Tag Archives: Johannes Brahms

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue (Jeans) in 2015-16 Arkansas Symphony Masterworks Series

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Under the baton of Maestro Philip Mann, the 2015-2016 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks series features a lineup with something old, something new, something borrowed and jeans that are blue.

The borrowed is the location. For the second of two seasons, the Maumelle Performing Arts Center will be the Masterworks home.

The new includes a World Premiere of D.J. Sparr’s Concerto for Jazz Guitar, which will feature Ted Ludwig.  Another new selection is Scott McAllister’s Black Dog which is based in hard rock.

Among the old friends returning are pieces by Grieg, Dvorák, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Borodin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Stravinsky, Brahms, Shostakovich and Bernstein.

The season kicks off with Grieg’s Piano Concerto on September 26 & 27. The guest artist that weekend is pianist Jon Kimura Parker.  The concert will include Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides, Op. 26 “Fingal’s Cave,” Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 and Borodin’s Symphony No. 2 in B minor.

Next is Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 on October 17 & 18. Imre Palló will be the guest conductor, and Cicely Parnas, cello will be the featured artist. The program will include Kodály’s Dances of Galanta; Haydn’s Concerto for Cello in C Major; and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88.

The annual Beethoven and Blue Jeans concert will be November 7 & 8 featuring guest artist Kelly Johnson, clarinet.  The lineup will feature Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93; McAllister’s Black Dog; and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a.

2016 will start with Firebird Suite and featured soloist Kiril Laskarov. On January 30 & 31 the program will include Rossini’s La gazza ladra: Overture; Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin, Visconti’s Black Bend and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite (1919).

February 27 & 28 the program is Bernstein and Brahams.  The concert will have Bernstein’s Chicester Psalms and the Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem. 

The 2015-2016 season will wrap up on April 9 & 10 with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The concerts will include Bernstein’s Candide Overture; Sparr’s Concerto for Jazz Guitar and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47. 

Lineup announced for the Arkansas Symphony 2015-2016 Landers Fiat River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series

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ASO_2-colorThe Arkansas Symphony is still going strong in their 2014-2015 season. There are still concerts remaining in each of the Symphony’s series.

The lineup for next season’s Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Series has recently been announced.  All concerts in this series take place at the Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall and start at 7pm.

Artist of Disinction: Jon Kimura Parker
September 29, 2015
Borodin – String Quartet No. 2 in D Major
Hirtz – Wizard of Oz Fantasy
Beethoven – Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16
Anniversary of a Violin
October 27
Mozart – Sonata for Violin and Piano
Shostakovich – String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 122
Merry Pranks
November 17
Strauss – Till Eulenspiegel – einmal anders
Vaughn Williams – Quintet in D Major
Beethoven – Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
Mozart & Mendelssohn
February 2
Dohnányi – Sextet in C Major, Op. 37
Mozart – String Quartet in A Major, K. 169
Mendelssohn – Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66
Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 10
Prokofiev – Sonata for Two Violins in C Major, Op. 56
Beethoven – String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4
Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G
Mendelssohn – String Symphony No. 10 in B minor
Brahms and Dvořák
Brahms – Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 101
Bartok – String Quartet No. 4
Dvořák- String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105

Brahms, Wagner and Schubert highlight the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concerts this weekend

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The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor, presents the fifth concert in the 2014 -2015 Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series: Schubert’s Unfinished.

Renowned violinist Vadim Gluzman joins the ASO to perform Brahms’ Violin Concerto. The program opens with the Prelude to Wagner’s Die Meistersinger and reaches a finale with Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. The Masterworks Series is sponsored by the Stella Boyle Smith Trust.

The concert takes place Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 1, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center, 100 Victory Lane, Maumelle AR.

American Airlines Concert Conversations: All concert ticket holders are invited to a pre-concert lecture an hour before each Masterworks concert. These talks feature insights from the Maestro and guest artists, and feature musical examples to enrich the concert experience.
Tickets are $19, $35, $49, and $58; active duty military and student tickets are $10 are can be purchased online at www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center box office beginning 90 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100.

