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Famous Rhythmic Bolero and Modern Violin Concerto Highlight Concert
VSO Assistant Concertmaster Amanda Armstrong to Play John Adams Concerto
Hampton Roads, VA…The Virginia Symphony presents a program that flows with the rhythmic tensions of Ravel’s Bolero and contemporary composer John Adams' hypermolodic Violin Concerto Saturday, October 27, 8pm Chrysler Hall and Sunday, October 28, 2:30pm, Ferguson Center for the Arts.
VSO Assistant Concertmaster Amanda Armstrong is the solo voice of the violin with the orchestra as a backdrop as she performs the dramatic contemporary concerto.
John Adams, although viewed as a minimalist contemporary composer, describes his music as “having minimalist influences rather than being minimalist itself.” Of his composing style he says, “The basic way I compose is to take a cluster of sound, like a handful of paint. First of all I give it some kind of rhythmic impetus, and then I let it go forward. There’s a sense of a vehicle traveling forward across terrain.”
A non-violinist who admits to being in awe of the violin and finding it a mysterious instrument, Adams’ Violin Concerto had its debut in 1994.
“If there is something exhausting about performing this work,” says the composer, “it is that the violinist virtually never stops playing. In a really electrifying, committed and illuminating performance – there’s something that’s very cathartic about the work, that adds up to an enormous effect by the end.”
Armstrong says it is the toughest piece she has ever played. “It’s an honor to play it. The last movement is just full of energy and simply bursts with excitement.”
The orchestra under the baton of guest conductor Scott Yoo will also perform Ravel’s Bolero with its familiar pulsating rhythms. Most concert goers will recognize the highly accessible 17 minute composition through the movie 10 or the performance of ice dancers Torvill and Dean who skated to Bolero in the 1984 Olympics. Their performance was also a “10” with perfect score from all the judges.
The composition which was written for a large orchestra has been described as “the world’s longest crescendo.” The same musical phrase is repeated 18 times without variation. It is the differences in orchestration that demonstrate the brilliance of the composer.
This will be a special performance for the Virginia Symphony musicians. It will be the first one with their new ergonomically correct chairs purchased through a grant from The Norfolk Foundation. Some sections of the orchestra, the cellos, the basses and the woodwinds have benefited previously from major donors who funded their chairs. This is the first time, however, that all musicians will have correct chairs. The ninety Swedish adjustable chairs will be used for performances at Chrysler Hall and will not travel to other concert venues.
The concert also includes a performance of Schubert’s Symphony No. 4 “Tragic,” a symphony written by the composer at age 19 but only premiered after his death years later.
The Norfolk Foundation awarded the Virginia Symphony a $150,000 grant in early 2007 to fund capital expenditures. In addition to the musician chairs, the grant enabled the Symphony to purchase percussion instruments with industrial traveling cases, production and sound equipment and a large climate-controlled production truck in which to safely transport and store it all.
“We were thrilled to be able to purchase this long-needed equipment,” says VSO President and CEO Carla Johnson. “It is especially gratifying to me personally to be able to purchase ergonomically correct chairs for our musicians for rehearsal and performance. Many people may not realize that the orchestra is actually a team of small-muscle athletes who require specialized equipment to perform at their best season after season. The new chairs will save countless trips to the physical therapist for our players,” added Johnson.
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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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