Typically when thinking of French classical music, beautiful orchestral works flood the mind, filling it with the sounds of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
But before the impressionists stole the headlines, there was another period of French classical music: the romantic era. In honour of French romantics, The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra presents three works from era composers Hector Berlioz, 脡douard Lalo and Camille Saint-Sa毛ns in their Nov. 24-26 concert, The French Connection.
Kicking off The Chase Masterworks Series performance is Berlioz乌鸦传媒� Chasse royale et Orage (The Royal Hunt and Storm).
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a lovely opener depicting the hunting calls,乌鸦传媒� said OSO music director and conductor Rosemary Thomson of Berlioz乌鸦传媒檚 composition. 乌鸦传媒淗e was a bit of a bad boy. He was so ahead of his time 乌鸦传媒� he didn乌鸦传媒檛 fit the classical mould. He was really painting pictures with his compositions.乌鸦传媒�
Three sets of timpani surround the orchestra, giving the piece palpable power, reminiscent of rolling thunder.
As the thunder subsides, renowned-violinist and two-time recipient of a rare violin from the Canada Council Musical Instrument bank Timothy Chooi ignites the audience with Lalo乌鸦传媒檚 Symphonie Espagnole, while wielding a 1717 Windsor-Weinstein Stradivari violin valued at $5 million.
乌鸦传媒淭imothy is one of Canada乌鸦传媒檚 greatest experts on the violin,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said of the 23-year-old violinist currently enrolled in a master乌鸦传媒檚 program at the Juilliard School in New York City and who previously studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 an amazing performer with amazing depth.乌鸦传媒�
And Chooi is a performer Thomson is happy to feature on Lalo乌鸦传媒檚 composition.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a beautiful piece,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said of Symphonie Espagnole. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e going to bring a little Mediterranean sunshine to the Okanagan.乌鸦传媒�
With new equipment from Calgary now available, Thomson is excited to bring Saint-Sa毛ns乌鸦传媒� Symphony No. 3, a.k.a the Organ Symphony due to its inclusion of the instrumental powerhouse that was added to amplify the orchestra.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been waiting to do this piece for a while, but we didn乌鸦传媒檛 actually have organs available,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey call the organ the king of the orchestra. The organ plays these low notes you almost can乌鸦传媒檛 here but you can feel it, and when you combine the two, it乌鸦传媒檚 the grandest sound you can achieve.乌鸦传媒�
But with a digital organ Thomson has been assured sounds identical to the real thing on hand, the OSO is ready to bring the Organ Symphony to Okanagan audiences.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 really excited that we乌鸦传媒檙e going to be able to do this amazing piece,乌鸦传媒� Thomson said. 乌鸦传媒淲hen the organ plays in full blast, it will really blow the roof off the theatre.乌鸦传媒�
The OSO brings The French Connection to the Kelowna Community Theatre Friday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m., Penticton乌鸦传媒檚 Cleland Community Theatre, Saturday Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Sunday Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $56.25 adult, $49 senior, $26.25 student/child and $25 first two rows at .
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