Jazzy, mercurial, and supremely entertaining, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G is a perfect match with Stravinksy’s through-the-looking-glass take on music of a bygone era. Melodies from the Baroque and commedia dell’arte characters retain their original charm, but suffused with harmonic and rhythmic twists that are pure twentieth-century inventiveness.
$92-$132
$29
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Sunday
06:00 PM
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Jaap van Zweden, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
PERRY Study for Orchestra
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G
STRAVINSKY Suite from Pulcinella
Jazzy, mercurial, and supremely entertaining, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G is a perfect match with Stravinksy’s through-the-looking-glass take on music of a bygone era. Melodies from the Baroque and commedia dell’arte characters retain their original charm, but suffused with harmonic and rhythmic twists that are pure twentieth-century inventiveness.
PERRY: Study for Orchestra
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G
STRAVINSKY: Suite from Pulcinella
PERRY: Study for Orchestra
Study for Orchestra (1952)
JULIA PERRY (1924-79)
Julia Perry earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Westminster Choir College and furthered her musical studies at The Juilliard School and The Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood). She spent much of the 1950s in Europe, where she worked with Luigi Dallapiccola in Florence and Nadia Boulanger in Paris. Returning to the United States in 1959, she taught briefly at Florida A&M College and Atlanta College, but most of her time was devoted to composition. She was prolific, writing four operas, 12 symphonies, three concertos (two for piano, one for violin), and numerous large-scale choral pieces, among many other works. A stroke in 1971 led to several years of hospitalization but did not end her composing; though partially paralyzed, she taught herself to write with her left hand instead of her right. Her music covers a broad stylistic spectrum, including modernist and neoclassical works as well as quite a few pieces based on African-American spirituals and folk idioms, as in her 1973 Soul Symphony.
She wrote her Study for Orchestra (also known as Short Piece for Orchestra) in Florence in 1952. It was premiered in Turin, was introduced to New York audiences by the Little Orchestra, and received two performances from conductor William Steinberg and the New York Philharmonic in 1965. Her efforts to persuade Steinberg to then program her Second Piano Concerto went nowhere. The single movement of the Study passes through contrasting episodes, with vigorous, angular sections alternating with slow, mysterious writing that may recall Ives, particularly in passages near the work’s end. Her teacher Dallapiccola would doubtless have applauded her harmonic boldness, yet the Study’s overall impact is lyrical as well as athletic, its idiom resembling that of a dramatic film score.
RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G
Piano Concerto in G major (1929-31)
MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937)
Maurice Ravel composed his G-major Piano Concerto from 1929 to 1931, but he incorporated some material he had sketched many years earlier for a piano concerto on Basque themes that he never completed. He sometimes surprised colleagues by revealing that pieces they didn’t know about were well along in their gestation. So it was that the pianist Marguerite Long recalled a gathering sometime in the 1920s: “One day at a dinner in the house of Mme de Saint-Marceaux, whose salon, according to Colette, was ‘a citadel of artistic intimacy,’ Ravel said to me point-blank: ‘I am composing a concerto for you. Do you mind if it ends pianissimo and with trills?’ ‘Of course not,’ I replied, only too happy to realize the dream of all virtuosi.’” Time passed, and then suddenly … “It can be understood how I was seized with agitation when on November 11, 1931, Ravel telephoned [to announce] his immediate arrival with the manuscript. I had hardly composed myself when he entered holding out the precious pages. Hastily I turned to the last page to look for the pianissimo and the trills: they had become fortissimo and percussive ninths!”
Ravel told another friend: “The music of a concerto should, in my opinion, be lighthearted and brilliant, and not aim at profundity or at dramatic effects. It has been said of certain classics that their concertos were written not ‘for’ but ‘against’ the piano. I heartily agree. I had intended to title this concerto ‘Divertissement.’ Then it occurred to me that there was no need to do so because the title ‘Concerto’ should be sufficiently clear.” Brilliant it is, but also profound, especially in the time-stands-still hush of the middle movement.
