Marin Alsop will lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in works by American composers Duke Ellington, Aaron Copland and Mark O'Connor, January 31 at the Music Center at Strathmore and February 1-3 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
As part of the Explorer series, this program celebrates America's diverse landscapes and cultures with Duke Ellington's Harlem and Aaron Copland's Appalachian Springs. As part of the BSO's "Year of the Composer," violinist and composer Mark O'Connor joins the Orchestra to perform the violin solo in his American Seasons. See below for complete program information.
Mark O'Connor is widely recognized as one of the most gifted contemporary composers and violinists in America. As both a country fiddler and a jazz violinist, O'Connor creates high-energy fusions of bluegrass, jazz and classical traditions. In an interview with the Washington Post, O'Connor said "I'm interested in changing the sound of the violin for today, or maybe for the next generation. I'm trying to seriously fuse several elements: roots music and folk music with classical, coming up with a new style that could be inviting to all audiences." In addition to his concert performances, on Wednesday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m. at Theatre Project, O'Connor will participate in Composers in Conversation. Hosted by Marin Alsop, the new lecture series offering patrons a unique opportunity to engage with each of the 11 contemporary composers featured in the 2007-2008 season.
O'Connor's original style is evident in American Seasons (Seasons of an American Life), which fuses blues and swing and includes a guitar in place of the harpsichord. This piece explores the seasons of human life: birth/infancy (spring), adolescence/young adulthood (summer), maturity (fall), old age/death (winter). Modeled after the "Seven Ages of Man" speech in Shakespeare's As You Like It, O'Connor will play the subject in an enchanting violin solo.
Rounding out the program are Copland's Appalachian Spring and Ellington's Harlem. Copland's Pulitzer Prize-winning Appalachian Spring conveys the life of early American settlers with the eloquence and simplicity of that era. The composition paints a vivid picture of the lush American countryside with influences from folk songs and Shaker dance tunes from the early 19th century, including the familiar "Simple Gifts" melody. Harlem mixes upbeat swing and slow wailing blues in a series of vignettes of 1950s Harlem. Described by the New York Times as "a wonderful, kaleidoscopic piece," Ellington uses a recurrent jazz motif to illustrate Harlem's diverse neighborhoods. -- www.baltimoresymphony.org
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
