The Niagara Symphony is set to perform again this weekend with the third in the MasterWorks series of concerts, Sunday afternoon at 2:30 at the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre at the Centre for the Arts, Brock University.
They are not taking the bait to programme a St. Patrick's themed concert this year, which is all very well and good, as it can wear a little thin after awhile anyways. But the concert promises to be a good one with a nice variety of music planned and Guest Conductor Kevin Mallon taking the podium for this one. On the programme is a work we rarely hear anymore, and I can't even remember the last time I heard it: the Overture to Colas et Colinette by Quesnel/Ridout. I remember I had an old CBC Lp of the music years ago, but it is long since lost to the dusty record bins of my memory.
A couple of earlier works are on the programme as well: Domenico Cimarosa's L'Italiana a Londra (The Italian Girl in London) and Mozart's beautiful Concerto for Flute & Harp, K. 299. That performance features the two soloists for the afternoon, Douglas Miller, Principal Flute; and Deborah Braun, Principal Harp for the Niagara Symphony. Both are exceptionally gifted local artists who have made their musical mark elsewhere as well, and it will be a treat to hear both soloists together this weekend.
Finally, a Beethoven symphony wraps up the concert, his familiar Symphony No. 8 in F Major. The Niagara Symphony has been performing a number of Beethoven's works the last few seasons, and in fact next season they plan to launch The Beethoven Project, but more on that later in this report.
Speaking of Beethoven, I will be in the lobby before, after and during intermission with a wide selection of great music for sale from A Web of Fine Music, including the classic 1963 Beethoven Symphony Cycle with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. It is a great-sounding set despite its age, and is still available at a very special low price. You can order through my website as well, of course, at www.finemusic.ca or email me directly at music@vaxxine.com.
Tickets are still available through the Brock box office at 905-688-5550, ext. 3257, or pick them up at the door on Sunday afternoon.
Now, the Niagara Symphony made news earlier in the week with the release of their upcoming 65th season in 2012-2013. There will be some significant changes to the programming schedule next season, and most appear to be all for the better, I think. First, there will be an expanded MasterWorks series to five concerts including the MasterWorks finale next season, the start of the multi-year Beethoven Project I mentioned earlier, which is basically designed to showcase the orchestra's talents as they prepare to take up residence at the much-anticipated Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines. To kick off the Project, next year the Symphony will feature the Violin Concerto with soloist Michael Ludwig, and the Symphony No. 3, known as the Eroica.
The Pops! series will see changes as well with the discontinuation of the slow-selling Saturday evening performances, which are usually lightly attended. That being said, there will be a Saturday evening Holiday Pops concert in December to help share the load of all those wanting to celebrate the holiday season. The patrons used to going Saturday evening now will have priority choice of tickets for Sunday afternoon before they go on sale to the general public. But that is not to say all those Saturday evening attendees now will all have to cram into the Sunday concerts. Maestro Bradley Thachuk has also added a Family Series, which will provide two of the remaining Pops! concerts, in February and April 2013, on Saturday afternoons as well. This should work well, I suspect, as many Symphony patrons just don't like being out late at night, especially in the colder months, and I can't say I blame them, really.
Musically, there appears to be a good variety of tried and true and some more adventurous fare, ranging from the aforementioned Beethoven to Grieg, Copland, Barber and Shostakovich, and even Canadian composer John Estacio. The Pops! concerts, along with the usual holiday fare in December, includes one called Light Opera to Broadway in October, Heroes and Villains in February and The Magical Music of Disney in April. For that one, I can only hope Maestro Thachuk resists the urge to wear Mickey Mouse ears for the concert...
So that in a nutshell gives you an idea what to expect this weekend and next season. For more on all the concerts remaining this season, go to my website at www.finemusic.ca and click on the Calendar page, or go to the Niagara Symphony website for more on this season and next, at www.niagarasymphony.org.
See you at the Symphony!
March 16th, 2012.
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