CONCERTS

78TH SEASON OF

national gallery of art | november 10, 2019
2

PROGRAM

3

THE MUSICIANS

Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet 

With the Musik Tanztheater Kids from the 

German International School, Washington, DC

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, 

and the finale to the year of German-American friendship, 

“Wunderbar Together.”

November 10, 2019 | 3:30

West Building, West Garden Court

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539 

(after 1720) 

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847)

Transcribed by Harry Staton

Songs without Words (1829 – 1845)

Op. 62, no. 4

Op. 102, no. 6

Op. 19b, no. 6 

Op. 102, no. 3 

Op. 67, no. 5 

Op. 102, no. 5 

Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (b. 1960), 

 and Carlo Karges (1951 – 2002)

“99 Luftballons” (1983)

Musik Tanztheater Kids

Franz Danzi (1763 – 1826)

Quintet no. 1 in B-flat Major, op. 56 (1821)

Allegretto

Andante con moto

Menuetto allegretto

Allegretto

Antonín Dvořak (1841 – 1904)

Transcribed by William Purvis

Quintet for Woodwinds, op. 96 (1893)

Allegro ma non troppo

Lento

Molto vivace

Finale: Vivace ma non troppo

Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet

The Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet, founded in 1896, can probably be described 

as the oldest chamber music ensemble of its kind. During that first season, leading 

woodwind soloists, headed by oboist Alfred Gleißberg and significantly supported by 

Gewandhaus Music Director Arthur Nikisch, presented themselves for the first time 

to audiences. In the century of its history, the ensemble has become a permanent, 

traditional part of the world-famous Gewandhaus Orchestra. Chamber music correlates closely with orchestral music, and the quintet’s woodwind players also play in 

Gewandhaus Orchestra concerts. They consequently understand each other almost 

telepathically, making this quintet unique in its style of music. The five instrumental 

soloists who form this ensemble are quite rightly proud of this long tradition.

The current musicians not only perform quintet repertoire, but also play musical 

delicacies with expanded instrumentation. In cooperation with pianists Elisabeth 

Leonskaja and Peter Rösel, the group performs works such as the piano quintets by 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. The quintet is joined by other 

Gewandhaus musicians for serenades and wind ensemble music and also demonstrates 

its artistic caliber outside its Leipzig home every year in five to ten chamber music 

soirées. The group performs regularly in the cloister of the venerable Cistercian 

monastery Walkenried. Over the past few years, the five musicians were celebrated 

guests at the Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, the Mecklenburg-West Pomeranian Music 

Festival, the Philharmonic Chamber Music Festival of the Berlin Philharmonic 

Orchestra, and the Cologne Philharmony, as well as in the Alpirsbach, Maulbronn, 

and Bebenhausen monasteries, and at the Dresden Semper Opera. 

Katalin Stefula, flute

Katalin Stefula began her studies at the conservatory in Bratislava, Slovakia. From 1995 

to 1996, she studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest under J. Bálint, 

and then changed to the Mozarteum University in Salzburg under M. M. Kofler. In 1996 

and in 2001, she was an award winner at the competition Prague Spring, as well as in 

2000, at the international flute competition in Cremona. She won first prize in 1995, 

at the international radio competition Concertino Praga; in 1997, at the Leonardo 

de Lorenzo competition in Viggiano; and in 2002, at the international competition 

in Krakow. Her orchestral career started in 1999 at the Orchestra Academy of the 

Munich Philharmonic. From 2001 to 2002, she was made solo flutist of the Prague 

Symphony. Since September 2002, Stefula has been engaged at the Gewandhaus 

and is a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet.

This concert is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of 

the Federal Republic of Germany.
4 5

PROGRAM NOTE Simon Sommerhalder, oboe

Swiss oboist Simon Sommerhalder was born in 1987, in Detmold, Germany, and grew 

up in Italy. He had his first lessons at the age of nine with Hans Elhorst in Lugano. 

Later he studied with Diethelm Jonas in Lübeck and with Francesco Di Rosa in Milan. 

Sommerhalder attended master classes with Maurice Bourgue, Ingo Goritzki, Hansjörg 

Schellenberger, and others.

