Tag Archives: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Symphony’s Neighborhood Concerts return tomorrow evening

Posted on by

ASO_revBack by popular demand, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Intimate Neighborhood Concert (INC) series returns this season.  It kicks off tomorrow night with a program entitled “Bohemian Festival.”

The concert starts at 7pm at St. James United Methodist Church on Thursday, January 16.  Tickets are $35 general admission at $10 for students and active military.  They may be purchased at the ASO website.

The Intimate Neighborhood Concerts Series presents chamber orchestra repertoire in gorgeous, acoustically unique spaces around Little Rock. In addition to hearing the beautiful works in the settings intended by the composers, you are invited to mingle with the musicians after the concerts.

DVORAK – Serenade in D minor, Op. 44

VANHAL – Double Bass Concerto in D Major
Barron Weir, contrabass

MOZART – Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504

ASO Chamber Series Kicks Off Tonight with Brahms the Romantic

Posted on by

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra kicks off the 2013-2014 Parker Lexus River Rhapsodies Chamber Music series tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center.

The program will feature Mozart’s “String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K.515;” Takemitsu’s “Rain Tree;” and Brahms “Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115.”

Mozart’s piece was completed in 1787.  Like all of Mozart’s string quintets, it is a viola quintet.  That means, it is scored for an extra viola: two violins, two violas and one cello.  Takemitsu’s selection was composed in 1982.  At that point in time, many of his compositions have references to water in the title.  Brahms composed his clarinet quintet in the summer of 1891.  The piece is known for its autumnal feeling (appropriate to be performed on one of the first full days after the autumnal equinox).  The selection is written for a clarinet in A and a string quartet.

ASO features Midori, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Brahms

Posted on by

midori_playingWorld famous violinist Midori joins forces with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of music director Philip Mann) to close the ASO Masterworks season in unforgettable fashion.

Midori performs Tchaikovsky’s celebrated Violin Concerto in a pairing of two inimitable favorites which also connects with the season’s opener, in that it was inspired by Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole. Adding to the festive feel of the program is Mozart’s frothy and iconic overture to the Marriage of Figaro, which defies any listener not to smile.

Closing the program is Brahms’s final and incredible 4th symphony– a work of stunning beauty and depth that grows out of the most simple of gestures, a falling then rising line. A sense of yearning and urgency underlie the work as counterpoint adds flavor and intensity to sublime lyricism. An almost overwhelming final movement harkens back to an earlier time in music in a masterstroke combination of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic.

The opportunity to hear Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Brahms in one program is a special treat.  These three are certainly among the top favorite of classical composers for most listeners.  The concerts are tonight at 8pm and tomorrow at 3pm at Robinson Center Music Hall.

Free Concert This Afternoon Featuring ASO Musicians

Posted on by

The Ruth Allen UAMS Series takes place from time to time at UAMS and is free.  This afternoon at 4:30pm the concert will feature ASO co-concertmaster Andrew Irvin, violist Ryan Mooney and pianist Julie Cheek.

The program will feature Mr. Irvin and Mr. Mooney performing Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola, K. 423 and Mr. Irvin and Ms. Cheek performing Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1, Op. 12 for Violin and Piano.

Here are the directions for the concert:

From Markham, turn south onto Hooper St.
Follow signs to Parking Lot 1.
Enter the lot, which goes underground.
Take the elevator to the “top” of the parking Lot 1, which immediately adjoins the back side of the lobby.
The Music Room is at the west end of the lobby, behind the grand piano.

ARmusica in Recital

Posted on by

On Friday, November 16, a recital will take place to help raise funds for the restoration of the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas.

Violinist, Drew Irvin and pianist, Julie Cheek will perform music of Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann.  They will be joined by violist, Ryan Mooney and cellist, David Gerstein.

The recital will take place at 7pm at Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock.

The St. Joseph Center of Arkansas was originally built as an orphanage by the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock.  Designed by Charles Thompson, the building opened in 1910.  It served as an orphanage until 1978 (except for a brief stint as officers’ family housing during World War I).  It later served as a daycare and kindergarten until 1997.   In 2010, the Diocese signed a 50 year lease with the St. Joseph’s Center of Arkansas.

