Andrew Sewell: “One can sense the energy of rushing rivers and valleys.”
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s season opens Oct. 2 with Andrew Sewell conducting the Madison premiere of “Landfall in Unknown Seas,” a work for narrator and strings written by New Zealand poet Allen Curnow and composer Douglas Lilburn in the early 1940s. Sewell, a native of New Zealand, has a special connection to Lilburn and his music. He’s performed many of Lilburn’s orchestral and string works, and WCO recorded his Four Canzonas on its first compact disc in 2004.
“I enjoyed getting to know him personally and hearing him talk about his music and its relation to the landscape of New Zealand,” says Sewell. “Lilburn’s music, particularly the melody line, reflects the action and contours of the New Zealand landscape. One can sense the energy of rushing rivers and valleys, rocky and sandy seashores, and moody mountain ranges shrouded by mist and clouds.”
Adds Sewell: “There is a connection in the heart and soul of Lilburn’s music akin to what one feels toward Aaron Copland’s music as an American — a sense of national identity.”
“Landfall,” which will be narrated by American Players Theatre veteran James Ridge, alternates radiant music with scintillating poetry. It recounts the arrival in 1642 of Dutch explorers in New Zealand from the perspective of explorer Abel Tasman, recounting an attack by Māoris that killed three Dutch sailors. It manages to capture the joy and excitement of discovery while also reflecting the native islanders’ fear of what comes over the water; cellos and basses create a dark undertow to the high, shimmering violins.
Also featured on this program are Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 2 in A minor and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major, featuring 25-year old wunderkind Benjamin Beilman.
While Saint-Saëns’ Second Symphony is often overshadowed by his famous Third (Organ) Symphony, Sewell says the Second “is indicative of his burgeoning style.” The composer was only 24 years old when he composed the Second, but he already displayed the flair for innovation that flowered in later works; the piece features fresh rhythms and colorful textures.
Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D is unusually light and lyrical for a composer often associated with stormy, heroic works like the Fifth Symphony and the “Eroica.” Despite the concerto’s sunny exterior, its inner workings were revolutionary. “This concerto hit the reset bar for what followed in terms of a standard classical violin concerto,” says Sewell. “Its structure and stature became the norm for others to follow, such as Mendelssohn and Brahms.”
There will be a single performance of the chamber orchestra’s season opener at Overture Center’s Capitol Theater.
