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Crescendo
JoAnn Falletta
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Symphony season opens with premiere
'Made in America" -- what better title for music created to be played in every one of the 50 United States?
Honolulu Symphony
In concert: 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday
Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall
Tickets: $12 to $65
Call: 792-2000 or visit honolulusymphony.com
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American composer Joan Tower wrote this piece to represent our glorious country. This year, one orchestra in each state will have the honor of presenting the state "premiere." This weekend, it's the Honolulu Symphony's privilege to present this vibrant and exciting work.
Our "Old World, New World" concerts feature this "home-grown" premiere, plus two of the finest of old Europe's romantic compositions.
Joan is a fabulous composer. I am thrilled to open my first Honolulu Symphony concert this season with the bold "Made in America." We hope you will be there to be a part of this historic, nationally commissioned project!
The rest of "Old World, New World" is pure romance. We welcome dazzling Portuguese-American violin virtuoso Elmar Oliveira to perform Brahms' Violin Concerto. This concerto was Brahms' gift to his childhood friend, the famous violinist Joseph Joachim.
Joachim was a sensational player -- as is Elmar! You must be undeniably gifted to tackle the formidable demands of this violin masterpiece. Brahms' Violin Concerto is a stunning, romantic partnership for soloist and orchestra.
If that were not romantic enough, we're going to sweep you away to the ballrooms of Vienna with one of the most sublime works of Richard Strauss: his "Der Rosenkavalier Suite." Strauss' opera tells the poignant story of a beautiful "woman of a certain age" who reluctantly bids farewell to her young lover and to the dreams of her youth.
The most exquisite moments of Strauss' opera were extracted to create this Viennese showpiece for orchestra alone. "Der Rosenkavalier Suite" is guaranteed to bring smiles of sheer delight, and perhaps to leave you a bit teary-eyed as well.
For those of you who haven't been to the symphony in a while, we have made some changes. Our pre-concert lecture series, "Concert Conversations," now welcomes guest hosts, music experts and local celebrities. We focus on the music on the program one hour prior to each MasterWorks concert. It's free and open to everyone with a ticket. I'll be co-hosting this weekend with principal timpanist Stuart Chafetz.
Our program books have changed as well. You will now find background information and photos for the soloists on each piece, as well as guest artists. This makes it easier to spot each soloist and gain a new vantage point for each piece.
Don't miss "Old World, New World" this weekend. Come and be swept away by your Honolulu Symphony!
