They乌鸦传媒檝e been working hard since the season opened last fall, and they乌鸦传媒檙e ready for one final hurrah.
The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra presents Triomphe! as the final performance in their 2017/18 season in Kelowna May 11, Penticton May 12 and Vernon May 13.
Opening with Regenerations by Marcus Goddard, composer in association with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, OSO music director Rosemary Thomson said their year-end performance will be one for the books.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e done a couple of his pieces before,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said of Goddard, who intends to attend the performance. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 a great fountain for his orchestral work.乌鸦传媒�
Regenerations, a piece commissioned by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, was scaled back for a past performance by the smaller Victoria Symphony.
And while it has been scaled back, Thomson said the piece hasn乌鸦传媒檛 lost any of its lustre.
乌鸦传媒淢arcus乌鸦传媒� music simply sparkles,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淧layers love to perform it and audiences love to listen to it, so I like to program it whenever we have the opportunity.乌鸦传媒�
Joining the OSO on stage and performing Ludwig van 叠别别迟丑辞惫别苍乌鸦传媒檚 Triple Concerto for violin, cello, piano and orchestra is the renowned Canadian chamber ensemble the Gryphon Trio.
Comprised of Annalee Patipatanakoon on violin, Roman Borys on cello and Jamie Parker on piano, the Gryphon Trio乌鸦传媒檚 powerful performance of 叠别别迟丑辞惫别苍乌鸦传媒檚 work is a spectacle Thomson has been looking forward to since the show was announced.
乌鸦传媒淲hat乌鸦传媒檚 special about the Gryphon Trio is they乌鸦传媒檙e one of the most established chamber ensembles in Canada who are celebrating their 25th season,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 think of another chamber ensemble with their stature in Canada that has hit 25 years.乌鸦传媒�
叠别别迟丑辞惫别苍乌鸦传媒檚 Triple Concerto, which lasts roughly 35 minutes, was the natural choice for the Gryphon Trio, who Thomson describes as a truly Canadian band that has gone from coast to coast to coast.
乌鸦传媒淚 thought, if I bring them and don乌鸦传媒檛 play 叠别别迟丑辞惫别苍乌鸦传媒檚 Triple Concerto, my audience will lynch me,乌鸦传媒� Thomson laughed. 乌鸦传媒淭hey must have played this piece hundreds of times. There are not that many concertos written for these instruments. It乌鸦传媒檚 an amazing concerto.乌鸦传媒�
While they have played it numerous times, Thomson said, the magic is never lost.
乌鸦传媒淚 have been looking forward to this performance all season,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淭his piece doesn乌鸦传媒檛 get performed as often as 叠别别迟丑辞惫别苍乌鸦传媒檚 solo concertos, but it really is triple the fun and shows off the skills and imagination of one of the greatest composers to ever write for orchestra. I can乌鸦传媒檛 wait to share the stage with the Gryphons.乌鸦传媒�
Following the Gryphon Trio乌鸦传媒檚 performance, the second half of the performance sees Antonin Dvorak乌鸦传媒檚 Symphony No. 7.
乌鸦传媒淒vorak was one of the first composers to take us into the nationalistic movement,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said.
The nationalistic movement saw classical music move outside the confines of western Europe and Germany in particular and into the minds of composers like Dvorak of the Czech Republic, Jean Sibelius of Finland and Edvard Grieg of Norway.
Dvorak, and other nationalistic composers, also brought a flavour of their culture乌鸦传媒檚 tradition into the world of classical music and utilized traditional instruments in a way the industry had yet to see.
乌鸦传媒淭hat has continued to today,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 just expanding the form.乌鸦传媒�
Perhaps best-known for his Symphony No. 9 or New World Symphony, written in New York City and inspired by his surroundings and indigenous music, Dvorak composed nine symphonies over a span of roughly three decades.
乌鸦传媒�Symphony No. 7, I乌鸦传媒檝e heard people describe it as his symphony of the old world,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou get all the incredible push and pull rhythms in it.乌鸦传媒�
Written in D minor, the three-movement composition explodes into the major at the end of the symphony.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 very effective. It乌鸦传媒檚 like the audience being brought out from the clouds,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淎ny Dvorak symphony gives the orchestra a lot to dig into.乌鸦传媒�
But Dvorak乌鸦传媒檚 work is far from easy, Thomson said, adding that she wouldn乌鸦传媒檛 task the orchestra with such a piece at the beginning of the season.
乌鸦传媒淥ur musicians are so supportive of each other and I think the audience feels that,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said of the OSO. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 the perfect piece to play at the end 乌鸦传媒� we乌鸦传媒檙e all gelled now.乌鸦传媒�
The OSO presents the sixth and final performance in their Chase Wines Masterworks Series Triomphe! at the Kelowna Community Theatre May 11 at 7:30 p.m., Penticton乌鸦传媒檚 Cleland Theatre May 12 at 7:30 p.m. and the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre May 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $56.25 adult, $49 seniors and $26.75 student and are available online at and local ticket box offices. After the Vernon performance, the OSO will announce their 59th season and the winner of their bucket list raffle, for which tickets are available online until Saturday night.
