Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County presents
National Symphony Orchestra
Gianandrea Noseda, Music Director and Conductor
Hilary Hahn, Violin
Simon
Four Black American Dances
Brahms
Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra
Beethoven
Symphony No. 5
Mozart
Overture to Le nozze di Figaro
U.S. Tour representation: Opus 3 Artists LLC
Notes on the program
Four Black American Dances
Carlos Simon
Notes by Carlos Simon.
Dance has always been a part of any culture. Particularly in Black American communities, dance is and has been the fabric of social gatherings. There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands of dances created over the span of American history that have originated from the social climate of American slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow. This piece is an orchestral study of the music that is associated with the ring shout, the waltz, tap dance and the holy dance. All these dances are but a mere representation of the wide range of cultural and social differences within the Black American communities.
I. Ring Shout
A ring shout is an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, first practiced by enslaved Africans in the West Indies and the United States, in which worshippers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands. To evoke the celebratory nature of this dance, I have asked the percussionist to use a large stick on a wooden floorboard paired with fast-moving passages in the strings and woodwinds.
II. Waltz
Cotillion balls existed for “upper-class” families as they allowed aristocratic families to vie for better marriage prospects for their daughters. However, cotillion balls were segregated and expensive, and did not include Black Americans. Debutante balls finally appeared in Black social circles during the 1930s, in large part due to the efforts of Black sororities, fraternities and a growing number of affluent Black Americans. The waltz was the dance of choice in these environments.
III. Tap!
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. For this movement, I have emulated the sound of the tap with the side rim of the snare drum in the percussion section. The strings play in very short, disconnected passages alongside the brass drawing on jazz harmonies.
IV. Holy Dance
Protestant Christian denominations, such as The Church of God in Christ (C.O.G.I.C.), Pentecostal Assemblies of God, Apostolic and Holiness Church, among many others, are known for their exuberant outward expressions of worship. The worship services in these churches will often have joyous dancing, spontaneous shouting and soulful singing. The music in these worship services is a vital vehicle in fostering a genuine spiritual experience for the congregation. This movement calls on the vibrant, celebratory character that still exists in many churches today. I have composed music that mimics the sound of a congregation “speaking in tongues” (murmuring in an unknown spiritual language) by asking the orchestra to play in a semi-improvised manner. Often referred to as a “praise break,” the music propels forward continuously with the trombone section at the helm. The section moves to a climatic ending with the plagal “Amen” cadence.
Instrumentation: two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, harp, vibraphone, marimba, tubular bells, piatti, suspended cymbal, splash cymbal, tambourine (headed), tam tam, triangle, wood blocks, shaker, 2 whip, wood drumsticks on hard surface (large wooden stick on wooden floor board), tom toms, two snare drums, bass drum, claps, xylophone, strings.
Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 77
Johannes Brahms
TK
Symphony No. 5
Ludwig van Beethoven
Notes by Tim Smith.
They’re the four notes heard round the world: the da-da-da-DAH that start Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Surely, no other snippet of classical music has ever been more globally recognizable or more readily associated with a sense of struggle and resolve.
The recent 80th anniversary of D-Day sparked reminders of how that catchy four-note motto ended up with a role in the “ ‘V’ for Victory” morale-boosting campaign—matching the three-dots-and-a-dash in Morse code for "V." The symphony had little trouble working its way, in whole or part, into pop culture, too. Folks of a certain age, for example, may sheepishly admit that they once boogied to “A Fifth of Beethoven,” the track from Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band that became one of the disco era’s more unlikely hits.
Although such ubiquity makes it easy to take the symphony for granted now, the music remains as bold and daring as it was when first played on December 22, 1808. Not that many listeners noticed much of anything during this all-Beethoven marathon in Vienna that also included the premieres of Symphony No. 6, Piano Concerto No. 4 and the Choral Fantasy. As if the length of the concert wasn’t trying enough, a lack of rehearsal made for a very bumpy night, and a lack of heat in the theater made for a teeth-chattering one.
