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Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1
Season Opener for Symphony Offers Musical Kaleidoscope
Dazzling Pianist Ian Parker Performs Audience- Familiar Tchaikovsky Concerto
Hampton Roads, VA… The Virginia Symphony Orchestra returns to the concert stage after a summer hiatus to present its 89th Season opener with three concerts, Saturday, September 13, 8pm, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk; Sunday, September 14, 2:30pm, Sandler Center, Virginia Beach; and Friday, September 19, 8pm, Ferguson Center, Newport News.
JoAnn Falletta will share her musical insights about the music with audiences in a Concert Chat one hour before each performance: 7pm at Chrysler Hall and Ferguson Center; 1:30pm at Sandler Center.
The orchestra under the baton of Music Director JoAnn Falletta takes audiences on a kaleidoscopic musical journey from Mexico to Hungary to Russia with performances of American composer Aaron Copland’s rousing El Salon Mexico alive with pulsating rhythms and melodious indigenous Mexican folk tunes; Hungarian composer Dohnanyi’s suite with Spanish and Hungarian strains and variations that highlight individual instruments; and Tchaikovsky’s seductive concerto filled with warm, powerful emotions and brilliant colors.
The crashing opening chords of the Tchaikovsky concerto will be easily recognizable to audiences and they give the piano an edge in the concerto that it never loses throughout the work. The dramatic tension between the pianist and the orchestra make the concerto the most symphonic of Tchaikovsky’s piano concertos. Parker’s performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto has been described by critics as “a stunning performance… with brilliant technique… and interpretation that encompasses the complete breath of the vast work.” It was Van Cliburn’s performance of this concerto in 1958 that won him the First International Tchaikovsky Competition.
The piano concerto, now favored among audiences, did not have an auspicious beginning. In the 1870s when the composer consulted contemporary Russian pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, the pianist’s response was scathing, accusing the composer of writing unplayable music. Three years later the concerto was premiered in the United States and American audiences “were rapturous.” The Russian pianist later changed his mind and went on to become one of the concerto’s most celebrated interpreters.
Parker to devote time to students
While in Hampton Roads, Parker will share his time and talent with music students at Christopher Newport University, Wednesday, September 17, noon to 8:30pm and Thursday, September 18, with music students at Old Dominion University. While at CNU, Parker will participate in a convocation, conduct private lessons and Master Classes. While at ODU will speak and play for students in a special presentation for music majors.
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The Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a complement of 79 professional musicians under the direction of Grammy-nominated Music Director JoAnn Falletta performs 140 concerts annually, reaching 200,000 concert goers every season in venues throughout the region. Our education and outreach programs reach 53,000 students and adult learners every year. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the cultural cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
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