Posted on Facebook 11/15/14
OK, if some of you STILL are undecided about attending tonight’s concert, check out our friend Emily Hogstad’s post at her Song of the Lark blog: http://songofthelark.wordpress.com/…/microreview-minnesota…/
A few seats are open in each section, so buy your tickets right now here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
or by calling the box office at 612.371.5656 or 800.292.4141. Or you could head down to Orchestra Hall this evening to sang any last-minute turn-backs or “rush” tickets.
An excerpt re. “Winter Bells”: “Ah well. If women could only make one contribution to programming this year, 'Winter Bells' was definitely a fabulous choice. How often does a work by a 22-year-old hold up against Prokofiev and Mozart? The orchestra’s treatment of the gorgeous score felt hugely confident; the lower brass blasted away with spectacular abandon. And the way the sound evaporated away at the end? Pure magic.”
And an excerpt re. the Prokofiev 5th Symphony: “Prokofiev 5 was the meat of the program. Gleaming propulsive meat, with an earnestly, sometimes nostalgically, beating heart…and a dash of insanity. The intensity of the last few notes of the first movement was simply shattering.”
See our other posts about this concert here:http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert
OK, if some of you STILL are undecided about attending tonight’s concert, check out our friend Emily Hogstad’s post at her Song of the Lark blog: http://songofthelark.wordpress.com/…/microreview-minnesota…/
A few seats are open in each section, so buy your tickets right now here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
or by calling the box office at 612.371.5656 or 800.292.4141. Or you could head down to Orchestra Hall this evening to sang any last-minute turn-backs or “rush” tickets.
An excerpt re. “Winter Bells”: “Ah well. If women could only make one contribution to programming this year, 'Winter Bells' was definitely a fabulous choice. How often does a work by a 22-year-old hold up against Prokofiev and Mozart? The orchestra’s treatment of the gorgeous score felt hugely confident; the lower brass blasted away with spectacular abandon. And the way the sound evaporated away at the end? Pure magic.”
And an excerpt re. the Prokofiev 5th Symphony: “Prokofiev 5 was the meat of the program. Gleaming propulsive meat, with an earnestly, sometimes nostalgically, beating heart…and a dash of insanity. The intensity of the last few notes of the first movement was simply shattering.”
See our other posts about this concert here:http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert
Posted on Facebook 11/14/14
If you’re undecided about attending this weekend’s concert, check out Rob Hubbard’s review for the PioneerPress: http://www.twincities.com/…/minnesota-orchestra-creates-chi…
Then get your tickets here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
If you’d like to read our prior posts about this concert, we’ve assembled them here: http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert Please share this with non-Facebooker friends who might be interested!
And don’t forget Saturday’s 10:30 pm “NightCap” performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence.” Insights on that event from Ken Freed are here: http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/no…/nov-15-nightcap-concert
If you’re undecided about attending this weekend’s concert, check out Rob Hubbard’s review for the PioneerPress: http://www.twincities.com/…/minnesota-orchestra-creates-chi…
Then get your tickets here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
If you’d like to read our prior posts about this concert, we’ve assembled them here: http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert Please share this with non-Facebooker friends who might be interested!
And don’t forget Saturday’s 10:30 pm “NightCap” performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence.” Insights on that event from Ken Freed are here: http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/no…/nov-15-nightcap-concert
Posted on Facebook 11/13/14
"Come for the music, stay for the conductor!" So writes an SOSMN friend who wants to remain anonymous, but who provides even more good reasons to grab tickets for this weekend’s concerts. Read on….
“So maybe you're more into the visual kind of entertainment, like movies and plays. Maybe sitting and listening doesn't sound like your thing. Come to this weekend's concerts. You will find it a very engaging audio-visual experience!
“Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu is more than just an awesome name - he is a podium presence. A shape-shifter, a Gollum, a giant, he absorbs and projects the emotions of the music with every pore. He moves his arms, wrists and hands like a skeleton on a pole, or a marionette, or with the undulations of ocean waves. Don't miss this Finn's Minnesota debut - he won't disappoint! [See a 1/2-minute sample of Lintu's technique here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLfVmgflYrE ]
“And more eye [and ear] candy for concertgoers: In the very last minute of his 5th symphony, Prokofiev takes the orchestra from a full-bore tutti fortissimo - everyone playing as loud as possible - and drops it down to just a handful of string players and a piano. For about 10 seconds they carry all of the accumulated energy of the past 45 minutes before the rest of the orchestra rejoins in a final build to the last note. Watch those string players. Bow hairs will be flying - strings, possibly, as well - and you'll never think the same about playing an instrument!”