All Arkansas students grades K-12 are admitted to Sunday’s matinee free of charge with the purchase of an adult ticket using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket, downloadable at the ASO website.

ARTISTS

Vadim Gluzman, violin – Richard Sheppard Arnold Artist of Distinction

Philip Mann, conductor

PROGRAM

WAGNER: Prelude to Die Meistersinger
BRAHMS: Concerto for Violin in D Major, Op. 77
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 in B minor, “Unfinished”

PROGRAM NOTES

Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger introduces the themes of the hero, von Stolzing, and the comic villain, Beckmesser, with a display of contrapuntal ingenuity worthy of Bach.

For Brahms, as it had been for Beethoven, a concerto was no less weighty and important than a symphony. Brahms and soloist Joseph Joachim had been friends for 25 years when Brahms began work on the Violin Concerto in D Major. While ignoring most of Joachim’s suggestions, Brahms crafted a powerful, warm, and dramatic concerto that nonetheless met his requirements of musical substance over pyrotechnic flash.

There are actually several ‘unfinished’ symphonies left by Schubert, but the haunting Symphony No. 8  is the most famous of the fragments. The work was composed while he was seriously ill, and also undergoing a major shift in creative direction. He completed the first two movements in every detail. After composing and partially orchestrating sketches for a third movement, he set the symphony aside and appears never to have returned to it again.

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 49th season in 2014-2015, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

Death and the Maiden highlights ASO River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series 2014-2015 start

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ASO_revThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor, presents the opening concert of the 2014-2015 Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series: Quartet for the End of Time. ASO musicians present the music of Haydn and Messiaen in the beautiful Grand Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, AR, on October 21st at 7 PM. A cash bar is open at 6 PM and at intermission, and patrons are invited to carry drinks into the hall. Media sponsor for the Landers FIAT River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series is KUAR/KLRE.

Tickets are $23; active duty military and student tickets are $10 are can be purchased online at http://www.ArkansasSymphony.org; at the Clinton Presidential Center box office beginning 60 minutes prior to a concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100.

ARTISTS:
Quapaw Quartet
Eric Hayward, violin
Meredith Maddox Hicks, violin
Kate Weeks, viola
David Gerstein, cello

Rockefeller Quartet
Katherine Williamson, violin
Tricia McGovern, violin
Katherine Reynolds, viola
Daniel Cline, cello

David Renfro, horn
Geoffrey Robson, violin
May Tsao-Lim, piano

 

PROGRAM:

BRIDGE – 3 Idylls
BRAHMS – Trio in Eb for horn, violin and piano
SCHUBERT – String Quartet in D minor “Death and the Maiden”

Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor

ABOUT THE ARKANSAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 49th season in 2014-2015, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

 

The Arkansas Symphony’s first Masterworks Concert of 2014-15 is this weekend with Rachmaninoff, Corigliano, Brahams and pianist Andrew Staupe

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aso staupeASO_2-colorThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra launches into 2014-2015 with its first Masterworks Concert of the season. Tonight at a new time (7:30pm) and a new, temporary location (Maumelle Performing Arts Center), the evening consists of Corigiliano’s Promenade Overture, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Brahms Symphony No. 2.   Guest artist Andrew Staupe will be featured on the Rachmaninoff piece.

Andrew Staupe is emerging as one of the distinctive voices of a new generation of pianists. In 2012 Andrew made his Carnegie Hall debut to critical acclaim, for which New York Concert Review raved “Staupe gave a brilliant performance, handling the virtuosic demands with apparent ease… I was stunned- this was one of the most incredible performances… A once in a lifetime performance!”

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is under the direction of Music Director Philip Mann.  Tonight’s concert will be repeated tomorrow afternoon at 3pm, also at the Maumelle location.

