Anne Akiko Meyers and Spokane Symphony
pay tribute to Serge Koussevitzky

Mar 26, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 464-7071

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

One of the roles of a truly great conductor is to introduce audiences to new music. On Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m. and Sunday April 6 at 3 p.m., Eckart Preu and the Spokane Symphony will pay tribute to Serge Koussevitzky, the legendary bassist and conductor who lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra during its golden age. The orchestra and guest artist Anne Akiko Meyers will perform three 20th-Century masterpieces premiered by Koussevitzky.

Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes was commissioned by the Koussevitzky in 1942 and was to be based on a poem The Borough by 18th-century poet George Crabbe. The opera enjoyed much popular and critical success, and Brittan extracted four orchestral pieces from the score that were published in 1945 as Four Sea Interludes. The first, Dawn, which evokes a bleak seascape and pounding surf under which lurks a menacing sea-monster, parallels that life of Peter Grimes, who villagers still suspect of murdering his apprentice, despite the fact the coroner has ruled the death accidental. Sunday Morning contrasts life of Grimes's, who struggles daily to eke a living from the sea, with his neighbors, who attend church nearby. Moonlight portrays a posse of villagers coming to find Grimes' hut empty and Grimes apparently out to sea. Storm depicts a fearsome storm from which all but Grimes seek shelter.

In 1923, Koussevitzky directed his Paris orchestra in the premiere of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1. Written in 1917 during the height of the Bolshevik Revolution, this piece reflects the composer's resolve to ignore the turmoil around him. The music is a radical departure from the composer's previous aggressive style, revealing a delicate lyricism that would become increasingly with maturity. The soloist plays music of fearsome difficulty' throughout the piece, sometimes weaving a glorious sound with the orchestra, sometimes bursting forth in stunning virtuosity, and sometimes wafting above the orchestra to dizzying heights.

Meyers, hailed by critics, conductors and audiences worldwide, is known for her impassioned performances, compelling music making, and mastery of a broad and varied repertoire. She is truly a star in the world of classical music; she is one of the world's top soloists who has been a regular guest with some of the most prestigious orchestras and venues. A graduate of Juilliard School and winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, she performs on the Royal Spanish Antonius Stradivarius violin that once belonged to the King of Spain.

From 1914 to 1919, Jean Sibelius was a virtual political prisoner in his home, as Europe was ravaged by World War I and the Russian Revolution spread into Finland, culminating in the Bolsheviks' violent riffling through the composer's possessions, searching for a non-existent cache of arms. The symphony had originally been commissioned by the Finnish government in honor of his 50th birthday. The first version was performed in Helsinki a year later, but the composer did produce the final version until 1919. During the years of turmoil, he maintained his creative force by focusing on nature and the beauty of the birds that populated the lake and woods near his home. Inspired by the Nordic nature, and using standard instruments of the orchestra, he created a unique sound world full of mysterious wind rustlings and epic power, evoking the wild voices of untamed nature, with extraordinary emotional appeal.

Tickets are $19, $29, $37, and $41. Tickets are available in advance at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox Box Office, 1001 W. Sprague, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT, or on line at www.spokanesymphony.org.

CALENDAR LISTING:
Music for America: Serge Koussevitzky the Advocate; Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony, Ann Akiko Meyers, violin; April 5 at 8 p.m. and April 6 at 3 p.m. in the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets are $19 to $41; Call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200; tickets are also available through all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.