UMS Concert Program, November 4, 1984: The Masterplayers --

Season: 106th
Concert: Thirtieth
Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

THE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
The Masterplayers
RICHARD SCHUMACHER, Conductor
Sunday Afternoon, November 4, 1984, at 4:00 Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
PROGRAM
Concerto grosso in C major, "Alexander's Feast" ...................Handel
Allegro Largo Allegro
Vesselin Paraschkevov and Jan Tomes, Violinists Reimund Korufp, Cellist
Concerto for Violin, Oboe, and Strings in D minor, BWV 1060 ........ Bach
Allegro Adagio Allegro
Vesselin Paraschkevov, Violinist Vladimir Mally, Oboist
Concerto for Four Violins and Strings in B minor, Op. 3, No. 10..... Vivaldi
Allegro Largo, larghetto, largo Allegro
Lars Holm, Ulricka Jansson,
Cynthia Hawthorne-Baehr and Matts Eriksson, Violinists Kerstin Elmqvist, Cellist
INTERMISSION
Concerto for Two Violins and Strings in D minor, BWV 1043.......... Bach
Vivace Largo ma non tanto Allegro
Edmund Stepniak and Jan Tomes, Violinists
Concerto for Violin, Horn, and Orchestra in D major ............ Telemann
Vivace Grave Presto
Vesselin Paraschkevov, Violinist Zbigniew Zuk, Hornist
Concerto for Two Oboes, Two Horns, and Strings in F major........Handel
Allegro Air Bourrec Alia Hornpipe
Gunhard Heinz Mattes and Vladimir Mally, Oboists Deborah Sturman and Zbigniew Zuk, Hornists
Thirtieth Concert of the 106th Season Twenty-second Annual Chamber Arts Series
About the Artists
In 1954 Maestro Richard Schumacher formed a chamber orchestra in Lugano, Switzerland (where he was born in 1925), an ensemble composed of leading solo and chamber music players from all over Europe. Their first concert took place in Lucerne, soon followed by performances in Geneva, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Naples, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. In 1957 the Collegium Musicum Helveticum, as it was then called, became the first Swiss orchestra to visit South America, performing in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santiago, and Monte?video. Two years later, when Maestro Schumacher was offered another tour of both North and South America, he changed the name of his ensemble to The Masterplayers, and they embarked on a six-month tour which began in Argentina and ended in Canada -187 concerts in 160 different towns. Between 1960 and 1968 The Masterplayers gave over 1,000 concerts in America and Europe. For a few years Mr. Schumacher's increasing guest-conducting engage?ments limited the activities of his chamber orchestra, until 1973 when a triumph at New York's Mostly Mozart Festival led him once again to concentrate on touring with The Masterplayers. Subsequent tours of the ensemble -whose strings play exclusively with instruments of the famous Italian lutteur school of Amati, Stradivarius, Guarnerius, and Grancino -have received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Celebrated musicians who have performed with The Masterplaycrs include Julian Bream, Heinz Holliger, Wilhelm Kcmpff, Hermann Baumann, and Jean-Pierre Rampal.
Richard Schumacher studied composition, various instruments, and conducting in Geneva, Milan, Siena, and Paris. From 1949 to 1957 he played the bassoon in a Swiss broadcasting orchestra, and also had his own trio (flute, bassoon, piano), which gave recitals throughout Europe. Since 1956 he has appeared as guest conductor with distinguished orches?tras in Eastern and Western Europe and America. He also founded the London Masterplayers Symphony Orchestra in 1970, and in 1973 he appeared with the London Chamber Orchestra, directing concerts in Paris, Strasbourg, New York, Bogota, and Caracas. He has also been associated with the Dresden, Bucharest, and Budapest Philharmonic Orchestras, and the broadcasting orchestras of Athens, Hamburg, Milan, Rome, Sofia, and Warsaw.
Mr. Schumacher has served as the artistic director of international music festivals in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Germany, also leading master classes in conducting in those countries. In 1985 he will assume the direction of the newly-founded Swiss Philharmonic Orchestra.
Both Maestro Schumacher and The Masterplayers are appearing in Ann Arbor for the first time.
Violins
Vesselin Paraschkevov, Leader Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Cologne Broadcasting Sym?phony Orchestra.
Edmund Stepniak, Leader Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Berlin Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra.
Lars Holm, Leader New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra and Primus Swcdenborgkvartctten.
Cynthia Hawthorne-Baehr, Leader Aspen Music Festival Orchestra and Caracas Symphony Orchestra.
Jan Tomes, Leader Musica Antiqua Bohemica and member Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Matts Eriksson, Second leader New Stockholm Chamber Orchestra and member Swedcnborg-kvartetten.
Ulrikajansson
Violas Anders Lindgren, Principal violist Royal Swedish Chamber Orchestra and member Swedenborg-
kvartetten. Jan Willcm Van der Eijk, Principal violist Orchcstrc National de Belgiquc, Brussels.
Cellos
Reimund Korupp, First Prize, Masterplayers Competition; soloist Edinburgh Festival. Kerstin Elmqvist, Member Jean-Pierre Wallez's Ensemble Paris and Swcdenborgkvartetten.
Double Bass Rinaldo Asuni, Italian virtuoso and member Orchestra Santa Cecilia, Rome.
Oboes
Vladimir Mally, Soloist Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Bratislava. Gunhard Heinz Mattes, Soloist Orchestrc dc la Suissc Romande, Geneva.
Horns Zbigniew Zuk, Soloist Polish Chamber Orchestra and Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra,
Krakow. Deborah Sturman, Soloist Israel Chamber Orchestra, La Petite Bandc, and member Israel
Philharmonic Orchestra.