MAGNUS LINDBERG (b. 1958)
EXPO (World Premiere: New York Philharmonic Commission) (2009)
"I knew that I wanted to write a piece that would be Alan Gilbert's 'expo' or introduction—a tribute to him and the Orchestra at a historic moment," says our Composer-in-Residence, Magnus Lindberg. The idea of "opening" and the "sense of occasion" were prominent in the composer's approach to his task—something he wanted even the title to signal. Certain allusions naturally suggested themselves, like the concept of "exhibition" (as in Pictures at an Exhibition ) or the term "exposition," used to describe the presentation of musical ideas. "But given the brevity of the piece, I thought a pithy word like 'EXPO' would make a fitting title; besides, I like the sound of the word." Magnus Lindberg also observed another of his composing rituals: he likes having the scores of other composers around him—like the already mentioned Mussorgsky showpiece, La mer, and Rite of Spring. "It doesn't matter to what page those magnificent compositions are open, they always inspire me." The other pieces on this program also were a consideration: "Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique...so modern, so dramatic, so 'insane,' yet beautiful; and Messiaen's romantic Poèmes pour Mì. Although I didn't quote Messiaen," he explains, "I tried to evoke the 'flavor' and harmonic patterns of his music." And finally, "a work of any length," he says, "must have a trajectory—a sense of direction and logic." The most immediate attribute of EXPO is the big contrast between fast and slow tempos, which are the basic vocabulary of the new work. "As short as EXPO is," he says, "there are more than 10 tempo markings, resulting in a feeling of great tension and energy in the orchestra." And to Magnus Lindberg, nothing can compare to the modern orchestra. "It is amazing how 100 players, focused by their conductor, can convey such excitement to the audience. It’s fantastic!"

SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Piano Concerto No. 2 (1912-13; rev. 1923)
Fireworks. Virtuosic. Diabolical. Daredevil. Terrifying. Maniacal. A gargantuan pianistic orgy. These are words that have been used to describe Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto, composed when he was still a student. Prokofiev was either a marketing genius or simply a brazen, fearless young man. He managed to get himself published, to get gigs, and even to win a competition at the stodgy St. Petersburg Conservatory. He had introduced himself in 1912 as both composer and pianist with his First Piano Concerto, but was not rewarded with favorable reviews. Still, he was not to be deterred. He began work on his second, which fared no better. When he premiered the daring piece, it was much criticized. Though on the one hand he had some adventurous critics on his side, there were also comparisons to “musical mud” and cats on the roof making “more enduring noise.” The score was destroyed in a fire in his apartment after he had left for his American concert tour in 1918, and Prokofiev reconstructed and completely revised the concerto for a 1924 performance in Paris—where he had by now moved. It is a knuckle-busting, staggeringly difficult piece. Harold Schoenberg coined a phrase about Prokofiev’s abilities as a pianist that also could describe the requirements for playing this concerto: “Steel fingers, steel biceps, steel triceps—a tonal steel trust.” The stunning cadenza—considered to be the most difficult ever written—arrives with tsunami force in the first movement. Bravura writing and high-voltage pyrotechnics have found their match in Yefim Bronfman, the amazing soloist for this breathtaking concerto.

JEAN SIBELIUS 1865-1957)
Symphony No. 2 (1901)
Sibelius composed his Second Symphony mainly while he and his family were soaking up the Italian sun in Rapallo (a trip made possible with money raised by his patron, Axel Carpelan). The Symphony came shortly on the heels of Finland’s virtual national anthem, Finlandia, composed in 1899. Many have seen or heard in it an emblem of hope for the national liberation of the Grand Duchy of Finland from the yoke of Russia’s Tsar Nikolai II, whose grip on the semi-autonomous land had been steadily increasing, even limiting the use of the Finnish language and culture. In fact, more than one of Sibelius’s works was banned by Russian regime for being too inspirational. The composer led the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in the 1902 premiere, which was received with great acclaim by his countrymen, hungry for music by their national hero. The Second Symphony was so successful that three more performances had to be scheduled. And though the composer strenuously denied it, many have commented on the political associations of this work, including Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä: “The second symphony is connected with our nation’s fight for independence, but it is also about the struggle, crisis and turning-point in the life of an individual. This is what makes it so touching.” Of particular note is the finale, which builds up tremendous tension until the final brass coda, which Sibelius marked a triumphant fff. It was the tonic that the Finns needed to salve their national wounds. And whether it had a “program” or not, the Second Symphony is by far the most popular of his symphonies, and its style is characteristic Sibelius…the marvelous dark-hued sonorities, the expansive brass chorales, the passionate expressiveness.

