Fox Valley Orchestra to explore 'Landscape of Visions' March 11
On Sunday, March 11, the Fox Valley Orchestra will present "Landscape of Visions," led by principal guest conductor Stephen Squires, at 3 p.m. at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave. in Aurora.
The concert will feature soloist violinist Olya Prohorova. Prohorova has performed as a soloist with a variety of symphonic and chamber orchestras from her native Moldova, as well as Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada.
The orchestra is no stranger to music by R. Vaughn Williams. Those familiar with his works think of him as a master of sweeping pastoral symphonies but he also wrote violin Concerto compositions. His concerto, "The Lark Ascending," is a masterful departure from traditional violin concerti. It is light, airy and so reminiscent of a lark's song you can see in your mind's eye the circling upward flight of a lark as you listen to this piece. Williams stated that his instrumental textures purposely departed from "the heavy contrapuntal Teutonic manner" of 18th- and 19th-century composers. It was originally written in 1914 for piano and violin based on a poem of the same name by George Meredith. Williams rescored the piece for violin and orchestra in 1920 and it has become one of the most popular classical works among British listeners.
The music of "West Side Story" is without question Leonard Bernstein's most popular and enduring work. The music resulted from a collaborative effort with choreographer Jerome Robbins and lyricist David Sondheim. Together they brought to life the story written by playwright Arthur Laurents which was inspired by Romeo and Juliet. The music from the play has become part of the American music lexicon. The rhythms of west side Harlem in all their energy are captured in the music.
Edward Elgar composed his "Variations on an Original Theme," popularly known as the "Enigma Variations," in 1898 and 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising 14 variations on an original theme. Elgar dedicated the work "to my friends pictured within," each variation being a musical sketch of one of his circle of close acquaintances. It is interesting to note that Elgar has been described as the first composer to take the gramophone and therefor the recording of music seriously.
A preconcert lecture with begin at 2 p.m. given by music commentator and historian Jim Kendros. Tickets are available online at www.foxvalleyorchestra.org or can be purchased at the door depending on availability. For more information call (630) 891-2526 or email tickets@foxvalleyorchestra.org.