STRAVINSKY: Suite from Pulcinella
Suite from Pulcinella (1920)
IGOR STRAVINSKY (1882-1971)
Igor Stravinsky owed much of his early fame to ballet scores he created to be danced by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, of which Pulcinella was among the most endearing to audiences. Stravinsky reported what Diaghilev proposed: “I want you to look at some delightful eighteenth century music with the idea of orchestrating it for a ballet,” specifically mentioning the short-lived Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-36). Stravinsky dug into available editions and chose movements he could fit to a scenario involving Pulcinella, the hero of the commedia dell’arte that was popular in Pergolesi’s Naples. He maintained the original melodies and bass lines practically unaltered but transposed the music to 1920 by way of his modernist harmonies, rhythms, and alterations of phrase lengths. Although Stravinsky viewed Pulcinella essentially as a pièce d’occasion, he later realized that it played a part in ushering him into the neoclassical phase of his composing career. “Pulcinella was my discovery of the past,” he wrote, “the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible. It was a backward look, of course—the first of many love affairs in that direction—but it was a look in the mirror, too.”
In 1922, he created an 11-movement concert suite out of his ballet score. Many of the Pergolesi pieces Stravinsky chose were later discovered to be misattributed. So far as the Suite is concerned, the Serenata, Vivo and, Minuetto are all based on authentic Pergolesi pieces. The Sinfonia (Overture), Scherzino, the first Allegro, Andantino, and concluding Allegro assai originated in trio sonatas by Domenico Gallo (1730-68); the Tarantella is by Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer (1692-1766); and the Toccata and Gavotta are from a harpsichord suite by Carlo Ignazio Monza (1680-1739).
Jaap van Zweden is the music director for the New York Philharmonic.
For more than three decades, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has performed world-wide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists.
With the arrival last season of Jaap van Zweden as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, a new era began. Having concluded a highly acclaimed and revelatory inaugural season, Jaap van Zweden and the musicians of the New York Philharmonic unite for a new 2019-20 season of more surprises and adventurous experiences. As an international presence on three continents over the past decade, he also continues as Music Director of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, a post he has held since 2012. Guest engagements this season include the Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Van Zweden has appeared as guest conductor with many other leading orchestras around the globe, among them the Orchestre de Paris, Leipzig Gewandhaus orchester, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vienna and Berlin Philharmonics, and the London Symphony Orchestra.
In this his second season as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden fuses past and present, representing today’s composers and the new-music landscape while reflecting on relevant historic achievements. He conducts repertoire ranging from seven World Premieres (including opening week with a Philip Glass commission and the season-concluding hotspots festival with works by Nico Muhly and Sarah Kirkland Snider, as well as three other works by women composers for Project 19) to symphonic cornerstones (including Mahler both in New York and on a European tour in 2020, when the Philharmonic becomes the first-ever American orchestra to appear at the Mahler Festival in Amsterdam). Other season highlights include a fully staged production of Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung. He conducts his first Young People’s Concert and once again invites his fellow New Yorkers to Phil the Hall. Added to his repertoire of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Schoenberg will be Björk, Steve Reich and John Adams.
Jaap van Zweden has made numerous acclaimed recordings, the most recent of which is a 2019 release with the New York Philharmonic of the World Premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth, continuing the Philharmonic’s partnership with Decca Gold. In 2018 with the Hong Kong Philharmonic, he completed a four-year project conducting the first-ever performances in Hong Kong of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, which have been recorded and released on Naxos Records as individual recordings as well as a complete set. His highly praised performances of Lohengrin, Die Meistersinger and Parsifal, the latter of which earned Maestro van Zweden the prestigious Edison Award for Best Opera Recording in 2012, are available on CD/DVD.