Soon enough, though, as performances gradually spread, the distinctive force of the Fifth hit home. And it didn’t take long for people to decide that they knew what Beethoven was trying to say with this music. Most famously, his secretary and early biographer, Anton Schindler, claimed that the composer likened the first notes of the Fifth to “Fate knocking at the door.”
But Schindler was known for stretching the truth so much that, as Fred Mertz once said about Lucy Ricardo, he could have gotten a job at a pretzel factory. On the other hand, several years before completing this symphony, Beethoven wrote to a friend: “I will seize Fate by the throat; it shall certainly not bend and crush me completely.” So you can argue that backs up at least the gist of Schindler’s claim. But wait—Beethoven pupil Carl Czerny said the composer told him the opening notes were actually inspired by the call of a yellowhammer in a Viennese park. Rather takes the thump out of that fateful knock, doesn’t it?
Whatever the case, the da-da-da-DAH motif makes for one heck of an attention-grabbing first theme. It offers melodic and rhythmic possibilities that Beethoven exploits throughout the opening movement, including his second theme, which kicks off with the same four-note motto. After an edgy development of those themes, Beethoven begins to recapitulate the material with just as much relentless thrust, only to stop everything for a brief, plaintive oboe solo. The effect is like a movie that cuts abruptly from a stormy exterior scene to an indoor shot of a solitary character trying to be calm and brave. This ever-amazing passage is just further proof of the Fifth’s potency.
After the first movement’s virulent coda pounds home the C minor tonality, there’s a welcome shift to A-flat major for an andante built around an elegant melody that undergoes several variations. The four-note motto from the symphony’s start can be heard, sometimes subtle, sometimes forceful, during this movement.
The scherzo, which puts the emphasis back on C minor, commences with a softly creeping idea in the strings that leads to an outburst from the horns, and their four fiercely hammered notes point back yet again to the motto. (Some analysts dismiss the idea that this motto permeates the whole symphony, but don’t let them spoil the fun of listening for any pattern that might suggest even a dab of the da-da-da-DAH’s DNA.)
After a spirited contrasting passage that finds string sections chasing each other, fugue-style, the scherzo’s initial material returns, now soft and strangely expectant. From this spooky passage, Beethoven fashions a seamless transition into the last movement (eschewing a clean break between movements was a revolutionary idea in his day). Memories of agitation and tension from earlier in the piece evaporate amid the finale’s uplifting dose of C major. Trombones, piccolo and contrabassoon make their first appearance here, welcome reinforcements for this clear-cut triumph. Almost clear-cut—Beethoven surprisingly brings back ominous music from the scherzo, a reminder perhaps that demons are always lurking somewhere. But the celebratory declarations soon resume, boosted by a shift into presto gear for one last, visceral jolt.
Instrumentation: two flutes, piccolo, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings.
Overture to Le nozze di Figaro
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
TKTK
Gianandrea Noseda, Music Director
Gianandrea Noseda is one of the world’s most sought-after conductors, equally recognized for his artistry in both the concert hall and opera house. He is music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, general music director of the Zurich Opera House, principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and founding music director of the Tsinandali Festival and Pan-Caucasian Youth Orchestra.
Noseda’s leadership has inspired and reinvigorated the National Symphony Orchestra, which makes its home at the Kennedy Center. The renewed artistic recognition has led to invitations to leading international concert halls, digital streaming and a record label distributed by LSO Live. Noseda’s discography numbers over 80, with many of the recordings receiving critical acclaim.
Noseda has conducted the most important international orchestras, opera houses and festivals. The institutions where he has had significant roles include the Teatro Regio Torino (music director), BBC Philharmonic (chief conductor), Israel Philharmonic (principal guest conductor), Mariinsky Theatre (principal guest conductor), Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI (principal guest conductor), Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Victor de Sabata Chair) and Rotterdam Philharmonic (principal guest conductor).
