Season Finale: Ravel & Rachmaninoff

Clyne: Masquerade

Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major

I. Allegramente
II. Adagio assai
III. Presto

Jon Kimura Parker, piano

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

I. (Non) allegro
II. Andante con moto
III. Lento assai

The performance is approximately 110 minutes including a 20-minute intermission

Overview

Experience our season finale concert, an evening brimming with captivating music that spans centuries and styles, featuring masterful works by contemporary and classic composers.

Anna Clyne’s “Masquerade” kicks off the concert with vibrant energy. Inspired by 18th-century promenade concerts in London’s pleasure gardens, this piece captures the lively blend of music, dance, and festive spirit. Clyne weaves a chromatic sequence alongside the melody of “The Juice of the Barley,” creating a dynamic tapestry that evokes joyful celebration.

Explore the richness of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” his final orchestral work composed in the United States. Rich with motifs from his earlier compositions, this suite tells a poignant tale of nostalgia and longing. The piece is renowned for its imaginative soundscapes, blending Russian ecclesiastical themes with the dramatic Dies irae. It remains a testament to Rachmaninoff’s genius, featuring evocative harmonies and the distinctive alto saxophone.

The evening continues with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, a vibrant work influenced by jazz and Basque folk music. This three-movement concerto delights with its lighthearted charm and embodies a spirit of playful brilliance, contrasting with the dramatic concertos of the 19th century. Pianist Jon Kimura Parker will be the featured soloist, bringing his remarkable artistry to this musical masterpiece, a tribute to Ravel’s enduring legacy.

Program Details

ANNA CLYNE (1980- )

Anna Clyne’s Masquerade, commissioned by the BBC for the 2013 Proms, debuted with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop, on September 7, 2013, at the Royal Albert Hall. Inspired by 18th-century promenade concerts in London’s pleasure gardens, the piece captures the lively mix of music and entertainment that brought together people from all walks of life.

Clyne sought to evoke the festive spirit of these historic events, where music intertwined with dance, costumes, and elaborate settings. Her approach often involves reimagining past styles, and Masquerade reflects this fusion.

In this five-minute, single-movement piece, Clyne channels the vibrant energy of the Proms with layered imagery and novel musical ideas. The composition features a chromatic falling sequence that shifts and evolves, reminiscent of Stravinsky’s Petrushka. Additionally, she weaves in the melody of the traditional English drinking song “The Juice of the Barley,” enhancing the piece’s dynamic and eclectic nature.

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)

Sergei Rachmaninoff, a towering figure in the Romantic movement, left an indelible mark on music with his final masterpiece, Symphonic Dances, Op. 45. Composed in 1940 during his time in the United States, this epic orchestral suite is filled with hidden moments, akin to musical “easter eggs,” that invite listeners into a journey through his illustrious career.

Often compared to the easter egg-laden style of artists like Taylor Swift, Rachmaninoff skillfully interweaves motifs from his previous works, including his First Symphony. The result is a vivid and evocative soundscape, rich with tales of nostalgia, homesickness, and forgotten memories, creating an imaginative and emotional narrative.

The Symphonic Dances blend Rachmaninoff’s longing for his homeland with his fascination for ecclesiastical chants. The first dance recalls themes characteristic of Russian church music, while the finale stages a dramatic struggle between the ominous Dies irae and a triumphant chant from his All-Night Vigil, culminating in a victorious “Hallelujah.”

Commissioned for the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted by Eugene Ormandy, the work premiered in 1941. It remains a testament to Rachmaninoff’s genius, showcasing his ability to evoke deep emotions through complex harmonies and rich instrumental colors, notably featuring the alto saxophone, underlining the mysterious and epic nature of this magnum opus.

MAURICE RAVEL (1875-1937)

Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, composed between 1929 and 1931, stands as a testament to his unique genius. This vibrant piece, in three movements, runs just over 20 minutes and was designed to entertain rather than dive deep into profound themes, much like the works of Mozart and Saint-Saëns. Influences of jazz and Basque folk music are woven into its fabric, creating a rich tapestry of sound.

The concerto was first performed in Paris in 1932 by pianist Marguerite Long, with Ravel himself conducting the Orchestre Lamoureux. Though Ravel intended to play the premiere, his health and the pressures of work led him to entrust it to Long, who received the score in late 1931.

Initially conceived in the early 1900s, Ravel took nearly two decades to return to the idea of a piano concerto, completing it only in his mid-fifties after a triumphant U.S. tour solidified his reputation. The concerto serves as a musical self-portrait and manifesto, reacting against the bombast of 19th-century concertos. Ravel considered it a true concerto in the spirit of Mozart, aiming for lighthearted brilliance rather than heavy drama.

This work, marked by its light touch and vivid imagery, still holds emotional depth beneath its shimmering surface. Sadly, it became one of Ravel’s final compositions. After 1932, a neurological disease silenced his creative voice, though music continued to play in his mind until his passing in 1937. The concerto, with its elegance and joy, remains a fitting tribute to Ravel’s enduring artistry.

Guest Artist

Pianist Jon Kimura Parker is known for his charisma, infectious enthusiasm, and dynamic performances that communicate the joy of musical expression. A veteran of the international concert stage, he has performed in the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, London’s South Bank, the Sydney Opera House, and the Beijing Concert Hall. He is the Creative Partner for the Minnesota Orchestra’s Summer at Orchestra Hall, serves as the Artistic Director for the Honens International Piano Competition and Artistic Advisor for the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, and chairs the keyboard faculty of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.

In recent concert seasons, Jon Kimura Parker has been conducted by Karina Canellakis, Karen Kamensek, Mei-Ann Chen, Stephanie Childress, and Lina Gonzalez-Granados. A collaborator in a wide variety of styles, Jon Kimura Parker has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Cho-Liang Lin, Frederica von Stade, Susan Graham and Lynn Harrell, and also with Doc Severinsen, Audra McDonald, Bobby McFerrin, Shayne Koyczan, and Dessa. He has toured as a founding member of the Montrose Trio, and in Off the Score with legendary Police drummer Stewart Copeland, featuring his own arrangements of music by Prokofiev, Ravel and Stravinsky.

Highlights of his 2024-25 season include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and appearances on recital, chamber music and orchestra series across North America and Europe. Parker’s discography features music ranging from Chopin to John Adams. His Whole Notes television series is available on Amazon Prime Video, and his recent Tonebase video on the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini has over 500K views.

Jon Kimura Parker studied with Edward Parker and Keiko Parker, Lee Kum-Sing at the Vancouver Academy of Music and the University of British Columbia, Marek Jablonski at the Banff Centre, and Adele Marcus at The Juilliard School. After winning the Gold Medal at the 1984 Leeds International Piano Competition, Parker has gone on to become an Officer of the Order of Canada and to receive Honorary Doctorates from the University of British Columbia and the
Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto.

Known to friends as “Jackie,” Parker is married to violinist/violist Aloysia Friedmann, and their daughter Sophie is an artist.

For further information, please visit www.jonkimuraparker.com.