Born in Amsterdam, Jaap van Zweden was appointed at age nineteen as the youngest-ever concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He began his conducting career nearly twenty years later in 1996. He remains Honorary Chief Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic where he served as Chief Conductor from 2005-2013, served as Chief Conductor of the Royal Flanders Orchestra from 2008-11, and was Music Director from 2008-2018 of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra where he currently holds the title Conductor Laureate. Van Zweden was named Musical America's 2012 Conductor of the Year and was the subject of an October 2018 CBS 60 Minutes profile. Recently, he was awarded the prestigious 2020 Concertgebouw Prize, and the Hong Kong Philharmonic under Jaap van Zweden’s leadership was named Gramophone’s 2019 Orchestra of the Year.
In 1997, Jaap van Zweden and his wife Aaltje established the Papageno Foundation, the objective being to support families of children with autism. Now, over 20 years later, the Foundation has grown into a multi-faceted organization which, through various initiatives and activities, focuses on the development of children and young adults with autism. The Foundation provides in-home music therapy to children through a national network of qualified music therapists in the Netherlands; opened the Papageno House in August 2015 (with Her Majesty Queen Maxima in attendance) for young adults with autism to live, work and participate in the community; created a research center at the Papageno House for early diagnosis and treatment of autism and for analyzing the effects of music therapy on autism; develops funding opportunities to support autism programs; and launched the app, TEAMPapageno, which allows children with autism to communicate with each other through music composition.
Photo credit: Bert Hulselmans
For more than three decades, Jean-Yves Thibaudet has performed world-wide, recorded more than 50 albums, and built a reputation as one of today’s finest pianists. He plays a range of solo, chamber, and orchestral repertoire – from Beethoven through Liszt, Grieg, and Saint-Saëns; to Khachaturian and Gershwin, and to contemporary composers Qigang Chen and James MacMillan. From the very start of his career, he delighted in music beyond the standard repertoire, from jazz to opera, which he transcribed himself to play on the piano. His profound professional friendships crisscross the globe and have led to spontaneous and fruitful collaborations in film, fashion, and visual art.
This season takes Thibaudet to 14 countries, including extensive concerts in Asia with the Singapore, NHK, and Guangzhou symphony orchestras and the Malaysian, Hong Kong, and China philharmonics. As Artist-in-Residence at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, he plays the Bach Triple Concerto with Thomas Adès and Kirill Gerstein, Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, chamber music with symphony musicians, and Bernstein's Age of Anxiety both in Boston and at Carnegie Hall. Thibaudet is considered one of the premiere interpreters of the solo part for this symphony, which he will also perform with the Atlanta and National symphony orchestras; the San Francisco and Houston symphonies; the China Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra at home and on tour in Germany, Austria, and Israel, throughout Bernstein's centennial season.
Other season highlights include Ravel with the New York and Los Angeles philharmonics, Cleveland Orchestra, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with longtime collaborator Charles Dutoit; a recital in Carnegie Hall with violinist Janine Jansen; a tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in California, and a trip to his hometown to play Qigang Chen's Er Huang, which was written for him, with the Orchestre National de Lyon.
In 2017-18 the Colburn School extends Thibaudet's Artist-in-Residency an additional three years and has announced the Jean-Yves Thibaudet Scholarships to provide aid for Music Academy students, whom Thibaudet will select for the merit-based awards, regardless of their instrument choice. His passion for education and fostering young musical talent extends to his tour with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra, playing Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F and Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie together in many of the great concert halls of Europe, including the Concertgebouw, the new Elbphilharmonie, and the Teatro alla Scala.
Thibaudet’s recording catalogue of more than 50 albums has received two Grammy nominations, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, the Diapason d’Or, the Choc du Monde de la Musique, the Edison Prize, as well as Gramophone and Echo awards. Last season he released to great acclaim Bernstein's Age of Anxiety with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop, with whom he previously recorded Gershwin (2010), which featured big jazz band orchestrations of Rhapsody in Blue, variations on “I Got Rhythm,” and the Concerto in F. In 2016, on the 150th anniversary of Erik Satie's birth, Decca released a box set of Satie's complete solo piano music performed by Thibaudet – one of the foremost interpreters and champions of the composer's works. On his Grammy-nominated recording Saint-Saëns, Piano Concerti Nos. 2&5, released in 2007, he is joined by Dutoit and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Thibaudet's Aria–Opera Without Words, which was released the same year, features aria transcriptions, some of which are Thibaudet's own. His other recordings include the jazz albums Reflections on Duke: Jean-Yves Thibaudet Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Conversations With Bill Evans.
