Home > Past Seasons > 2009 Spring Concert
 Saturday, April 4: pre-concert lecture at 7pm, concert at 8pm Sunday, April 5: pre-concert lecture at 2pm, concert at 3pm JDHS Auditorium
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The Program:Johannes Brahms - Ein Deutsches RequiemThough he is now popularly known as an icon of high Romanticism, in his day Johannes Brahms was considered to be a staunch conservator of tradition. He was an academic who studied with fervor the contrapuntal compositional techniques of Bach and the Renaissance masters. As a young man he worked in Detmold as a choir-master; conducting the works of Praetorius, Handel, Bach and Rovetta. Prior to his choral conducting experience, Brahms had composed works primarily for the piano or small chamber ensemble. In 1857 he began to write for choir, experimenting with contrapuntal techniques to enrich his part writing and improve the overall interest of his works. This early work in vocal writing helped create Brahms's signature compositional style of contrapuntal ideas synthesized with a Romantic notion of melody and harmony. It is believed that Brahms got the idea for writing a German requiem (rather than one in Latin) from his mentor Robert Schumann. In fact, it was probably Schumann's death that impelled Brahms to begin assembling the text for this work. It was not until the death of Brahms's mother nine years later however, that Brahms began to work on the music in earnest. That is when he added a text from the book of John, "Ye now have sorrow, but I will see you again" - a touching personal message from an otherwise largely agnostic man. Brahms's German Requiem is not, technically, a requiem at all. The requiem is actually a liturgical service, known formally as a Mass for the Dead. Other famous requiems, like Mozart's and Verdi's (both performed in recent years by the Juneau Symphony), set the Latin text of that mass to music. The Latin text focuses on the deceased. Brahms's German Requiem differs in several ways. First, Brahms chose his own text from the Lutheran bible, which is, of course, in the vernacular tongue. Second, the Latin requiem text is usually a prayer for the dead who are facing the fears of judgment, but Brahms chose texts of consolation, trying to reconcile the living with the idea of suffering and death. Third, Brahms's Requiem is not for any liturgical purpose. In fact, Brahms made clear that this was a work for people, not for God, and he once noted that he would like to replace the word "German" in the title with "Mankind." | |
The Soloists: Tiffany Hanson - SopranoA newcomer to the Juneau Opera scene, Tiffany received her Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance from the University of Central Florida. There she was able to craft her voice with Louis Roney, acclaimed operatic tenor and forty-year leading soloist throughout Europe and North America. While still pursuing her degree, she began teaching voice and piano. She taught privately and in the classroom for Seminole Community College. In sharing her love of music, she discovered in herself a passion and a gift for instructing. In Orlando, Tiffany kept herself engaged with many different projects. While attending school and teaching, she performed in Carmina Burana with the Orlando Opera Company. Other performances include Candlelight for Disney, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Rapunzel in Into the Woods, The Mikado, and various solo recitals. She even found time for a number of conducting projects along with leading a weekly Exploratory Music class, creatively introducing children to new sounds and instruments. Leaving behind a full studio, Tiffany and her husband, Ryan, came to Alaska for a little change of scenery. With the establishment of her studio, Music Amore, and her partnership with the University of Alaska Southeast, she has grown a large following of dedicated students. In July, they welcomed their first baby into the world, and she has already shown to be quite the little singer. Projects and performances undertaken in Juneau so far include Music Director for Children of Eden with Perseverance Theater's STAR Program, vocal coach for Northern Lights Junior Theater, Masterpieces of J.S. Bach for the Juneau Bach Society, Beauty and the Beast for Juneau Lyric Opera, soloist for Opera To Go's Opera Spotlight, soprano soloist for Juneau Bach Society's Bach and Mozart Christmas Program, Frasquita in Carmen with the Juneau Symphony, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas for Opera To Go, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi from Il Trittico with Opera To Go. A passion for teaching but drawn to the stage, Tiffany brings a unique spark of energy to Juneau. Her diverse balancing act will continue to be fueled by her love of Opera and the fine arts.  Philippe Damerval - BaritoneThis is Philippe's second time working with the Juneau Symphony, after stepping in at the last minute to sing Escamillo in Carmen last year. After growing up between the West indies, South Africa and metropolitan France, Philippe earned some college money by singing with the professional component of a boys' choir at the music Conservatory in Caen, France. Back in South Africa, he also sang professionally in the chorus of the Cape Town Opera, understudying many roles in operas by Verdi, Mozart and Rossini, as well as the Sondheim musical "Sweeney Todd". It wasn't until he came to Juneau in 2001 that he met the two people who made the biggest difference in his musical development - Dr. John B. d'Armand, who informed him that he was a baritone and would not rest until Philippe believed him, and well-loved Juneau music icon Sue Kazama, who still keeps him honest when it comes to theory as well as practice. Philippe has a son, Bernard, who used to fall asleep at the first few measures of the tempestuous Don Giovanni duet "Eh via, buffone". Philippe wanted to dedicate his performance today to the memory of his father (Gérard Damerval, 1931-2008) who always encouraged him to be a little better than his best, while teaching him to accept a little less from himself on the way there, however many attempts it required. Always moving forward, he was a man of principle and love who never held a grudge, never wished anybody harm, always gave people who needed it the shirt off his back and forgave those who turned around and took advantage of him; he was a complete stranger to pettiness and could be relied on for every promise he made. He cherished his wife and his children and built his entire life around them. He read voraciously about every subject ranging from mathematics to literature, spoke three languages, and wrote several books and articles. The world was too small to contain his heart and his mind, and he left us far too soon. The Orchestra:Music Director: Kyle Wiley Pickett | |
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Violin I Violin II Viola Cello Bass |
Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Horn Trumpets Trombone Tuba Tympani Harp |
The Chorus: |
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Listen to an audio introduction to Brahms Requiem from Maestro Kyle Wiley PickettPhotos taken by Dave Depew
