SCHEHERAZADE AND
BUTTERFLY LOVERS CONCERTO

Saturday, March 15, 2025 · 7:30pm ·
Cannon Center for the Performing Arts
—————————
Sunday, March 16, 2025 · 2:30pm ·
Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center

Robert Moody, conductor | Timothy Chooi, violin

JOHN ADAMS
(b. 1947)
The Chairman Dances Foxtrot for Orchestra

CHEN GANG & HE ZHANHAO
(b. 1935) (b. 1933)
Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
Timothy Chooi, violin

INTERMISSION

NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
(1844 - 1908)
Scheherazade, Opus 35
I. Largo e maestoso - Allegro non troppo
II. Lento - Allegro molto
III. Andantino quasi allegretto
IV. Allegro molto

Program Notes

by Michelle Pellay-Walker

John Adams (1947-      ):  The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra)
First Performance:  Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Lukas Foss, conductor:  Milwaukee, January 1986

American President Richard Nixon visited the People’s Republic of China the last week of February in 1972;  this visit was the inspiration for John Adams’ opera, Nixon in China“The Chairman Dances” is not actually a part of the opera itself;  it is a separate work that was composed in 1985 to fulfill a commission by the National Endowment for the Arts on behalf of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  The work is scored for a large orchestra that includes woodwinds in pairs (plus two piccolos and bass clarinet), full brass, timpani, percussion (lots of percussion!!), piano, harp, and strings.

Adams explains the piece as follows (www.https://www.earbox.com/the-chairman-dances/):  “The Chairman Dances was an “out-take” of Act III of Nixon in China.  Neither an “excerpt” nor a “fantasy on themes from,” it was in fact a kind of warmup for embarking on the creation of the full opera…The Chairman Dances began as a “foxtrot” for Chairman Mao and his bride, Chiang Ch’ing, the fabled “Madame Mao,” firebrand, revolutionary executioner, architect of China’s calamitous Cultural Revolution, and (a fact not universally realised) a former Shanghai movie actress.  In the surreal final scene of the opera, she interrupts the tired formalities of a state banquet, disrupts the slow moving protocol and invites the Chairman, who is present only as a gigantic forty-foot portrait on the wall, to “come down, old man, and dance.”  The music takes full cognisance of her past as a movie actress.  Themes, sometimes slinky and sentimental, at other times bravura and bounding, ride above in bustling fabric of energised motives.  Some of these themes make a dreamy reappearance in Act III of the actual opera, en revenant, as both the Nixons and Maos reminisce over their distant pasts…”


Chen Gang (1935-     ) and He Zhanhao (1933-     ):  Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto
First Performance:  Shanghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, Yu Lina, soloist:  Shanghai Music and Dance Festival, May 1959

Chen Gang and He Zhanhao jointly composed the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto between 1958 and 1959, while students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  It was initially part of a project associated with the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China;  students were expected to study and learn traditional Chinese works in connection with the upcoming celebration.  This topic would certainly have qualified:  The legend of the Butterfly Lovers (sometimes referred to as the Chinese Romeo and Juliet) is an ancient folk tale that was named as one of China’s “Four Great Folktales” by the Folklore Movement of the 1920s.  The Concerto is sometimes referred to as Liang Zhu, the names of the two star-crossed lovers of the story (Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai).  The orchestral scoring is substantial, including woodwinds in pairs, full brass (no tuba), timpani, percussion, piano, harp, and strings.  The solo violin represents Zhu, with a solo cello representing Liang.  While presented as a single movement composition, the piece is divided into seven sections which trace the storyline:

Zhu (disguised as a man for the purposes of pursuing scholarly study) travels to Hangzhou, meeting Liang along the way.  They become friends, and take an oath of fraternity in recognition of their affinity for each other.  Zhu gradually falls in love with Liang over their three years of study.  Eventually summoned home by her father, Zhu invites Liang to visit her family for the purposes of courting her sister (not really—she intends to marry him herself).  Upon returning home, she discovers that her father has arranged a marriage between her and the son of a rich merchant.  Liang eventually arrives,…and discovers that Zhu is actually a woman—and they fall in love.  Heartbroken at the news of her betrothal, Liang becomes sick;  his health begins to deteriorate, and he eventually dies.  Zhu leaves her wedding procession as it floats past Liang’s grave,…and throws herself into the grave.  Their spirits emerge joined as butterflies, and they fly away, together at last.   


Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908):  Scheherazade, Opus 35
First Performance:  Russian Symphony Concerts, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, conductor:  Saint Petersburg, October 1888

As Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov worked to complete Alexander Borodin’s opera, Prince Igor, during the winter of 1887, it came into his head to compose a work based on tales from The Arabian Nights (or One Thousand and One Nights).  Scheherazade was premiered in Saint Petersburg in October of 1888, with Rimsky-Korsakov conducting the orchestra.  The basic premise is as follows:  The Sultan, Schariar, upon discovering his wife’s infidelity, has her killed;  subsequently, he marries a virgin every night, having her executed the following morning before she can dishonor him.  Eventually, no more virgins can be found, at which point Scheherazade, the Vizier’s daughter, offers herself as bride to the Sultan.  Each night, she tells the Sultan a tale, but does not finish it.  The Sultan, in his desire to hear the conclusion, spares her life.  This pattern continues for one thousand and one nights,…by which time he has fallen in love with her and repudiates his vow.  The orchestral scoring calls for woodwinds in pairs (plus piccolo and English horn), a full 19th century brass section, timpani plus another half-dozen percussion instruments, harp, and strings.  Each of the four movements is given a descriptive title.  Scheherazade is represented by a solo violin, with extensive passagework, usually accompanied by harp, in each of the four movements.  A stern and sinister motif in the bass instruments represents the Sultan;  this motif introduces movements one and four, and is referenced in movement two.  Other solo instruments featured prominently throughout the work (not in any particular order) are cello, all woodwind principals plus piccolo, horn, trumpet, and trombone.

On Stage

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Violin I
Barrie Cooper, Concertmaster
The Joy Brown Wiener Chair
Wen-Yih Yu, Assistant Concertmaster
Diane Zelickman Cohen, Assistant Principal
Priscilla Tsai
Janaina Fernandes*
The Rebecca Webb Wilson Fellow
Daniel Gilbert
Jordan Musgrave
Gabriela Fogo
Carissa Perez
Martin Palacios
Ann Pretzer
Ana Maria Trujilo

Violin II
Gaylon Patterson, Principal
The Dunbar and Constance Abston Chair
Erin Kaste, Assistant Principal
Lenore McIntyre, Assistant Principal
Yennifer Correia
Daniel Parker*
The Judith and Sheldon Korones Memorial Fellow
Rebeca Rathlef
Sam Spurbeck
Julia Mendez Farhi Johnson
Miguel Lesmes
Janet Cooper

Viola
Jennifer Puckett, Principal
The Corinne Falls Murrah Chair
Michelle Pellay-Walker, Assistant Principal
Aaron Tubergen, Assistant Principal
Beth Luscombe
Matthew Finley*
The Joyce McAnulty Blackmon Memorial Fellowship
Michael Brennan
Sarah Cote
Rossana Cauti
Luzi Barrionuevo

Cello
Ruth Valente Burgess, Principal
The Vincent de Frank Chair
Hannah Schmidt, Assistant Principal
Jeffrey Jurciukonis, Assistant Principal
Lisandro Acosta*
The Ellen Rolfes Legacy Fellow
Estefan Perez
Mark Wallace
Christine Sears
Otavio Kovakama
Alisha Rufty

Bass
Scott Best, Principal
Chris Butler, Assistant Principal
Sean O’Hara
Andrew Palmer
Jeremy Upton
Garrett Kirk

Flute
Shantanique Moore, Principal
The Marion Dugdale McClure Chair
Delara Hashemi
Kelly Herrmann

Oboe
Saundra D’Amato, Principal
The Paul and Linnea Bert Chair
Lani Kelly, Visiting Oboe
Shelly Sublett, Assistant Principal

Clarinet
Andre Dyachenko, Principal
The Gayle S. Rose Chair

Rena Feller
Nobuko Igarashi

Bassoon
Hunter Gordon, Principal
The Carolyn Horrell Heppel Chair

Michael Scott

Horn
Caroline Kinsey, Principal
The Morrie A. Moss Chair

Jimmy Rhine, Assistant Principal
Robert Patterson
Jeremiah Frederick
Dan Vidican

Trumpet
Scott Moore, Principal
The Smith & Nephew Chair

Elizabeth Carter

Trombone
Greg Luscombe, Principal
Micah Everett
Mark Vail

Tuba
Charles Schulz, Principal
The Charles and Sharen Schulz Chair

Timpani
Ed Murray, Principal

Percussion
David Carlisle, Principal
Bill Shaltis, Assistant Principal
Stewart Plumlee
Brian Graiser
Dwight Van de Vate

Harp
Frances Cobb Kenney, Principal
The Ruth Marie Moore Cobb Chair

Piano/Celeste
Adrienne Park, Principal
The Buzzy Hussey and Hal Brunt Chair

*Circle of Friends Fellow

DONORS

THANK YOU! Individuals, corporations, foundations, ArtsMemphis, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and others make annual contributions to support the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The following community members have expressed their support for the Memphis Symphony for the 2023 - 2024 Season.

This list recognizes philanthropic contributors to the MSO made between July 1, 2023 - August 28, 2024 . While compiling this list every effort has been made to reflect the accuracy of our donors. If your name has been misspelled, omitted, or misrepresented please contact us at 901-537-2500 and will correct our records. We appreciate your generosity and understanding.