A native of Milan, Noseda is Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, marking his contribution to the artistic life of Italy. He has also been honored with Musical America’s Conductor of the Year, International Opera Awards Conductor of the Year, OPER! AWARDS Best Conductor and the Puccini Award.
National Symphony Orchestra
The 2024–2025 season is the National Symphony Orchestra’s 94th season and music director Gianandrea Noseda’s eighth season. Since its founding in 1931, the NSO has been committed to performances that enrich the lives of its audience and community members. In 1986, the National Symphony became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it has performed since the Center opened in 1971. The NSO participates in events of national and international importance, including the annual nationally televised concerts on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, live-streamed performances on Medici.tv and local radio broadcasts on WETA 90.9-FM.
Since launching its eponymous recording label in 2020, the NSO has embarked on ambitious recording projects, including the Orchestra’s first complete Beethoven Symphony cycle and the release of the first-ever cycle of George Walker’s Sinfonias, both led by Noseda. Recent projects include a new series of Four Symphonic Works by Kennedy Center composer-in-residence Carlos Simon conducted by Noseda, and William Shatner’s So Fragile, So Blue, recorded live with the NSO in the Concert Hall.
The NSO’s community engagement and education projects are nationally recognized, including NSO in Your Neighborhood, Notes of Honor and Sound Health. Career-development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its acclaimed, tuition-free Summer Music Institute.
Hilary Hahn
Three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn brings expressive musicality to a repertoire guided by artistic curiosity. A prolific recording artist, her 23 feature recordings have received every critical prize. Hahn is a staunch supporter of new music; recent commissions include new works from Barbara Assiginaak, Steven Banks, Jennifer Higdon, Jessie Montgomery and Carlos Simon. She is currently visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, after several years as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s first-ever artist-in-residence, artist-in-residence at the New York Philharmonic, visiting artist at the Juilliard School and curating artist of the Dortmund Festival.
In the 2024–2025 season, Hahn tours the globe: in Japan, Beethoven with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; in the U.S., Korngold with the Berlin Philharmonic; throughout Europe, Tchaikovsky with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; throughout Spain and the Canary Islands, Mendelssohn with the Munich Philharmonic; on tour with the National Symphony Orchestra; and at the BBC Proms in Korea. In addition, she joins the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony and many others. She also continues her immensely popular all-Bach solo recitals in Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
Hahn has related to her fans naturally from the very beginning of her career. She has committed to signings after nearly every concert and maintains and shares a collection of the fan art she has received over the course of 20 years. Her “Bring Your Own Baby” concerts create opportunities for parents of infants to share their enjoyment of live classical music with their children in a nurturing, welcoming environment. Hahn’s commitment to her fans extends to a long history of educational outreach. Her social media-based practice initiative, #100daysofpractice, has transformed practice into a community-building celebration of artistic development.
Classical Conversations
Identified as a changemaker in her field, violinist Jacqueline Jove is a performing artist, leader and educator. She has been praised as an “expressive and masterful violinist” who brings “sensitivity and thoughtful musicianship” and “sparkling energy and flair” to her performances. A passionate educator and administrative leader, Jove served as director of education at the Sphinx Organization, whose mission is to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts. In this role, she directed and curated all programming for the Sphinx Performance Academy, a solo and chamber music intensive for young artists, in partnership with the Curtis and Cleveland Institutes of Music and The Juilliard School. She continues to serve as violin faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy at Juilliard, has performed with the Sphinx Virtuosi and previously served on the violin faculty of the Kaufman Music Center and as a lead teaching artist and instructional coach for the Harmony Program in New York.
Jove holds degrees from Yale and SUNY and an Executive Leadership Certificate from the Global Leaders Program. She is completing her doctor of musical arts degree at the Frost School of Music under full scholarship as a teaching assistant and Henry Mancini Institute Fellow.
Jove is passionate about languages, and is fluent in English, Spanish and French.
Presenting Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
Institutional Sponsor
