EYSO set for first concerts of 'Americans We' season
The Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra has a wide-ranging program set for the first two concerts of its 33rd season on Nov. 9, presented under the title "Sinfónica." This follows the overall theme of the EYSO's 2008-09 season, "Americans We," with these opening concerts exploring the music of Latin America.
The two performances by the orchestra's various ensembles are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Blizzard Theatre at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
The 4 p.m. concert will feature the EYSO Prelude Orchestra and Youth Symphony Strings, along with the Philharmonia. The program will include the "Autumn" movement from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," featuring former Prelude Orchestra conductor and EYSO alumna Beth Mazur Wood as violin soloist. Wood is in her fourth season as a conductor with the EYSO, having conducted the Prelude Orchestra for four years and now the EYSO Primo ensemble.
The Philharmonia, conducted by David Anderson, will perform "Danzón" by Arturo Márquez and the first three movements from the famous "Capriccio espagnol" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The 7 p.m. concert will be by the EYSO Brass Choir, Youth Symphony and the Elgin-based Ballet Foklorico Huehuecoytl. The program will include the Brass Choir in three movements from "Dances from Estancia" by Alberto Ginastera; the Youth Symphony performing "Sinfonia India" by Carlos Chávez; "Sensemaya" by Silvestre Revueltas; and "Milonga Del Angel" by Astor Piazzola, which has been arranged by Richard DeLaney, a member of the Mambo Kings.
Members of the Elgin-based Ballet Foklorico Huehuecoytl, an in-residence ensemble at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, will close the concert. They will perform "Huapango," a traditional Mexican folk dance, to the music "Huapango" by Jose Pablo Moncayo performed by the Youth Symphony.
Tickets can be purchased at the ECC box office in the Arts Center, by phone (847) 622-0300, or online at elgin.edu/arts: Prices are $21, $16 for seniors and $12 for students. Tickets may be purchased in advance or on the day of the event.
Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Major credit cards or cash are accepted.
High praise for ESO's CD: Since its release in May on the Naxos label, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's first commercial compact disc, featuring music by Aaron Copland, has been reviewed very positively by several classical music publications, including British monthly magazines BBC Music and Gramophone, along with the American Record Guide, published out of Cincinnati. The latest rave review comes from New Jersey-based Fanfare magazine, like ARG a bimonthly journal known for its in-depth reviews of classical recordings.
In the November-December issue, Fanfare reviewer Jerry Dubins praises pianist Benjamin Pasternack's playing of Copland's jazz-influenced Piano Concerto, music director Robert Hanson's conducting of the suite from "The Tender Land," and Hanson, the ESO and the St. Charles Singers' interpretations of the choral arrangements of Copland's "Old American Songs," Sets 1 and 2.
"Everything about this CD is as near to perfect as near to perfect gets: program, performances and recording are all in the A-plus category," Dubins writes. "This is a proud addition to Naxos' Copland discography, and will be to yours as well."
Lyric's "Lulu" lectures: Prior to each performance of Alban Berg's "Lulu," which opens tonight at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Roger Pines, the Lyric's dramaturge, will offer free background lectures on this 20th century operatic masterpiece.
The lectures, free to that performance's ticketholders, will take place at 6 p.m. in the Ardis Krainik Theatre of the Civic Opera House. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for the lectures preceding evening performances, which have a special early curtain time of 7 p.m. For the 2 p.m. matinee performance on Nov. 30, the lecture is at 1 p.m., with doors opening at 12:45 p.m.
Tickets for "Lulu," starring soprano Marlis Petersen and baritone Wolfgane Schöne, are available by calling the box office at (312) 332-2244, Ext. 5600, or by visiting lyricopera.org. Major credit cards are accepted.