 

 

The 2014-2015 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Series

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ASO_revThe Arkansas Symphony Orchestra is still very busy with several concerts of all types in the 2013-2014 season. Looking ahead to next year, here is the lineup for the 2014-2015 Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Series.

The series kicks off on September 30 with “Death and the Maiden.”  The evening features Bridge’s 3 Idylls, Brahms’ Trio in Eb for horn, violin, piano and Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor “Death and the Maiden.”

The next month, on October 21, the program is entitled “Quartet for the End of Time.”  It will features Haydn’s String Quartet No. 39 in F# Op. 50 No. 4 and Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la fin du temps. (When translated into English, the latter piece gives its name to the program.)

Italian Serenade is the name of the November 11 program.  It features Beethoven’s String Quartet in C, Op. 59, No. 3, Corigliano’s String Quartet No. 1 and Wolf’s Italian Serenade in G.

The 2015 portion of the season will commence on February 10 with Mozart’s “Gran Partita” Serenade. The program features Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 in E minor “From My Life” and Mozart’s Serenade No. 10 in Bb “Gran Partita”.

The March 3 concert features Artist of Distinction: Vadim Gluzman.  The program will include Dohnanyi’s Serenade in C, Op. 10, Berg’s The Featherlight Ballet, Auerbach’s Lonely Suite “Ballet for a Lonely Violinist” and Bruch’s String Quartet in A minor.

The 2014-2015 season will conclude on April 21. That evening will features Mendelssohn’s String Quaret in F minor, Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major and Brahms’ String Quintet in G.

All concerts are presented at the Clinton Presidential Center in the Great Hall. The concerts start at 7pm. Tickets are generally available at the door, but to be guaranteed a seat, advance purchase is recommended.

ASO Masterworks for 2014-2015 announced

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ASO_revThough there are several concerts remaining in each of their series, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra has announced three of their 2014-2015 series.

Next year is the first of their two-year hiatus from Robinson Center Music Hall (as it gets transformed into a true music hall instead of a civic gathering room).

The Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series will be performed at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center. To entice audiences who have been used to attending Robinson for ASO concerts for 40 years, Music Director Philip Mann has programmed a line up with many familiar composers. In addition, an Oscar winning musical genius will be presented.

The series will kick off on September 27 & 28 with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Andrew Staupe on piano.  Also on the program will be John Corigliano’s Promenade Overture and Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D Major.  Corigliano is the Oscar winner, having won for composing the score of The Red Violin.

On October 18 & 19, the ASO will heat things up with Blazing Brass featuring trumpeter Richard Jorgensen.  The program will consist of Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 in E Major.

The now annual Beethoven and Blue Jeans concert will be November 8 & 9. Sharon Isbin’s guitar work will be featured as the ASO plays Corigliano’s Three Hallucinations from Altered States as well as his Troubadours-Variations for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra.  The Beethoven portion of the evening will be his Symphony No. 5 in C minor.

The Masterworks series will ring in 2015 on January 31 & February 1 with a Tchaikovsky & Mozart Festival.  Vladimir Verbitsky will be guest conductor. The evening will feature violin soloist Randall Goosby.  The program consists of Tchaikovsky’s Polonaise from Eugene Onegin, Mozart’s Concerto for Violin No. 5 in A Major, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor.

On February 28 and March 1, the ASO will present Schubert’s “Unfinished.”  In addition to that masterpiece, the musicians will play Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger and Brahms’ Concerto for Violin in D. Major.

The Masterworks Series for 2014-2015 will conclude with an evening of Mozart, Prokofiev & Strauss.  Pianist Yeol Eum Son will be the featured guest artist.  The program will consist of Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major – Jupiter, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59 Suite.

All Masterworks concerts will be performed at 7:30pm on Saturday evenings and 3pm on Sunday evenings.

The other ASO series will be previewed by the Culture Vulture in the coming days.