The Boston Conservatory Orchestra is taking the stage Sunday, March 9 for a special concert, featuring an more than 100 students and a vocal solo by Music Division Director Abra K. Bush, D.M.A.
The Orchestra will perform:
· Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K.492
· Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, op. 34
· Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4
The Boston Conservatory Orchestra will perform Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 2 p.m. at the Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge.
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors, alumni and WGBH members; they are available for purchase through the Sanders Theatre Box Office: (617) 496–2222 or online at www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets.
Contact:
Courtney Kennedy
617-431-1173
callananklein.com
The Boston Conservatory Orchestra Performs
Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov and Mahler
March 9 Performance Features More Than 100 Orchestral Students
and a Vocal Solo by Music Division Director Abra K. Bush
(BOSTON—Feb. 26, 2014) The Boston Conservatory Orchestra will take the stage at Sanders Theatre on March 9, 2014 for a special concert, featuring an orchestra of more than 100 students and a vocal solo by Music Division Director Abra K. Bush, D.M.A. The orchestra will perform Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K.492; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, op. 34; and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.
“This concert program is made up of three truly great compositions by three masterful symphonic composers,” said Bruce Hangen, director of orchestral activities at The Boston Conservatory, who will be conducting the performance. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience performing the type of symphonic repertoire they will be required to play in their careers beyond the Conservatory.”
Mozart’s Overture to Le nozze di Figaro, K.492, composed in 1786, is often performed as a standalone concert piece due to the wide appeal of its high-energy themes. Beginning with rapid scalar passages played by the strings, which is followed by a lyrical woodwind line, much of the composition is marked by sudden, dynamic changes from the sounds of trumpets and timpani back to the strings and winds.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol, op. 34 was composed in 1887 and is laid out in five movements. It features several individual musicians and sections in the orchestra throughout the composition, including the concertmaster and other principal chairs, such as harp, clarinet, flute and horn.
Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 was composed in 1900 and is comprised of four distinct movements. The first movement introduces a childlike quality; the second represents a dance of death and features a solo violin tuned to a higher tone than the norm, adding a sense of tension and apprehension; the third uses a theme and variation form to draw harsh contrast between the gentle cheerfulness of heavenly life and the misery of life on earth; and the fourth provides an account of heavenly pleasures, as explained by an innocent child, which is voiced by a soprano.
“I’m truly excited for this performance,” said Bush. “This particular work is a big deal for a soprano—a bucket list item. The vocal element is about eight minutes long and it is utterly beautiful. I am so honored to be asked to do this with the students and to be able to connect with them on this performance level.”
The Boston Conservatory Orchestra will perform Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 2 p.m. at the Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, 45 Quincy St., Cambridge. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students, seniors, alumni and WGBH members; they are available for purchase through the Sanders Theatre Box Office: (617) 496–2222 or online at www.bostonconservatory.edu/tickets. For more information, call (617) 912–9240 or visit www.bostonconservatory.edu. For information about group rates, contact The Boston Conservatory Box Office at (617) 912–9142.
About The Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory trains exceptional, young performing artists for careers that enrich and transform the human experience. Known for its intimate and supportive multi-disciplinary environment, The Boston Conservatory offers fully accredited graduate and undergraduate programs in music, dance and musical theater, and presents more than 200 performances each year by students, faculty and guest artists. Since its founding in 1867, The Boston Conservatory has shared its talent and creativity with the city of Boston, the region and the nation, and continues to grow today as a vibrant community of artists and educators. For more information, visit www.bostonconservatory.edu.