In 1976, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Built for $80,000 it is a 56,000-square-foot brick and stone building that includes eighty rooms, an attic, and a basement. It features a chapel, classrooms, a kitchen and dining room, a bakery, and a laundry. The roof was laid with red tile and crowned with a dome.

Opera on the Rocks

Posted on by

After some years without a professional opera presence in Little Rock, Opera in the Rock has been formed.  They host their first event tonight – “Opera on the Rocks.”

The event will feature an evening of food, drink, a silent auction, and a series of opera scenes, presented by some of the best local talents. The theme for this evening will focus on the many stages of love… even when love finds itself on the rocks…

The evening will begin at 6:30pm at Wildwood Park for the Arts.

The cast is Matt Newman, tenor; Ferris Allen, baritone; Stephanie Smittle, Arlene Biebesheimer, soprano; and Jennifer Boccarossa, soprano/mezzo-soprano.

Newman will sing “Una fortuna lagrima” from Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore; Boccarossa will sing the “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen; Allen and Biebesheimer will sing the “Papageno-Papagena” duet from Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The program will also include the quartet from Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, and the chorus from Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land.

ASO announces River Rhapsodies for 2012-2013

Posted on by

On the heels of the recent announcement of the 2012-2013 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra MasterWorks and Pops series, the ASO has unveiled next season’s River Rhapsodies Chamber Series.

It will kick off on October 2 when Augustin Hadelich will perform.  He will be featured on September 29 and 30 with the MasterWorks series as the Richard Sheppard Arnold Artist of Distinction.  Joining him on the program will be the Quapaw String Quartet, the Rockefeller String Quartet and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  The works to be performed include Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54 No. 2; Webern’s Langsamer Satz; Yasye’s Violin Sonata in d minor, No. 3 “Ballade” and Tchaikovsky’s Sextet, Op. 70 “Souvenir de Florence.”

Appropriately the second concert of the series is entitled Duos.  On October 30, the concert will feature David Gerstein, cello; Andrew Irvin, violin; Tatiana Kotcherguina, viola; Ryan Mooney, viola; Geoffrey Robson, violin and Barron Weir, contrabass.  The program will feature Mozart’s Duo No. 1 in G for Violin and Viola; Rossini’s Duetto for Cello and Bass; Bridge’s Lament for Two Violas and Kodaly’s Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7.

On November 13, the concert is entitled Masterworks and will feature the Quapaw String Quartet, Louis Menendez on piano and violinist Geoffrey Robson.  They will perform Ravel’sPiano Trio in a minor and Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 130 and Op. 133.

The Rockefeller String Quartet’s 10th anniversary will be highlighted in the fourth concert of the series.  They will perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in D Major, Op. 44 No. 1; Glass’s String Quartet No. 3 (Mishima) and Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D Major.

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Composer of the Year Jennifer Higdon will be featured on February 26, 2013.  The musicians performing that night will be David Gerstein, cello; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Kiril Laskarov, violin; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Meredith Maddox-Hicks; violin; Diane McVinney, flute; David Renfro, horn; Tatiana Roitman, piano and Beth Wheeler, oboe. The musical selections include Barber’s Summer Music; Higdon’s Piano Trio and Autumn Music and Shostokovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67.

Spring in Little Rock will be celebrated with Appalachian Spring on April 16.  A host of musicians will play a program including Crumb’s Voice of the Whale; Debussy’s Sonate en trio for Flute, Viola and Harp; Higdon’s Amazing Grace and Copland’s Appalachian Spring.  The performers will be Carl Anthony, piano; Carolyn Brown, flute; Daniel Cline and David Gerstein, cello; Alisa Coffey, harp; Leanne Day-Simpson, Eric Hayward, Andrew Irvin and Kiril Laskarov, violin; Kelly Johnson, clarinet; Susan Bell Leon, bassoon; Ryan Mooney and Katherine Reynolds, viola and Barron Weir, contrabass.

The concerts will take place at 7pm at the Clinton Presidential Center.  Philip Mann is the music director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.