Lili Boulanger, 1893 to 1918
D'un matin de printemps, premiered 1917
Duration: 6 minutes

Lili Boulanger is an important figure in the history of music as she was one of the first women to be recognized for her abilities. She won the coveted Grand Prix de Rome in 1912, becoming the first woman to do so. Interestingly, her father had also received this award in 1835.

She was a precocious talent; family friend Gabriel Fauré discovered that she had perfect pitch when she was only two years old. When her older sister, Nadia, would take her music lessons, Lili would accompany her. It was a time of Fauré, Debussy, and Ravel and it is clear that they provided influence in the formation of her musical style.

D'un Matin de Printemps (A Spring Morning) was written for piano and violin, revised with an added cello, rewritten for flute and piano, and eventually for orchestra. One critic likened it to “a scherzo, with a light and transparent orchestration.” The lightness is achieved using full orchestra, including the brass section, including a tuba(!) There is a brisk opening which leads to a languid mood, soon interrupted by what might be sensed as a brief summer shower. The theme is carried by the woodwinds and, when passed to the strings, becomes tranquil.

A program note from the Chicago Symphony by Kyle MacMillan mentions two themes: “One is bright and alert, with each restatement of the main theme in solo winds acting as a call to attention and restoring the faster tempo. The other is dreamlike, marked mystérieux, with ghostly violin and celesta heightening the effect. Eventually the initial energy returns in full in a series of flourishes, a final glissando on harp marking a brilliant close.”

Lili’s sister, Nadia Boulanger, eventually became very famous as a teacher of hundreds of 20^th century composers including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Astor Piazzolla, Grażyna Bacewicz, and Quincy Jones. But predating her influence on those big names, Nadia was a great champion of Lili’s music and sought its performance.

Tragically, Lili Boulanger’s life was cut short by chronic illness. Suffering from pneumonia and other complications, she died at just 24 from an intestinal disorder. Yet her music lives on—thanks in no small part to the tireless advocacy of Nadia who recognized Lili’s extraordinary talent. Using her own influence and stature, Nadia ensured her sister’s music was heard, often programming it alongside the great works of the classical canon. D’un Matin de Printemps is one such work—fresh, vibrant, and absolutely worth championing.

Program notes by Andrew Good.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756 to 1787
Symphony No. 35, "Haffner", premiered 1783
Duration: 22 minutes

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a musical prodigy whose extraordinary talent emerged at an astonishingly young age. By the time he was six, he was already performing across Europe with his father, Leopold Mozart, astounding audiences with his abilities on the keyboard and violin. He began composing at five and went on to create over 600 works in nearly every major genre of his time—symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music, and sacred works.

In July 1782, Leopold Mozart wrote to his son requesting a new symphony to honor their longtime family friend Sigmund Haffner, a member of a prominent Salzburg family. At the time, Mozart’s life in Vienna was especially hectic—he was preparing for the premiere of his opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, completing several commissions, and arranging a move to new lodgings ahead of his upcoming marriage.

Regardless, Mozart finished the work and sent instructions to his father about the symphony, recommending how the piece should be performed. He stated that the first movement, the Allegro, should be played “with fire” and that the final, Presto, should be played “as fast as possible.” The symphony is a prime example of the Classical symphonic form, filled with style and elegance.

The first movement opens with simple unisons soon becoming more energetic. The development section is short while the recapitulation shows Mozart at his creative best. When the strings have the melody, the wind accompaniment is written in sixteenth notes and when the winds have the theme, the strings undergird with thirty-second notes. 

The second movement, Andante, is filled with graceful melodies. The strings are prominent, with the winds providing a pulsing accompaniment. Williams Steinberg writes that the movement is “delicate and elaborate but definitely relaxing.”

The Menuetto and Trio, follows the usual dance mode, with a bright and light Minuet giving way to a flowing Trio., There are multiple changes in dynamics, with the tonic and dominant chords being louder before returning to the Minuet to close the movement.

The symphony concludes with elegance, as the winds step into a more prominent role. Melodies are exchanged fluidly among the instrumental sections, shifting in dynamic contrast from forte to piano. The effect is a graceful and satisfying culmination—an artful summation of all that came before, showcasing Mozart’s signature brilliance.

Program notes by Andrew Good

Gabriel Fauré, 1845 to 1924
Requiem, premiered 1893
Duration: 39 minutes

Gabriel Fauré was an organist, composer, and teacher and is held in high regard as one of the finest French composers. His teacher was Camille Saint-Saens and, in turn, he taught Ravel, Enesco, Nadia Boulanger, and others. The earliest parts of the Requiem were composed in 1877, but the majority of the work was composed in 1887-1888. Fauré himself said, “[it] was composed for nothing, for fun if I may be permitted to say so.” Since Requiems are technically musical settings of the Catholic Mass of the Dead, this description comes as a surprise.

The Requiem begins with a somber passage in the orchestra, followed by the tenors solemnly asking for rest (requiem). The sopranos enter, soon joined by the whole choir, pleading for mercy (Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison). The second section, the Offertory, asks God (Domine) for peace in a contrapuntal back and forth between the voices, resolving in lush harmonies. The Hostias follows, the baritone soloist and organ beginning the movement, eventually joined by the choir which sings with a sense of resolution.

The Sanctus is sung while a solo violin, (perhaps depicting the Holy Spirit), floats above the serene music. This is reminiscent of Beethoven’s extended use of the same instrument in the Benedictus of his Missa Solemnis. In both cases, the effect is striking in its sense of peace. To illustrate, Fauré himself told a colleague, “You’ll see after all those violas how angelic the violins sound in the Sanctus.” This is followed by a section for a solo soprano, imploring Jesus (Pie Jesu) for eternal rest. While some might disagree (citing Andrew Llloyd Weber’s Pie Jesu) Saint-Saens said, “…just as Mozart’s is the only Ave Verum Corpus, this is the only Pie Jesu.”

The Agnus Dei begins with the tenors taking the theme to a modulation with the sopranos and the entire choir. Now, Fauré repeats the Requiem theme from the beginning of the work, eventually returning to the Agnus Dei melody. Then, the baritone soloist sings Libera Me, the melody Fauré first composed in 1877. Inserted here is a powerful and turbulent Dies Irae which then returns to the original theme.

The Requiem closes with a unique section of intense beauty. The sopranos sing the theme of In Paradisum accompanied by sixteenth notes in the orchestra which musicologist Michael Steinberg writes, “suggests the flutter of angels’ wings.” The chorus joins in short passages to heighten the serenity of the movement, ending with the last words, aeternam habeas requiem, (may you eternally have rest). The listener must feel that the repeated requests for eternal rest have been answered.

Program notes by Andrew Good