Thibaudet has also had an impact on the world of fashion, film and philanthropy. He played Aaron Zigman’s soundtrack for Wakefield, a drama by Robin Swicord, which was the first time that the composer had allowed a pianist other than himself to perform his film work. Thibaudet was soloist in Dario Marianelli’s award-winning scores for the films Atonement (which won an Oscar for Best Original Score) and Pride and Prejudice, and recorded Alexandre Desplat’s soundtrack for the 2012 film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. He had a cameo in Bruce Beresford's film on Alma Mahler, Bride of the Wind, and his playing is showcased throughout. In 2004 he served as president of the prestigious charity auction Hospices de Beaune. His concert wardrobe is designed by Dame Vivienne Westwood.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet was born in Lyon, France, where he began his piano studies at age five and made his first public appearance at age seven. At twelve, he entered the Paris Conservatory to study with Aldo Ciccolini and Lucette Descaves, a friend and collaborator of Ravel. At age fifteen, he won the Premier Prix du Conservatoire and, three years later, the Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York City. Among his numerous commendations is the Victoire d’Honneur, a lifetime career achievement award and the highest honour given by France’s Victoires de la Musique. In 2010 the Hollywood Bowl honored Thibaudet for his musical achievements by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Thibaudet was awarded the title Officier by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012.
Photo: Decca
Where are the orchestra concert performances held?
Bravo! Vail orchestral concerts take place at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (GRFA) located at 530 S. Frontage Rd E Vail, CO 81657
What time do performances begin?
Concerts start promptly at 6:00PM (except for the movie screening which starts at 7:30PM). The GRFA lobby opens 90 minutes prior and gates open 60 minutes prior to performances. Give yourself plenty of time to park and get into the venue. Latecomers will be escorted by ushers at an appropriate interval.
Where do I park?
FREE concert parking is available at the Vail Parking Structure (241 South Frontage Road East, Vail) and the Lionshead Parking Structure (395 South Frontage Road West, Vail). A Town of Vail Special Event express bus provides continuous service from both parking structures to the GRFA before and after concerts. Limited $10 parking is available at Ford Park by the Tennis Center (500 South Frontage Rd). Additional $10 parking is available at the Vail Athletic/Soccer Field lot.
WALKING DIRECTIONS FROM THE VAIL VILLAGE PARKING STRUCTURE:
Via Gore Creek Trail: 15-minute scenic walk
1. Exit the parking garage by following the Pedestrian Exit signs towards “Vail Village” / “Golden Peak”
2. Turn left out of the parking garage onto East Meadow Drive and head east
3. At the end of the road turn right on Vail Valley Drive and cross the road
4. Turn left on the walking path before the bridge, following the street signs towards "Ford Park"
5. Continuing east, follow the walking path along Gore Creek until reaching the GRFA
Via Frontage Road: 15-minute walk
1. From the top level of the parking garage, exit onto the South Frontage Road
2. Turn right and follow the sidewalk east along the south side of the frontage road
3. Cross East Meadow Drive and continue east along the sidewalk
4. Turn right after passing The Wren at Vail on the right
5. Continue down the path down to the GRFA
How long do concerts last?
Concerts generally last 2 hours including intermission. Please call the box office 877.812.5700 for exact running times.
How do I buy tickets?
Tickets, passes, and gift certificates may be ordered in the following ways:
1. Online: bravovail.org
2. By phone: 877.812.5700
3. In person: Bravo! Vail 2271 N Frontage Rd W Suite C, Vail, CO 81657
Bravo! Vail accepts American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. There is a $2 fee per ticket. Tickets are delivered by mail or email, or may be picked up at Will Call.
What are the Box Office hours?
