dirge-like second movement -- perversely marked "Allegretto," and then into the bright splendor of the third and fourth, this is Beethoven at his finest. Composer and conductor Richard Wagner summed it up eloquently when he described the 7th Symphony as resolving “all tumult, all yearning and storming of the heart” into “the blissful insolence of joy, which snatches us away with bacchanalian might.”

[Notes for Gunther Schuller's "Encounters" can be found in the individual track listing for that piece.]

A Note by Nicholas Kitchen about the Manuscript Expressive Markings edition of Beethoven Symphony 7, Op. 92

Using the computer to always read off of full scores, I realized soon that I could also read off of primary sources such as manuscripts or corrected copies or contrasting editions. With every composer, this is interesting, but with Beethoven I have found myself compelled to notice and show through new editions an elaborate system of expressive marking that Beethoven used in his manuscripts.

And what are the marks? A range of dynamics, a range of different staccati, two types of expressive swell pairs and various tiny but significant items like the beams connecting the stems of notes, and particular lines showing the exact continuity of a crescendo or diminuendo.

Beethoven used no fewer than 22 levels of dynamics, between fff and ppp// (the "/" is my method of representing lines that are drawn on the stems of the letter "p"). The 4 types of staccati are: dot, small line staccato, medium line staccato, large line staccato. The two types of expressive swell pairs are: closed pairs forming a diamond; and open pairs, with one pair opening from a point, then a gap, and a separate pair closing to a point (the type we normally see).

Overall, Beethoven was a composer who strenuously avoided unnecessary writing out. At the first hint of something repeating, he will mark "come sopra" = "as above". Some will say these marks I am so interested in are random and have no meaning. But I ask, why would someone with such an aversion to making unnecessary marks make the same - and I do mean exactly the same - extraneous marks in his scores for 25 years?

Nicholas Kitchen January 2020

To read Nicholas Kitchen’s complete notes, please visit 
https://youtu.be/Bc11xHOolm4

Hugh Wolff, NEC Philharmonic: Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Schuller “Encounters”

Early in 1914, Maurice Ravel retired to the Basque region of the South of France to begin long planned work on a trio for violin, cello and piano. His famous String Quartet had been completed 11 years previously, when he was still a student at the Paris Conservatoire and during the intervening decade he had written little chamber music. Yet, in spite of his best intentions, his plans, and his growing reputation as a composer, Ravel found himself stymied. Initially, he became preoccupied with a proposed piano concerto on Basque themes, which never materialized. Then a bout of writer’s block took hold. It was only in August, with the outbreak of the Great War, that Ravel found his voice. Determined to volunteer for military duty, Ravel dedicated all his powers to completing the Piano Trio in A Minor, pausing to write to a friend:

“I am working—yes, working with the sureness and lucidity of a madman. At the same time I get terrible fits of depression and suddenly find myself sobbing over the sharps and flats!”

But by September, the Trio was finished and the following month he was accepted as a nurse’s aide by the French Army, later becoming a volunteer truck driver and ultimately surviving the horrific conflict.

The Trio begins with an echo of the abandoned piano concerto, a movement (Modéré) with the unusual time signature of 8/8, divided 3+2+3, a pattern common in Basque dance music. The second movement is a traditionally structured scherzo, “Pantoum,” whose name references a form of Malaysian verse popular amongst French poets of the day. A slow passacaglia (Passacaille) follows building upon an eight-bar theme handed from instrument to instrument. The concluding movement (Finale: Animé) builds through what one writer has described as “touches of orchestra sound colour” — tremolos, trills, harmonics, lush chords — to an ecstatic finish.

Composed of players hailed as “impressive” (New York Times), “impeccable” (Fanfare Magazine), and praised for “a sense of joyful virtuosity” (South Florida Classical Review), Merz Trio has been described as “riveting” with “fresh and surprising interpretations” (Reading Eagle) . Formed in 2017 by pianist Lee Dionne, violinist Brigid Coleridge, and cellist Julia Yang, the Merz Trio has quickly emerged as a unique and award-winning ensemble, garnering the First Prize and Audience Prize at the 2018 Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition. Highlights of their 2018-2019 season include performances in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, a feature on London’s BBC Radio 3, and two residencies at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh, UK. The Trio is currently based out of New York City and is the Graduate Piano Trio in Residence at the New England Conservatory (2018-2020).

Merz Trio: Ravel Piano Trio in A Minor

Carl Reinecke's Octet in B-flat major, Op. 216 is a composition for eight wind instruments composed around 1892. It is scored for flute, oboe, two clarinets, two horns, and two bassoons. It is performed here by students of the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, conducted by Charles Peltz. 

The late flutist Fenwick Smith, a longtime member of both the Boston Symphony and the NEC faculty, wrote the following for his premiere recording of the Octet on NAXOS:

“[Reinecke's] decades of experience as an orchestral conductor gave him a thorough knowledge of the wind instruments, and the music invariably sounds well. In the Adagio of the Octet, for example, his skilful scoring yields a sonority at once rich, noble and beautifully balanced. Though the skill with which he develops and manipulates his material is sometimes more memorable than the tunes themselves, his mastery of form is secure, his harmonic vocabulary sophisticated if not innovative. Indeed the only mystery attending these genial pieces is that they should have been so long and so widely overlooked...”

