The Classics

*German Heritage*
Saturday, October 2nd, 2010
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Wagner - Tannhauser Overture

Schumann - Piano Concerto in a Minor
Alon Goldstein, Soloist

Brahms - Symphony No. 1 in C Minor

Wagner's 1845 opera Tannhauser is a wealth of
music and revisions. There are versions without ballet, with a ballet, and with various sections added or deleted. The soaring Tannhauser Overture is often performed as a separate concert piece, with a slightly different ending from the version heard in opera performances. Schumann's Piano Concerto, also premiered in 1845, was based on an earlier composition; his wife, Clara, suggested that he expand it into a full three-movement work with orchestra. Brahms' first symphony was long-anticipated by his friends and supporters - long, in this case, from preliminary sketches in 1854 to a first performance in 1877! It has long been noted that Brahms felt the heavy mantle of Beethoven's reputation as he composed, and repeatedly revised, this masterpiece.

Soloist Alon Goldstein will conduct a piano master class at the Yocum Institute for Arts Education in the Yocum Gallery. Penn State Berks is our soloist sponsor, who is making this event possible. Students for the class have been selected by Rebecca Gass-Butler, the RSO's pianist.

Click here for more info. on the Beer, Brats and Brahms!!!

For program notes, click here!!


*Reflections*
Saturday, November 13th, 2010
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Williams - Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition

Strauss - Four Last Songs
Janice Chandler Eteme, Soprano
 
Janice Chandler Eteme has long been among America's foremost lyric sopranos, singing an astonishing range of music with the world's top orchestras and conductors. Called "one of the loveliest soprano voices on earth" by The Baltimore Sun and "radiant" by the Cincinnati Enquirer, during the 2010 - 11 season she will be heard with the San Diego Symphony for Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Utah Symphony for Strauss' Four Last Songs, Jacksonville Symphony singing Brahms' Requiem, and the Pacific Symphony for Philip Glass' Passion of Ramakrishna, among others.
 
Ms. Chandler Eteme began the 2009 - 10 season singing Brahm's Requiem with the Virginia Symphony, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with Keith Lockhart, the Utah Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Choral Arts Society of Baltimore for a Gala concert. She joined the Modesto Symphony for Mahler's Symphony No. 4, Phoenix Symphony for Mozart's Requiem and Zemlinsky's Fruhlingsbegrabnis, the Delaware Symphony for Gorecki's Symphony No. 3, and with the Jacksonville Symphony she sang a concert performance of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. In addition, she joined the Buffalo Philharmonic for Brahm's Requiem, and the Baltimore Symphony for performances of Brahms' Requiem and Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915, where she "sang with an exquisite warmth of tone and a sensitivity of phrasing that deftly conveyed the essence of this memory of childhood, family and internal uncertainty." (Baltimore Sun) Ms. Chandler Eteme finished the season on the opera stage, as Bess in Porgy and Bess with Opera de Lyon for performances in Lyon, Edinburgh and London.
 
The 2008 - 09 season found the soprano singing Mahler's Symphony No. 2 both with the Cincinnati Symphony under Gilbert Kaplan and the Colorado Symphony under Jeffrey Kahane. She joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Memphis Symphony Orchestra for Handel's Creation, the San Diego Symphony for Brahms' Requiem, and the Milwaukee Symphony under Andreas Delfs for Mahler's Symphony No. 8. In addition, she sang Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Alabama Symphony, a concert performance of Porgy and Bess with the Qingdao Symphony under the direction of Yong Yan Hu at Carnegie Hall, and Lokumbe's Dear Mrs. Parks with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra where she sang with "cosmic sparkle." (Detroit News)
 
During the 2007 - 2008 season Ms. Chandler Eteme made her debut with the Dallas Opera as Clara in Porgy and Bess. She also made her European Operatic debut as Bess in Porgy and Bess with Opera de Lyon under the direction of William Eddins, a role she will reprise during the 2009 - 2010 season for productions in Edinburgh, London and Lyon. In addition, she joined the Orchestra of St. Luke's for Brahms' Requiem at Carnegie Hall, performed Missa Solemnis with the National Philharmonic, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Handel's Messiah with the Minnesota Orchestra.
 
In the 2006 - 2007 season the soprano sang Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with Rome's Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Yuri Termirkanov, the Nashville Symphony and Leonardo Slatkin and finally for her debut with the Pacific Symphony under Carl St. Clair. She was heard in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Neeme Jarvi and the New Jersey Symphony, Hans Graf and the Houston Symphony, and with Uri Segal at the Chautauqua Festival. She participated in a concert performance of Porgy and Bess with the Choral Arts Society of Washington at the Kennedy Center, and joined the Orchestra National de la Pays de la Loire for a French tour of Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 5.
 