Bravo! Vail Box Office hours are Monday-Friday from 9AM to 4PM. During the Festival, hours include Saturday & Sunday from 10AM to 4PM. The Bravo! Vail Box Office can be reached at 877.812.5700.
The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater box office is open from 11AM until concert start time (5PM on days with no concerts) during the Festival. Tickets for upcoming performances may be purchased on-site at the GRFA before concerts and during intermission.
Where is the Will Call window?
Will Call tickets may be picked up at the Box Office located to the right of the main GRFA entrance lobby. The Box Office is open 11AM to concert start time during the Festival.
Does Bravo! Vail offer group pricing?
Discounts for groups of 15 or more are available for select concerts. Please call 970.827.4316 for more information.
What if I buy tickets and cannot attend?
While our standard policy is that tickets are non-refundable, we understand the necessity to be flexible in these unprecedented times. Should you need to change your plans to attend a concert this summer, we ask that you consider donating the value of your tickets to help support Bravo! Vail's ongoing mission of enriching people’s lives through the power of music. If you prefer a refund rather than donating the value of your tickets, please contact the box office.
If we are forced to cancel an event in its entirety, you will have the option to donate the value of your tickets to help support Bravo's mission, place the value of your tickets on account for future use, or receive a refund.
What if I misplace or forget to bring my tickets?
There is no charge to reprint tickets. Please call 877.812.5700 before 3PM on the day of the performance or allow extra time to request new tickets at the Will Call window.
Where are seating options for people with disabilities?
Per the American Disability Act (ADA), the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater is accessible to individuals with disabilities. ADA seating is available in Section 1 Row L and Section 4 Row O in all reserved seating zones and prices (Premium Aisle, Premium, Reserved, and Saver). A limited number of ADA General Admission Lawn seats are available for sale behind Section 2. You must have a designated ADA lawn seat ticket to sit in this area. By purchasing an ADA seat, you are stating that you require an ADA seat. If purchased fraudulently, you may be subject to relocation. If you need assistance purchasing ADA seating, please call the Box Office at 877.812.5700.
What if it rains?
Concerts take place rain or shine. The GRFA is an open-air venue. Refunds are not given due to weather unless a concert is canceled in its entirety with no performance rescheduled.
What should I wear?
There is no dress code for concerts. Please be prepared for rain and cooler temperatures.
What should I bring to the concert?
If you will be on the lawn, a blanket, sunglasses, and a hat are recommended. If rain is predicted, please bring appropriate rain gear. Food, commercially sealed non-alcoholic beverages, low-profile lawn chairs, and umbrellas are permitted at concerts. All backpacks, bags, purses, picnic baskets, and coolers will be checked upon entry.
The following articles are not allowed at the venue: cameras, audio/video recording devices, standard-height lawn chairs, baby strollers, alcoholic beverages, firearms, pets, smoking, skateboards, bicycles, scooters, and skates.
What food and beverages are available for purchase at the GRFA?
Concessions are offered for purchase inside the venue. Menu items include snacks, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. A full bar is also available. All major credit cards and cash are accepted for payment. If you have a pavilion seat, please eat prior to the concert or at intermission.
Are lawn chairs available to rent?
Low-profile lawn chairs are available at the GRFA to rent for $10. You may also rent a lawn chair by calling the Bravo! Vail Box Office at 877.812.5700.
What are some general rules of concert etiquette?
Please allow time for parking and seating. Concert attendees must silence all mobile devices prior to performances to not disrupt musicians and other patrons. Please limit conversations and other noisy activities during the performance. In the pavilion seating, we recommend eating prior to the concert or at intermission. Parental supervision is required for all children attending Bravo! Vail concerts.
What else should I know?
Vail’s high elevation requires adequate hydration and sun protection. Visitors from lower elevations may experience altitude sickness.
What if I lose something at the concert?
Check with the GRFA box office for lost items at intermission or call 970.748.8497.
What if I still have questions?
Please contact the Box Office at 877.812.5700 Mon–Fri 9AM–4PM (and Sat–Sun 10AM-4PM during the Festival).
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