August 18, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Renowned pianist Garrick Ohlsson performs Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto at the season-opening Arlene & Harold Schnitzer Classical A Series concert of the Oregon Symphony’s 2006-07 season, which also features Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” led by Music Director Carlos Kalmar on Sept. 16, 17 and 18 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Kuni Automotive is the official automotive sponsor of the 2006-07 Classical series; this performance is sponsored by Kuni Cadillac. Lufthansa is the exclusive airline of the Symphony’s 2006-07 Classical series. Media support is provided by The Oregonian, KINK fm102 and KBPS Classical 89.9 fm.
Music critic Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe said of Ohlsson, “Garrick Ohlsson is the most versatile of America’s important pianists, and that has obscured recognition that he is the best of them.” Ohlsson performs a wide range of repertoire and is currently immersing himself in Beethoven, having performed all 32 of Beethoven’s piano sonatas at both the Ravinia and Tanglewood Music Festivals this summer.
For the Symphony’s concerts, Ohlsson will play Beethoven’s most popular piano concerto, written in Vienna in 1809, while Beethoven was under siege by Napoleon’s troops. Despite the difficult circumstances under which it was composed, Beethoven’s music transcends the turmoil of his life and surroundings, especially in the second movement Adagio. Leonard Bernstein was so inspired by its main theme that he used it as the opening notes of “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” Support for the performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto is provided by the E. Nakamichi Foundation.
In addition to the Beethoven, Kalmar and the Symphony will present Mussorgsky’s, “Pictures at an Exhibition,” orchestrated by Ravel. “Ravel’s brilliant orchestration of Mussorgky’s ‘Pictures’ has been a beloved showpiece for virtuoso orchestras since its introduction in 1922,” says Charles Calmer, Artistic Administrator. Mussorgsky wrote “Pictures at an Exhibition” as a memorial to his friend, artist Victor Hartmann. This evocative music transformed Hartmann’s work into aural images that have immortalized both Hartmann and Mussorgsky as artists of depth and invention.
The concert opens with another audience favorite by Mussorgsky, the dramatic tone poem “Night on Bald Mountain.” Audiences will recognize this music from Disney’s 1940 animated film “Fantasia;” it portrays the witches said to gather on Bald Mountain in Ukraine on Midsummer Night for a demonic Sabbath.
The three newest members of the Symphony, Principal Flute David Buck, Principal Oboe Marty Hebert and Principal Trumpet Jeffrey Work make their Classical Series debuts with this concert.
Oregon Symphony Classical concerts regularly include additional opportunities for listeners to learn more about the music and the orchestra. These activities include:
Concert Conversations: Music Director Carlos Kalmar and KBPS host Shaun Yu will lead a discussion one hour before the concert of the works to be performed. Support for “Concert Conversations” is provided by Classical Millennium.
Saturday: Music Director Carlos Kalmar will speak briefly from the podium in “Saturday Interactive.” Media support for “Saturday Interactive” is provided by KINK fm102.
Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 17, at 7:30 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 18, at 8 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets range in price from $20 to $88 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and Saturdays starting Sept. 9). Tickets may also be charged by phone at (503) 228-1353 or (800) 228-7343 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or online at the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Discounted tickets for groups of eight or more are available through the Group Sales hotline at (503) 416-6380.