In 2006, Sommerhalder appeared as a finalist in the Eurovision Young Musicians 

competition in Vienna, performing Mozart’s Oboe Concerto with the Wiener Symphoniker, broadcast live on television throughout Europe. He is a former member of 

both Claudio Abbado’s Orchestra Mozart in Bologna and the Orchestra Filarmonica 

“Arturo Toscanini,” under Lorin Maazel. In 2006, Maazel appointed Sommerhalder 

assistant principal oboe of the newly founded orchestra for the opera in Valencia, 

Spain. In 2010, Sommerhalder held the position of principal English horn with the 

Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, under Antonio Pappano. 

Since 2008, Sommerhalder has held the position of principal English horn with the 

Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, and since 2016, he has been a member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet.

Thomas Ziesch, clarinet

Thomas Ziesch received his first clarinet lesson at the Bautzen School of Music and 

continued his education at the Special School of Music in Dresden. In 1980, he began 

studying at the Carl Maria von Weber College of Music in Dresden. He was awarded 

a diploma at the International Markneukirchen Music Competition. In 1985, he 

performed with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and has been a member of the 

Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet since 1989.

Ralf Götz, horn

Ralf Götz received his musical training at the Gera School of Music and later at the 

Special School of Music in Halle / Saale. From 1979 to 1983, he studied at the Felix 

Mendelssohn Bartholdy College of Music in Leipzig, under Hermann Märker. He won 

awards at the International Markneukirchen Music Competition in 1982 and 1984. 

He performed with the Gewandhaus Orchestra in 1983, and has been a member of 

the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet and the Bach Orchestra since 1984.

Albert Kegel, bassoon

Albert Kegel had his first bassoon lesson in 1980 with Fritz Goffing in Bremen. From 

1989 to 1994, he studied at the College of Music in Hannover under Klaus Thunemann. 

During this period, Kegel was also a member of the Young German Philharmonic. In 

1991, he won first prize with the Divertimento Trio at the German College Competition. 

Kegel has been bassoonist in the Gewandhaus Orchestra since 1992. He became a 

member of the Gewandhaus Woodwind Quintet in 1997.

A Celebration of Freedom and Friendship

On November 9, 1989, Berlin was reunited. The Berlin Wall fell. It was the end of the 

massive border complex that left Berlin divided into East and West for twenty-eight 

years, tearing apart families, friends, and neighbors. Today, Berlin is known as a place 

of freedom, opportunity, and individuality.

Work constructing the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961. The wall stood as a 

symbol of a divided city and country, of terror and the Cold War. Overnight, it changed 

an entire nation. For many people, the fall of the wall was the best day of their lives —

the day they regained their freedom through a “peaceful revolution.”

Until the end of 2019, Germany is celebrating a year of German-American friendship, knowing that the United States and Germany are “Wunderbar Together,” stronger 

as friends and partners. Working with over two hundred partners, we are showcasing 

our close bonds in more than one thousand events in all fifty states. We are painting a 

picture of everything German-American relations stand for, including science, the arts, 

culture, language, business, and sports. Wunderbar Together is a comprehensive and 

collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by 

the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI). We 

are looking forward to Americans across the country joining our celebration and 

telling the stories at the core of German-American friendship.

With a program crafted for today’s concert by the Gewandhaus Woodwind 

Quintet, which includes a special appearance by the Musik Tanztheater Kids from the 

German International School of Washington, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 

fall of the Berlin Wall and the power of cultural diplomacy to break down barriers, 

physical and imagined. Guitarist Carlo Karges wrote the lyrics for “99 Luftballons” —

an antiwar protest song. Karges, a member of the band Nena, had attended a Rolling 

Stones concert in 1982 in West Berlin, where the Stones released hundreds of heliumfilled balloons. Karges wondered how East German or Soviet forces might react if 

balloons crossed the Berlin Wall. The music was composed by the band’s keyboardist, 

Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen.
6 7

TRANSLATIONS

“99 Luftballons”

