FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886)
Les préludes, Symphonic Poem No. 3, after A. de Lamartine (1851)
Many people think of Liszt as the first pop star of the piano and the inventor of the piano recital, where he sat in profile—hair flowing—causing women to swoon when he played and to fight for the handkerchief he strategically placed on the piano. But he is also credited with inventing the symphonic poem, a type of orchestral work that treats literary, mythological, or historical subjects. In Liszt’s hands these works became more than just musical “pictures”; he wanted them to depict emotional or psychological states. Les Préludes is the third of 13 he composed. Though the title suggests that he was inspired by the eponymous poem by the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine, Liszt probably adopted the title after having already completed the piece. He had written the music as an overture for a set of choral pieces upon Joseph Autran’s Les quatre élémens. When he later decided to rework this overture as an independent piece, he cast about for literary inspiration and found Lamartine’s poem. Fortunately, the flow of Lamartine’s poetry and Autran’s pieces were a good fit structurally with the four sections of Liszt’s stirring composition (spring and love, storms of life, peaceful idyll, strife and victory), ending with trumpets and trombones playing martial fanfares. At the time of its publication, Liszt provided a preface to Les Préludes that reads in part: “What is life but a series of Preludes to that unknown hymn, the first solemn note of which is sounded by Death? Love is the glowing dawn of all existence; but what is the fate where the first delights of happiness are not interrupted by some storm…”

MAX BRUCH (1838-1920)
Violin Concerto No. 1 (1866, rev. 1868)
Even as a teen Max Bruch loved the violin: “The violin seemed to me even at that time the queen of instruments, and it was quite natural that early on I had the inclination to write for it.” He began work on this concerto when he was just 19, but did not complete it until nine years later. Not a violinist himself, he requested advice from violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim (1831-1907), the dedicatee, soloist, and champion for the revised concerto; in fact, when asked to compare the violin concertos of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Bruch, Joachim opined that Bruch’s was “the richest and most seductive” of the four. Many other renowned violinists such as Henri Vieuxtemps, Leopold Auer, and Ferdinand David took it up into their repertoire. Bruch is known almost exclusively for this romantic concerto, whose passion and bravado have made it a showcase for soloists and an audience favorite for 150 years.

TCHAKOVSKY
Capriccio italien
In the winter of 1880, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky traveled to Rome, where he was inspired to compose a concert piece based on Italian folk music. Tchaikovsky was greatly pleased by the resulting Capriccio italien, and wrote that he thought the work would be effective, "thanks to its delightful tunes, some of which were chosen from collections, and some of which I heard myself on the streets." The opening fanfare was based on the bugle call from a nearby barracks that Tchaikovsky heard nightly through his hotel room window. Brilliantly orchestrated and brimming with charm, the work was an instant success. The New York Symphony (which merged with the New York Philharmonic in 1928 to form today’s New York Philharmonic) first performed Capriccio italien in 1886, conducted by Walter Damrosch. It was performed most recently at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in July 2007, conducted by Bramwell Tovey.

JOHN WILLIAMS
Theme from Schindler’s List
Celebrated film composer John Williams won his fifth Academy Award for his moving score for Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Schindler’s List, which featured violin solos performed by Itzhak Perlman. The score's poignant main theme evokes the sounds of Jewish folk music, providing a soulful musical backdrop for the film's wrenching depiction of the Holocaust. The Philharmonic first performed the Theme from Schindler's List in February 2004, with the composer conducting and Glenn Dicterow as soloist, and most recently in April 2006, with the same artists.

KREISLER
Tambourin Chinois
The great violinist Fritz Kreisler composed several crowd-pleasing pieces for his instrument that remain in the repertory to this day. The Tambourin Chinois (Chinese Drum) falls within the tradition of lighthearted pseudo-Orientalism that was popular with audiences around the turn of the 20th century. Playful "exotic" sounds surround a central melody full of charm and character, all of it providing the opportunity for virtuoso showmanship. Kreisler himself performed the Tambourin Chinois in 1916 with the New York Symphony (which merged in 1928 with the New York Philharmonic to form today's New York Philharmonic), conducted by Walter Damrosch. The Philharmonic's most recent performance of the work took place in December 1996, with Midori as soloist, led by Zubin Mehta.

ITZHAK PERLMAN, violin, born in 1945 in Tel Aviv, Israel
Itzhak Perlman has attained superstar status as the reigning violinist in the world—even among those who’ve never attended his thrilling performances in person. Perhaps it’s because he hasn’t limited himself to the concert hall, but rather has reached out to millions worldwide through non-traditional musical events and the popular media—like television and movies. In 2009, Itzhak Perlman took part in the inauguration of President Barack Obama, performing with clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianist Gabriela Montero, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In 2000, President Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Arts, and in 2003 Perlman received a Kennedy Center Honor celebrating his distinguished achievements and contributions to the cultural and educational life of our nation. It all started in 1958 when, as a 13-year-old boy, he played “Flight of the Bumblebee” on The Ed Sullivan Show. Since then he’s been on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman—even Sesame Street. He’s won four Emmys and 15 Grammys, and in 2008, was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has played at the White House, arranged Scott Joplin tunes, made crossover jazz recordings, got in touch with the Klezmer side of his soul, and, in collaboration with John Williams, performed the violin solos on the soundtrack for Schindler’s List and Memoirs of a Geisha. He is also a frequent presence on the conductor’s podium, and this season marks his second as artistic director of the Westchester Philharmonic Orchestra. His appearances on stage, on camera, and in person speak eloquently on behalf of the disabled, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of his life. Itzhak Perlman plays the 1714 ‘Soil’ Stradivarius, purchased from Yehudi Menuhin in 1986. It is renowned for its beautiful red varnish; and the stunning wood grain of its two-piece back is in the shape of flames fanning out from the center.

“Itzhak Perlman wows the crowd… the applause was thunderous for Perlman… His technique, brilliant as it is, may not be as flashy as some of his contemporaries and (more particularly) his younger rivals, but for warmth of tone and generosity of spirit he remains without peer… An ambassador of the joys of music throughout his illustrious career…” Toronto Star

“…Perlman’s playing… displayed the knowing maturity of a convincing artist… [his] dulcet sound soared by way of far-reaching songlike phrases; technical feats flickered with jesterlike confidence while each note breathed an affable sense of giving.” Washington Post

Daniel Boico, the newly appointed New York Philharmonic Assistant Conductor, will lead all of the Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts in the 2009-10 season. Mr. Boico made his New York Philharmonic debut on January 23, 2009, conducting an Inside the Music program.

Mr. Boico has served as music director of the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, Illinois, and the Skokie Concert Choir, as well as conductor of the Elgin Youth Symphony Philharmonia and as an assistant conductor to Cliff Colnot of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He was visiting professor and director of orchestras at Grand Valley State University, Michigan, a cover conductor for the Milwaukee Symphony, and an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he worked closely with and was assistant to music director Daniel Barenboim, principal guest conductor Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, and other visiting artists.

Born in Israel and raised in Paris and the United States, Daniel Boico studied with and assisted Russian professor Ilya Musin at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. A prize winner at the Prokofiev and Pedrotti conducting competitions, Mr. Boico has led numerous orchestras, including the Moscow Philharmonic, Novosibirsk Philharmonic, Perm Opera and Ballet, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, La Orquesta Filarmónica de la UNAM and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional in Mexico City. In August 2000 he made a world premiere recording of Nino Rota’s cello concertos with cellist Dimitry Yablonsky and I Virtuosi Italiani for the Chandos label.

Find additional upcoming performances with Daniel Boico