One of the Virginia Symphony's most interesting programs of the season comes up this week in concerts Thursday in Williamsburg and Saturday in Virginia Beach.
Associate Conductor Benjamin Rous leads the orchestra in Mendelssohn's incidental music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll." But the standouts are two contemporary works sharing the bill, the American premiere of Malcolm Forsyth's "Trickster Coyote — Lightning Elk" for violin and orchestra and William Alwyn's "Autumn Legend" for English horn and strings. Both feature principal players in the orchestra as soloists.
The program is a wonderful mix of the familiar and not-so-familiar that offers musical contrasts and an opportunity to hear new pieces in a more palatable setting, plus a chance for our symphony players to shine.
Violinist Tara-Louise Montour commissioned the piece by Forsyth, an acclaimed Canadian composer. She's a full-blooded Mohawk born in Kahnawake, Quebec, a Mohawk territory in Canada.
"Trickster Coyote tells a story and pays homage to the rich cultural history of First Nations people in North America," writes Montour in the program notes. "I feel a very close connection to this work, as it encompasses the diversity of my personal background as a Native American, and my training as a classical violinist. It's all very colorful — and really a joy to play!"
The piece has several authentic Native American themes and songs throughout. The orchestral colors of the piece evoke images of a soaring eagle, lumbering bear and the drum beat of the warrior.
Sadly, Forsyth passed away two weeks after plans for this week's concerts were finalized. Montour says he was happy knowing that the piece would get its U.S. premiere.
George Corbett, the principal English horn player, last stepped into the spotlight as soloist playing Kenneth Fuchs' "Eventide" with the orchestra. In Alwyn's "Autumn Legend," Corbett says, "I have chosen to play a piece that is very lyrical and nostalgic, a common tone for which the English horn is well suited. This piece is perfect for a wintertime concert in that it leads the listener into the hope that spring is just around the corner."
Corbett describes the 1955 piece as a "richly romantic composition about calming oneself down from an agitated state. The world around us is often full of anxiety, sometimes falling apart like that of the transition of seasons from autumn into winter. "Autumn Legend" is a glimpse into the delicate cycle of life."
Lyric Opera's "Romeo"
Lyric Opera Virginia has condensed the essence of Charles Gounod's opera, "Romeo and Juliet," into a 90-minute musical production. Three performances will take place Sunday, March 17, in Hampton and in Virginia Beach and Richmond.
"Romeo and Juliet" is the second production, after "Carmen," that Lyric Opera presents in an abbreviated version. Peter Mark, the company's artistic director, says his challenge is "how to present opera without the expense and to get to the essence of the work for people who have never seen opera before."
Though the tale of Romeo and Juliet dates back to the Renaissance, Mark says its message of young love set against warring families is being reenacted all over the world today. Though the music remains the same, Mark and his collaborator, stage director Stephanie Vlahos, have restructured the opera to emphasize the themes instead of the chronology of the story.
"Stephanie has done a lot of crossover work and is now one of the hottest directors in the Los Angeles area," says Mark. "She and I have found the way to produce this in an unusual way that is both theatrical and beautiful."
Lyric Opera's scaled-down production will feature singers Cory Austin and Emily Duncan-Brown in the title roles with musical accompaniment by violinist Allegra Havens and pianist Joseph Walsh. There'll be costumes, lighting and a few props as well.
A graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Austin performed the role of Alfredo in Lyric Opera's "La Traviata." He's also performed with the Shreveport Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia.
Duncan-Brown covered the role of Violetta in Lyric Opera's "Traviata' and performed as Juliet in Palm Beach Opera's "Romeo and Juliet."
Improv at the Goose
Jim Gandolfo, theater director at Hampton Roads Academy, has formed a comedy troupe that's playing one weekend a month at The Grey Goose restaurant in downtown Hampton.
The Serious Improv Kompany features eight performers in a variety of sketches, parodies and news items a la "Saturday Night Live."