We hope to see you this weekend! Ticketing and more info here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
"Come for the music, stay for the conductor!" So writes an SOSMN friend who wants to remain anonymous, but who provides even more good reasons to grab tickets for this weekend’s concerts. Read on….
“So maybe you're more into the visual kind of entertainment, like movies and plays. Maybe sitting and listening doesn't sound like your thing. Come to this weekend's concerts. You will find it a very engaging audio-visual experience!
“Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu is more than just an awesome name - he is a podium presence. A shape-shifter, a Gollum, a giant, he absorbs and projects the emotions of the music with every pore. He moves his arms, wrists and hands like a skeleton on a pole, or a marionette, or with the undulations of ocean waves. Don't miss this Finn's Minnesota debut - he won't disappoint! [See a 1/2-minute sample of Lintu's technique here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLfVmgflYrE ]
“And more eye [and ear] candy for concertgoers: In the very last minute of his 5th symphony, Prokofiev takes the orchestra from a full-bore tutti fortissimo - everyone playing as loud as possible - and drops it down to just a handful of string players and a piano. For about 10 seconds they carry all of the accumulated energy of the past 45 minutes before the rest of the orchestra rejoins in a final build to the last note. Watch those string players. Bow hairs will be flying - strings, possibly, as well - and you'll never think the same about playing an instrument!”
We hope to see you this weekend! Ticketing and more info here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
Posted on Facebook 11/12/14
Sandwiched between the Russians this weekend is some MOZART greatness – his Piano Concerto No. 20, performed by the amazing Jonathan Biss.
Our friend, blogger Scott Chamberlain, is pretty passionate about Mozart and this concerto. Of the performance played during the credits of “Amadeus” Scott writes, “As the scene faded to black, and I was still contemplating the tragedy of what had happened, this gentle piano music began. It perfectly—perfectly—captured the pathos of the scene, as if Mozart had been commissioned to write the music to order. There was no overt teeth-gnashing, no maudlin sobbing, just a melody that somehow managed to express… everything. And I turned into a ball of emotional goo.”
Learn more about what Scott and other composers think about this concerto and Mozart’s music (and why it turns them to goo!) here:http://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/…/how-i-fell-in…/
And join us in welcoming back, Jonathan Biss! He’s been absent from the Orchestra Hall stage for almost 15 years – way too long – and it will be very exciting to hear him again! Jonathan has been busy performing all over the world, teaching, recording, and writing books, essays, articles and blogs. Check out his website to learn more:http://www.jonathanbiss.com/
There’s still a seat for you at one of this weekend’s concerts! Grab yours here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
[We have just started posting these perspectives on upcoming concerts to our website (as well as to this Facebook page). We hope that you will find it a convenient location for getting info and sharing it with your friends, especially those who aren’t on Facebook! This program’s page is here:http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert ]
Sandwiched between the Russians this weekend is some MOZART greatness – his Piano Concerto No. 20, performed by the amazing Jonathan Biss.
Our friend, blogger Scott Chamberlain, is pretty passionate about Mozart and this concerto. Of the performance played during the credits of “Amadeus” Scott writes, “As the scene faded to black, and I was still contemplating the tragedy of what had happened, this gentle piano music began. It perfectly—perfectly—captured the pathos of the scene, as if Mozart had been commissioned to write the music to order. There was no overt teeth-gnashing, no maudlin sobbing, just a melody that somehow managed to express… everything. And I turned into a ball of emotional goo.”
Learn more about what Scott and other composers think about this concerto and Mozart’s music (and why it turns them to goo!) here:http://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress.com/…/how-i-fell-in…/
And join us in welcoming back, Jonathan Biss! He’s been absent from the Orchestra Hall stage for almost 15 years – way too long – and it will be very exciting to hear him again! Jonathan has been busy performing all over the world, teaching, recording, and writing books, essays, articles and blogs. Check out his website to learn more:http://www.jonathanbiss.com/
There’s still a seat for you at one of this weekend’s concerts! Grab yours here: http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/…/the-art-of-russia-the-s…
[We have just started posting these perspectives on upcoming concerts to our website (as well as to this Facebook page). We hope that you will find it a convenient location for getting info and sharing it with your friends, especially those who aren’t on Facebook! This program’s page is here:http://www.saveoursymphonymn.org/novembe…/nov-131415-concert ]
Posted on Facebook 11/10/14
We all know that the cellos can give us lush, beautiful romanticism – but fire and hammering and the sound of clanging machines?
