Spokane Symphony gets passionate about Russian music

Feb 17, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow

SPOKANE—Music Director Eckart Preu will conduct the Spokane Symphony in a tribute to “Mother Russia” on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010, at 3 p.m. at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Ukrainian-born pianist, Valentina Lisitsa, whom critics have lauded as a "bona fide angel playing" and an "electrifying pianist", will be guest soloist with the orchestra, and will be conducting a master class on Friday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. In addition, there will be a pre-concert lecture in the hall one hour before each concert.

Valentina Lisitsa has been receiving rave reviews ever since her 1995 debut in Avery Fisher Hall for Mostly Mozart Festival. Known for her stunning virtuosity and unequaled sense of lyricism, she tours extensively, capturing the attention of audiences throughout the world. With her multi-faceted playing described as "dazzling", Lisitsa is at ease in a vast repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to Shostakovich and Bernstein, including more than forty different concerti. She is a highly successful recording artists with 8 CDs (Audiofon label) and 3 independently released DVDs (including best-selling set of Chopin's 24 Etudes which held coveted #1 spot on Amazon music video list) to her credit.

Lisitsa will be performing Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The concerto was first performed in 1901 by the composer, who was considered one of the greatest pianists of his time, and was an instant success. Enduringly popular, it is Rachmaninoff's most frequently performed and recorded orchestral work. The piano opens the work with deep, resonant chords expressing great emotional intensity, at first unaccompanied and gradually joined by the orchestra. Thus, it is established that the composer was first and foremost a pianist, a fact that is confirmed by the fact that the piano rarely fades during the entire work. Nevertheless, the composer achieves a perfect balance between orchestra and piano as they engage in a beautiful interplay of sound.

In addition, the orchestra will perform Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky by Anton Arensky. His eclectic approach is clearly evident in this piece, an arrangement for string orchestra of the slow movement from his String Quartet No. 2, Op. 35, composed in 1894 as a memorial to Tchaikovsky, who had died the previous winter. Arensky’s seven variations and a coda are based on the theme from Tchaikovsky’s song “Legend,” No. 5 from Sixteen Children’s Songs, Op. 54. The variations are in the style of the Brahms/Haydn variations, with changes in harmony and mood, rather than a piling up of decorative passages over a static harmonic progression. The piece ends with a gentle, almost wistful, coda.

Finally, the audience will be treated to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, often called “one of the towering achievements of classical music.” The symphony opens with a recurring, sinister fanfare theme by the brass, and quickly begins to develop the anxiety-laden main theme, which strives towards a resolution that continually seems to elude it. The second movement, by contrast, opens with a plaintive melody on the oboe, accompanied by pizzicato strings, which is answered by a more intense second theme in the strings. The pace then quickens as the composer adds a dance-like melody. The third movement is a playful diversion, ending with a medley of the various themes and instrumental combinations. While one hears subtle references to first-movement musical ideas in movements two and three, Tchaikovsky explicitly unifies the Symphony in the Finale. The most “Russian” of Tchaikovsky’s symphonic movements, it is a musical battle between the festive and the melancholic.

Concertgoers can access new Interactive Program Notes, now available for each of the concerts in the Classics series on the Spokane Symphony website. These notes include audio clips from the music and a pop-up glossary of musical terms to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the concerts. Notes for Classics 7 can be accessed at http://www.spokanesymphony.org/notes/classics7.htm

Tickets for either performance are $22, $32, $40, and $44. Tickets are available in advance at the Box Office, located at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.spokanesymphony.org Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets.

These concerts have been underwritten by Maxine Kopczynski and Family.

CALENDAR LISTING:

Thinking of Mother Russia, Classics Concert; Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony; Valentina Lisitsa, piano; Saturday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. in the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets are $22 to $44; tickets are available by calling the Box Office at (509) 624-1200 or in person at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague; tickets are also available at www.spokanesymphony.org and through all TicketsWest outlets.