Santa Fe Symphony to play ‘one of greatest’ Schumann works
An acutely depressed Robert Schumann wrote a symphony of radiant optimism while in the depths of despair.
The Santa Fe Symphony will perform Symphony No. 2 in C Major by this pillar of romantic literature at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on April 23.
“It is regarded as one of the greatest,” guest conductor Robert Tweten said. “It’s a very special piece in Schumann’s development.”
The composer suffered from mental illness possibly linked to the syphilis that eventually killed him. In 1844, he and his wife, Clara, toured Russia. Critics and fans applauded her piano playing, leaving the always-vulnerable Schumann feeling left out. To make matters worse, he suffered from ringing in the ears. He gave up his post at the Leipzig Conservatory, and the couple moved to quieter surroundings in Dresden. Given the conditions under which it was written, critics expected the symphony to be full of dark music. But it remains one of his sunniest scores.
“He started out as a great pianist,” Tweten said. “They would improvise a lot of compositions. He ended up hurting his finger. I think he realized he wasn’t going to make it as a soloist, so he turned to composition.”
To create the symphony, Schumann
retreated to a room and penned the music in his head in a manner similar to Mozart’s, Tweten said. Its four movements feature references to Bach, Beethoven and Haydn.
“It’s kind of a biographical piece because he was trying to work through all of these things,” Tweten said. “It’s a compositional masterpiece.”
The concert will open with French composer Emmanuel Chabrier’s “Suite Pastorale,” an orchestrated version of piano pieces.
Chabrier wrote the original works just as he was abandoning the “safe” government job his parents had insisted he pursue.
“They’re quite beautiful pieces,” Tweten said. “He was influenced by Wagner, so they’re very colorful.”
The symphony’s principal horn player, Nathan Ukens, will solo on Haydn’s Horn Concerto No. 1. The 30-year-old composer wrote the piece for his horn player, Joseph Leutgeb, as a gift on the birth of the musician’s daughter.
“You would know that is Haydn,” Tweten said. “It is very joyful, with a beautiful, slow movement.”
Tweten serves as the Santa Fe Opera head of music staff. He has conducted “Don Giovanni,” “Le nozze di Figaro” and “The Pirates of Penzance.” He conducted the New Mexico Philharmonic’s 2011 season-opening concert.