Sounds of Cities takes on a French twist

May 12, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 464-7071

SPOKANE— Ah, what could be better than Paris in the spring. Travel with Music Director Eckart Preu and the Spokane Symphony to the City of Lights for a Casual Classics musical tour entitled Sounds of Cities on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 8 pm. Discover musical gems from this major cultural center, ranging from French Baroque to 20th century impressionism.

The journey begins in time of King Louis XIV with a baroque suite by Jean-Philippe Rameau entitled Les Fetes d’Hebe Suite 1. This piece is an outstanding example of an opera-ballet, a genre popular in the French baroque music, which combines the two popular forms of entertainment in a light-hearted way, with an emphasis on the dance. This number celebrates the arrival in Paris of Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, who brings poetry, music and dance to the city. 

Although Franz Josef Haydn was Austrian, his music was wildly popular in Paris. He was commissioned to compose a series of symphonies for a largeParisian orchestra called "Le Concert de la loge 'Olympique'" including his Symphony No. 85. This piece was a favorite of Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI, who gave it the nickname “La Reine,” named after the river that winds its way through the city. This symphony, which was received with ‘rapture’ by the finest musicians in Paris, is a dazzling display of Haydn’s musical wit and brilliance. 

Darius Milhaud is a twentieth century French composer, a member of the Groupe des Six, who is remembered for his deft use of jazz idioms and multiple keys in his music.   One of his most popular pieces is Le boeuf sur le toit (The Ox on the Roof), a surreal ballet heavily influenced by Brazilian tango. While the music is lively and joyful, it was designed to be paired with very slow-moving dance.

Swiss composer Frank Martin, who lived for a while in Paris, is best known for his orchestral piece Petite Symphony Concertante. A dedicated Bach enthusiast, Martin wrote his Concertante to echo Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. It was written for all the common stringed instruments, with solo parts for harp, harpsichord and piano. The piece also manages to combine neoclassical style with the use of 12-tone technique.

Finally, we will visit Maurice Ravel, the master of French Impressionist music. Ravel, who enjoyed a remarkable rapport with children, dedicated his work Ma mere l’oye (Mother Goose) to the young children of an artist friend. It began as a simple piano duet based on the children’s favorite fairytales and was subtitled ‘Five Children’s Pieces.’ Later, Ravel reworked the piece first as an orchestral suite and then as a ballet.

Once again, the First Avenue Art Deco Bistro will be serving a selection of Happy Hour appetizers and beverages, prepared by GloverMansion chefs, from 6:30 p.m. to concert time. Selected items can also be preordered before the concert and be waiting for intermission. In addition, pre-paid parking may be purchased through the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office

This concert has been sponsored by WKDT, Maloney + O’Neill and LeMaster Daniels.

Tickets are $21, $23, $28, and $32. Tickets are available in advance at the Box Office, located at 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

CALENDAR LISTING:

Casual Classics 3: Sounds of the City of Paris; Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony; Friday, May 21 at 8:00 p.m. in the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets for the concert are $21 to $32Tickets are available in advance at the Box Office, located at 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.