Hast du etwas Zeit für mich

Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich

Von 99 Luftballons

Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont

Denkst du vielleicht g‘rad an mich

Dann singe ich ein Lied für dich

Von 99 Luftballons

Und dass so was von so was kommt

99 Luftballons

Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont

Hielt man für Ufos aus dem All

Darum schickte ein General

‘Ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher

Alarm zu geben, wenn es so wär

Dabei war‘n da am Horizont

Nur 99 Luftballons

99 Düsenjäger

Jeder war ein großer Krieger

Hielten sich für Captain Kirk

Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk

Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft

Und fühlten sich gleich angemacht

Dabei schoss man am Horizont

Auf 99 Luftballons

99 Kriegsminister

Streichholz und Benzinkanister

Hielten sich für schlaue Leute

Witterten schon fette Beute

Riefen Krieg und wollten Macht

Mann, wer hätte das gedacht

Dass es einmal soweit kommt

Wegen 99 Luftballons

“99 Balloons”

Do you have some time for me

If so I’ll sing a song for you

About 99 balloons

On their way to the horizon

Maybe you’re thinking about me right now

If so I’ll sing a song for you

About 99 balloons

And that such a thing comes from such a thing

99 Balloons

On their way to the horizon

People think they’re UFOs from space

So a general sent up

A fighter squadron after them

Sound the alarm if it’s so

But there on the horizon were

Only 99 balloons

99 fighter jets

Each one’s a great warrior

Thought they were Captain Kirk

Then came a lot of fireworks

The neighbors didn’t understand anything

And felt like they were being provoked

So they shot at the horizon

At 99 balloons

99 war ministers

Matches and gasoline canisters

They thought they were clever people

Already smelled a nice bounty

Called for war and wanted power

Man, who would’ve thought

That things would someday go so far

Because of 99 balloons

99 Jahre Krieg

Ließen keinen Platz für Sieger

Kriegsminister gibt‘s nicht mehr

Und auch keine Düsenflieger

Heute zieh‘ ich meine Runden

Seh‘ die Welt in Trümmern liegen

Hab’ ‘nen Luftballon gefunden

Denk‘ an dich und lass‘ ihn fliegen

99 years of war

Left no room for victors

There are no more war ministers

Nor any jet fighters

Today I’m making my rounds

See the world lying in ruins

I found a balloon

Think of you and let it fly (away)
Upcoming Events of the SeventyEighth Season of The William Nelson 

Cromwell and F. Lammot Belin Concerts

Unless otherwise noted, concerts 

are held in the West Building, West 

Garden Court.

Winners from Washington Performing

Arts 48th Annual Joseph and Goldie

Feder Memorial String Competition

This competition is a staple program of 

Washington Performing Arts and provides

opportunities to budding musicians.

November 16, 3:00

Curtis on Tour

Curtis Winds and Strings

Featuring the music of Beethoven and 

Penderecki, with Curtis alumni Benjamin 

Schmid, one of today’s most versatile 

violinists, and Gabriel Kovach, principal 

horn of the Phoenix Symphony.

November 17, 3:30

Sound Sketch

Atlantic Reed Consort

Reflecting Pool: Music that Mirrors 

Art on the Mezzanine

East Building Mezzanine

November 22, 12:10

Winners from Washington Performing 

Arts 5th Annual Misbin Family Memorial 

Chamber Music Competition

This year’s winners of the competition 

will delight listeners with their varying 

age groups and instrumental make-up.

November 23, 3:00

General Information

Admission to the National Gallery of Art 

and all of its programs is free of charge, 

except as noted.

The use of cameras or recording 

equipment during the performance 

is not allowed.

Please be sure that all portable electronic 

devices are turned off.

—

Concerts are made possible in part 

through the generosity of donors to the 

National Gallery of Art through The Circle. 

Reserved seating is available in recognition 

of their support. Please contact the 

development office at (202) 842-6450 or 

circle@nga.gov for more information.

—

The department of music produced 

these program notes. Copyright © 2019 

Board of Trustees, National Gallery of Art, 

Washington

cover Roy Lichtenstein, A Cherokee 

Brave (detail), 1952, National Gallery 

of Art, Washington, Gift of Roy and 

Dorothy Lichtenstein © Estate of Roy 

Lichtenstein, 1996.56.16

NGA.GOV/MUSIC