Recent career highlights include Strauss' Four Last Songs with Yuri Temirkanov and the Baltimore Symphony, Daniel Hege and the Syracuse Symphony, Stefan Sanderling and the Florida Orchestra and with Peter Oundjian at the Grand Teton Music Festival. She sang Haydn's Die Schopfung with James Conlon and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and with Gabriel Levine and the Pittsburgh Symphony, Tippett's A Child of Our Time with Andrew Litton and the Dallas Symphony, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and Mendelssohn's Elijah both with Jahja Ling and the San Diego Symphony, and Orff's Carmina Burana with Andreas Delfs and the Milwaukee Symphony.
 
A pre-eminent concert soloist, Ms. Chandler Eteme sang under the baton of Robert Shaw with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition, she has worked with such distinguished conductors as Marin Alsop, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Charles Dutoit, Jo Ann Falletta, Claus Peter Flor, Neal Gittleman, Raymond Harvey, Carlos Kalmar, Yakov Kreizberg, Raymond Leppard, Christof Perick, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alfred Savia, Robert Spano, Vladimir Spivakov, Edo de Waart and Hugh Wolff.
 
She has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, NHK (Japan), Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic. In addition, she has sung at the Bard Music Festival, Grand Park Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Festival, Prague Autumn International Music Festival, and at the Blossom Music Festival.
 
Ms. Chandler Eteme's recordings include an inspirational solo disc entitled Devotions, DvoIak's Te Deum with Zdenek Macal and the New Jersey Symphony, and a forthcoming world-premiere recording of Maslanka's Mass. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance from Oakwood College, a Master of Music in vocal performance from Indiana University, and has studied with Virginia Zeani, Margaret Harshaw and Todd Duncan.

For program notes, click here!!


*Brio*
Saturday, January 22nd, 2011
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Jonathan Carney - Violin Soloist and Guest Conductor

Elgar - Serenade for Strings

Mozart - Violin Concerto No. 5 in a Major "turkish"

Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4 in a Major "Italian"

The RSO welcomes Jonathan Carney to the
stage as both soloist and guest conductor - the first such pairing in the RSO's ninety-eighth year history! Elgar's Serenade for Strings, an 1892 composition, was originally composed for a ladies' orchestral class; since 1896, though, it has become a staple of regular orchestral performances. Mozart's "Turkish" concerto,
the last of his five violin concerti, derives its name from loud Turkish melodies in the last movement, interspersed with quieter passages. Mendelssohn's fourth symphony, the "Italian," is a boisterous work that derived from an extensive tour of Europe. As Mendelssohn noted, "It will be the jolliest piece I have ever done, especially the last movement." We believe
you'll agree!

For program notes, click here!!


*A Different View*
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Einojuhani Rautavaara - Suite for Strings

Rodrigo - Concerto de aranjuez
Jason Vieaux, Guitar

Haydn - Symphony No. 104 in D Major
'London"

Our concert begins with what must be an unfamiliar work to most concert-goers Rautavaara's Suite for Strings. Rest assured that this student of the American masters Copland and Persichetti will deliver a melodic, thrilling and memorable composition. At age
82, he is still composing actively. Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez is probably the most famous classical guitar work of the twentieth century. Excerpts of this 1939 composition, especially the second movement, often appear in film, television and commercials. From the 20th century back to the 18th - the concert concludes with Haydn's final symphony, the "London." This 1795 work was the twelfth in a series of symphonies composed for London engagements - a highly lucrative time for the composer.

For program notes, click here!!


*Heroes*
Saturday, April 16th, 2011
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Mendelssohn - Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Miaskovsky - Cello Concerto
Amit Peled, cello

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 "Eroica"

Mendelssohn's Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was originally composed as a concert overture. The rest of the music as we know it - including the famous wedding march, was composed much later, toward the end of his brief life. Miaskovsky was a great friend of Prokofiev, a fellow student in the Moscow Conservatory. Many of their works contained similar themes; in fact, they wrote a symphony together (which has, unfortunately, been lost). We conclude the concert with a performance of Beethoven's great Eroica symphony, a work not performed by the RSO since the early 2000s. This is part of the ongoing RSO performance of the Beethoven symphonies, begun with Maestro Constantine last season.

For program notes, click here!!


*Symphonic Dances*
Saturday, May 14th, 2011
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, 8pm


Weber - Invitation to the Dance

Grieg - Symphonic Dances

Rachmaninoff - Symphonic Dances

Get ready for dance rhythms in music. The evening begins with Carl Maria von Weber's famed "Invitation to the Dance," one of the most popular concert pieces (that was subsequently orchestrated by Hector Berlioz). In the twentieth century, the great conductor Felix Weingartner also orchestrated the piece; his 1920s recording of the orchestration was a staple of record catalogs for years. Grieg's Symphonic Dances,
an 1896 composition, had their origins in the folk music compiled by Ludvig Lindeman. Considering the popularity of other important Grieg compositions, including his piano concerto and the Peer Gynt suite, this promises to be another favorite with Reading audiences. We conclude the season with a work of maturity - in fact, the final major orchestral work by the great Sergei Rachmaninoff. This 1940 work, completed three years before his death, was first performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy's direction and Rachmaninoff's supervision.

For program notes, click here!!



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