Reinecke: Octet in B-flat Op. 216; NEC Wind Ensemble

Hugh Wolff conducts the New England Conservatory Philharmonia in a performance of Mahler's Symphonic Poem in 2 Parts (1888-89 version of Symphony no 1.) Recorded live in Jordan Hall Ocober 2011.

Mahler: Symphonic Poem in 2 Parts   Blumine   Andante

Guest conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier leads the New England Conservatory Philharmonia and  Xixi Zhou in a performance of Prokofiev's Concerto for Piano no 2 in G minor, Op. 16. Recorded live in Jordan Hall October 2011.

Prokofiev: Concerto for Piano no 2 in G minor-Andantino

New England Conservatory President Emeritus and Walter W. Naumburg Chair in Music, Laurence Lesser Bach: Suite for Cello solo no 1 in G major, BWV 1007. Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston, by Alex Hug

Bach: Suite for Cello solo no 1 in G major-Prelude

Charles Peltz conducts the New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble in a performance of Gabrieli's Canzona XV. Recorded live October 10, 2013 in Jordan Hall.

Gabrieli: Canzona XV

Enjoy this rendition of a holiday classic, featuring NEC Symphonic Winds and NEC Chamber Singers conducted by William Drury and recorded live from the Jordan Hall stage in December 2021.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year | NEC Symphonic Winds and NEC Chamber Singers

The New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra performs Britten's Prelude and Fugue for 18 part string orchestra. Recorded live November 4, 2013 in Jordan Hall by Nick Davison.

Britten: Prelude and Fugue for 18-part String Orchestra-Coda  Grave come prima

The New England Conservatory Philharmonia led by guest conductor Jefferey Kahane at the keyboard, present Mozart's Concerto for Piano no 25 in C major. Recorded live in Jordan Hall November 6, 2013 by Alex Hug.

Mozart: Concerto for Piano no 25 in C major-Andante

Mozart: Concerto for Piano no 25 in C major- Allegretto

David Loebel conducts the New England Conservatory Symphony and soloist Elina Akselrud in a performance of Chopin's Concerto for Piano no 1 in E minor. Recorded live in Jordan Hall November 13, 2013 by Jeremy Sarna.

Chopin: Concerto for Piano no 1 in E minor- Romance  Larghetto

David Loebel conducts the New England Conservatory Symphony in a performance of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances. Recorded live in Jordan Hall November 13, 2013 by Jeremy Sarna

Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances-Andante con moto  Tempo di valse

Hugh Wolff leads the New England Conservatory Philharmonia and Concert Choir and the Tufts Chamber Singers in a performance of Beethoven's Symphony no 9 in D minor "Ode to Joy". Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston February 12, 2014/ 

Beethoven: Symphony no 9 in D minor-  Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso

Beethoven: Symphony no 9 in D minor-   Scherzo  Molto vivace – Presto

Beethoven Ninth Symphony: iv. Presto – Allegro assai

Hugh Wolff leads the New England Conservatory Philharmonia in a performance of Beethoven's Egmont Overture. Recorded live in Symphony Hall, Boston April 23, 2014.

Beethoven: Overture to Egmont, op. 84

Sonata in A Major, Op. 13; III. Allegro vivace

Sonata in A Major, Op. 13; I. Allegro molto

Sonata in A Major, Op. 13; IV. Allegro quasi presto

Sonata in A Major, Op. 13; II. Andante

The New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra coached by Donald Palma performs Elgar's Serenade for Strings. Recorded live at NEC's Jordan Hall March 15, 2011.
For more information: http://necmusic.edu/concerts

Elgar: Serenade for Strings in E minor  Op  20 - Larghetto

New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra coached by Donald Palma performs Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings. Recorded live October 14, 2011 at NEC's Jordan Hall.
For more information: http://necmusic.edu

Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 -  Waltzer

Guest conductor Tito Munoz leads the New England Conservatory Philharmonia in a performance of Dvorak's Symphony no 9 in E minor, Op. 95/B 178 "From the New World". Recorded live in NEC's Jordan Hall October 2010.

Dvorak: Symphony No 9 in E minor - Allegro con fuoco

NEC Philharmonia performs Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, conducted by Hugh Wolff in Jordan Hall in April 2019.

This was chosen as a #MusicMonday feature by President Andrea Kalyn in the week following her inauguration on April 26, 2019.

About New England Conservatory

New England Conservatory (NEC) is recognized internationally as a leader among music schools, educating and training musicians of all ages from around the world for over 150 years. With music students representing more than 40 countries, NEC cultivates a diverse, dynamic community for students, providing them with performance opportunities and high-caliber training by 225 internationally-esteemed artist-teachers and scholars. NEC pushes the boundaries of making and teaching music through college-level musical training in classical, jazz and Contemporary Improvisation. It offers unique interdisciplinary programs such as Entrepreneurial Musicianship and Community Performances & Partnerships that empower students to create their own musical opportunities. As part of NEC's mission to make lifelong music education available to everyone, the Preparatory School and School of Continuing Education delivers training and performance opportunities for children, pre-college students and adults.

Founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1867 by Eben Tourjée, NEC created a new model of conservatory that combined the best of European tradition with American innovation. NEC is at the center of Boston’s rich cultural history and musical life offering concerts performed in NEC’s renowned venue Jordan Hall. Alumni go on to fill orchestra chairs, concert hall stages, jazz clubs, recording studios and arts management positions worldwide.

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Igor Stravinsky: Rite of Spring – NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff

Igor Stravinsky Rite Of Spring – NEC Philharmonia + Hugh Wolff

New England Conservatory piano faculty Randall Hodgkinson performs Bach's Goldberg Variations. Recorded live January 2013 in NEC's Jordan Hall, Boston.

Bach: Goldberg Variations - Aria

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 1 a 1 Clav

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 2 a 1 Clav

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 3 a 1 Clav  Canone all Unisono

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 4 a 1 Clav

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 5 a 1 Clav

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 6 a 1 Clav  Canone alla Seconda

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav  Al tempo di Giga

Bach: Goldberg Variations -  Variatio 8 a 2 Clav

Schumann - Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - iii. Scherzo: Molto vivace

Schumann - Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - ii. Larghetto

Schumann - Symphony No. 1 "Spring" - i. Andante un poco maestoso

Copland - Suite from Appalachian Spring

Debussy - "Rondes De Printemps," No. 3 from Images

One doesn't have the opportunity very often (if at all) to write a work for "symphony" (classical) orchestra and jazz orchestra ("big band"). My earlier Third Stream pieces in the 1960s were either composed for one or the other, or for a classical group with jazz soloists (e.g. Modern Jazz Quartet). I must say that the chance to write for the two just-mentioned types of orchestra was most inspiring, to the point that it caused me to write various things (gestures, phrases, instrumental combinations, "classical" ideas played by jazz musicians and vice versa, etc.), that is, musical ideas which A) I would probably never have thought of had I only had one or the other orchestra at my disposal, and B) ideas which I could only have had if both types of orchestras and musicians were available to me. This can be taken as an example of what can happen in the present musical landscape – label it "Third Stream" or "World Music" or "Fusion" or whatever – where different stylistic/linguistic traditions now co-exist cheek by jowl, and are beginning to fraternize with each other as they did not (nor could not have) in the past.
– from Gunther Schuller's program notes to Encounters (2003)

Gunther Schuller – Encounters (2003)– with NEC Jazz Orchestra

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major – iii. Presto – Assai meno presto / iv. Allegro con brio

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major – ii. Allegretto

Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major – i. Poco sostenuto – Vivace

Ravel PianoTrio - Mvt 4 - Final: Aminé -- MerzTrio

Ravel PianoTrio - Mvt 3 - Passacaille: Très large -- Merz Trio

Ravel PianoTrio - Mvt 2 - Pantoum: Assez vif -- Merz Trio

Ravel Piano Trio - Mvt 1 - Modéré -- Merz Trio

New England Conservatory Chamber Orchestra performs Mozart's Divertimento for Oboe, 2 Horns and Strings no 11 in D major, K 251. Recorded live in Jordan Hall February 27, 2013.

Mozart: Divertimento for Oboe  Horns and Strings - Allegro molto

Hugh Wolff conducts the New England Conservatory Philharmonia in a performance of Haydn's Symphony no 82 in C major, H 1 no 82 "The Bear". Recorded live in Jordan Hall March 11, 2013.

Haydn: Symphony no 82 in C major- Allegretto

Reinecke - Octet In B - Flat, Op. 216 - Finale- Allegro Molto E Grazioso

Reinecke - Octet In B - Flat, Op. 216 - Adagio Ma Non Troppo

Reinecke - Octet In B - Flat, Op. 216 - Scherzo- Vivace

Reinecke - Octet In B - Flat, Op. 216 - Allegro Moderato

Xiang Yu (A.D. '13) performs Bach's Sonata for Violin solo no 2 in A minor. Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston January 23, 2013.

Bach: Sonata for Violin solo no 2 in A minor-Andante

New England Conservatory piano major Wesley Chu performs Beethoven's Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major Op. 53 during the annual The Marion Rubin Berman ’31 Piano Honors Concert. Recorded live in Jordan Hall, Boston April 25, 2013.

Beethoven: Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major -  Allegro con brio

Beethoven: Sonata for Piano no 21 in C major -  Rondo  Allegretto moderato

New England Conservatory educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, drawing on the talent and deep reservoir of experience of our distinguished faculty. We are dedicated to inculcating the highest standards of excellence and nurturing individual artistic sensibility and creative growth. Understanding that music is one of the transcendent expressions of human civilization, NEC aspires to ensure it a central place in contemporary society. Additionally, we present over 1,000 free concerts a year in our world class performance spaces which include historic Jordan Hall.

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