Yup, according to our MN Orchestra cellists Beth Rapier and Tony Ross, they can! Beth & Tony say of this weekend’s Prokofiev Symphony No. 5: “Listen for romanticism and fire throughout with machines taking over in the last movement signifying the coming of the industrial age in Russia. On the last page in the strings, we are asked to play incredibly short notes with a hammered stroke that sounds like factory machines working away.”
The Prokofiev concludes a program opening with Polina Nazaykinskaya’s “Winter Bells” (see our post from Sunday for details) and the wonderful pianist Jonathan Biss on Mozart’s Concerto No. 20 (more about him and that concerto tomorrow), all directed by Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu, making his debut with our MN Orchestra this weekend.
View signature pieces of art from The Museum of Russian Art’s permanent collection in the Grand Foyer. Zarathirstra, the Minnesota Orchestra's signature beer from Boom Island Brewing Company, will be on tap, and The Moscow Mule, a special mixed drink, will be available at all bars. Enjoy Smoked Salmon Nosh and Muffaletta sandwich from Three Sons Catering.
Tickets are available here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/351/-/the-art-of-russia-the-slavic-soul#.VFUs9vnF93k
We hope to see you this weekend!
We all know that the cellos can give us lush, beautiful romanticism – but fire and hammering and the sound of clanging machines?
Yup, according to our MN Orchestra cellists Beth Rapier and Tony Ross, they can! Beth & Tony say of this weekend’s Prokofiev Symphony No. 5: “Listen for romanticism and fire throughout with machines taking over in the last movement signifying the coming of the industrial age in Russia. On the last page in the strings, we are asked to play incredibly short notes with a hammered stroke that sounds like factory machines working away.”
The Prokofiev concludes a program opening with Polina Nazaykinskaya’s “Winter Bells” (see our post from Sunday for details) and the wonderful pianist Jonathan Biss on Mozart’s Concerto No. 20 (more about him and that concerto tomorrow), all directed by Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu, making his debut with our MN Orchestra this weekend.
View signature pieces of art from The Museum of Russian Art’s permanent collection in the Grand Foyer. Zarathirstra, the Minnesota Orchestra's signature beer from Boom Island Brewing Company, will be on tap, and The Moscow Mule, a special mixed drink, will be available at all bars. Enjoy Smoked Salmon Nosh and Muffaletta sandwich from Three Sons Catering.
Tickets are available here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/351/-/the-art-of-russia-the-slavic-soul#.VFUs9vnF93k
We hope to see you this weekend!
Posted on Facebook 11/9/14
A bleak winter, a traveler fighting his way through a deadly blizzard, tolling bells. No, we’re not talking about this week’s forecast!
We’re talking about the extraordinary musical imagery behind Polina Nazaykinskaya’s “Winter Bells,” which opens this coming weekend’s concerts. Ms. Nazaykinskaya, who received her Master’s degree in composition from the Yale School of Music, was one of the stars of MOA’s 2010 Composer Institute, when our Orchestra premiered this piece inspired by the mountains, valleys, villages, sacred places and folk melodies of the Volga River region where she was born.
MOA posted an interview with Ms. Nazaykinskaya on their Facebook page. Read it here:https://www.facebook.com/minnesotaorchestra/photos/a.489872228044.263644.54292558044/10152413953018045/?
Watch a performance of “Winter Bells” by the Russian National Orchestra here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Mo2Y4bz-M
And get your tickets here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/351/-/the-art-of-russia-the-slavic-soul#.VFUs9vnF93k
A bleak winter, a traveler fighting his way through a deadly blizzard, tolling bells. No, we’re not talking about this week’s forecast!
We’re talking about the extraordinary musical imagery behind Polina Nazaykinskaya’s “Winter Bells,” which opens this coming weekend’s concerts. Ms. Nazaykinskaya, who received her Master’s degree in composition from the Yale School of Music, was one of the stars of MOA’s 2010 Composer Institute, when our Orchestra premiered this piece inspired by the mountains, valleys, villages, sacred places and folk melodies of the Volga River region where she was born.
MOA posted an interview with Ms. Nazaykinskaya on their Facebook page. Read it here:https://www.facebook.com/minnesotaorchestra/photos/a.489872228044.263644.54292558044/10152413953018045/?
Watch a performance of “Winter Bells” by the Russian National Orchestra here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-Mo2Y4bz-M
And get your tickets here:http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/buy/tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/351/-/the-art-of-russia-the-slavic-soul#.VFUs9vnF93k
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