In September 2009 Alan Gilbert began his tenure as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, the first native New Yorker to hold the post.

For his inaugural season he introduced a number of new initiatives: the positions of The Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence, held by Magnus Lindberg, and Artist-in-Residence, first held by Thomas Hampson; an annual three-week festival; and CONTACT!, the New York Philharmonic's new-music series. In the 2009–10 season he led the Orchestra on a major tour of Asia in October 2009, with debuts in Hanoi and Abu Dhabi. He also took the Philharmonic to nine cities on the EUROPE / WINTER 2010 tour in January–February 2010, and is conducting world, U.S., and New York premieres. Also in the 2009–10 season, Mr. Gilbert became the first person to hold the William Schuman Chair in Musical Studies at The Juilliard School, a position that includes coaching, conducting, and hosting performance master classes.

Highlights of Mr. Gilbert's 2008–09 season with the New York Philharmonic included the Bernstein anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall and a performance with the Juilliard Orchestra, presented by the Philharmonic. In May 2009 he conducted the World Premiere of Peter Lieberson's The World in Flower, a New York Philharmonic Commission, and in July 2009 he led the Philharmonic's Concerts in the Parks and Free Indoor Concerts, Presented by Didi and Oscar Schafer, and performances at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival in Colorado.

In June 2008 Mr. Gilbert was named conductor laureate of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, following his final concert as its chief conductor and artistic advisor. He has been principal guest conductor of Hamburg's NDR Symphony Orchestra since 2004, and he has conducted other leading orchestras in the U.S. and abroad, including the Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco symphony orchestras; the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras; and the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich's Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Orchestre National de Lyon. In 2003 he was named the first music director of the Santa Fe Opera.

Alan Gilbert studied at Harvard University, The Curtis Institute of Music, and The Juilliard School. From 1995 to 1997 he was the assistant conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra. In November 2008 he made his acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut conducting John Adams's Doctor Atomic. His recording of Prokofiev's Scythian Suite with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award, and his recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 9 received top honors from the Chicago Tribune and Gramophone magazine. On May 15, 2010, The Curtis Institute of Music awarded Mr. Gilbert an Honorary Doctor of Music degree.

Learn More about Alan Gilbert

YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano, born in 1958 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Millions of people who may never have heard Yefim Bronfman in the concert hall did hear him perform Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at their local cineplex on the soundtrack of Disney’s Fantasia 2000, and later also live, at gala screenings of the film in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. Yefim Bronfman left his native Uzbekistan for Israel in 1973, where the 15-year-old auditioned for the Israel Philharmonic, the orchestra with which he then toured America under Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta. With the help of Isaac Stern and the America-Israel Foundation he immigrated to the United States in 1976 and studied with piano virtuosos Rudolf Serkin, Rudolf Firkusny, William Masselos, and Leon Fleisher. He made his New York Philharmonic debut in May l978, and his Carnegie Hall debut in 1989 (that’s also the year he became an American citizen), and returned to Russia in 1991 for a series of acclaimed recitals with Isaac Stern. Among his many distinctions are the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize (1991), one of the highest honors given to American instrumentalists, and a Grammy in 1996 for Best Instrumental Soloist for his recording of Bartók’s three piano concertos. His discography also includes the complete Prokofiev Piano Sonatas; Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos Nos. 2 and 3; and numerous recital albums. Following the January 2010 concerts with the Philharmonic (Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, conducted by Alan Gilbert) he joined them on tour in Europe. He will appear with the London Philharmonia under Christoph von Dohnányi playing both Brahms concertos for a live recording. Yefim Bronfman received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra) for his recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Piano Concerto with the composer conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic—about which The New York Times wrote that the soloist “plays the fiendishly difficult piano part with stunning virtuosity.”

“…warmly romantic sentiment and jaw-dropping bravura” Chicago Tribune

“He never puts himself ahead of the music, which is kind of refreshing. No matter what he plays, it’s always about the music and how he can best do justice to the score and realize the composer’s intentions. It’s never about him playing the piano. I think he can be relaxed about it because he can play better than most other people on the planet.” Esa-Pekka Salonen

Find additional upcoming performances with Yefim Bronfman