Welcome to the second annual Philharmadness Monday!
The season schedule fills in as selections are announced on the concert-by-concert page.
Beginning at 10 a.m. today, Selection Committee Chairman Morihiko Nakahara is set to announce selections of both musical works and guest artists to fill out the SCP 2012/2013 season. Follow along every hour, on the hour, until the season is filled at 3 p.m. The chairman offers his remarks on each round as they're released.
Watch the season take shape, from the opening round to the final buzzer!
Round: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
NOTE: You might need to use the refresh/reload function of your web browser to ensure you see the picks every hour.
THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN "For the first hour, we’re announcing works by some of the 'heavy hitters' of Classical music.
Rossini overtures truly make for a great curtain raiser, so I’m looking forward to sharing his Overture to L’Italiana in Algeri to kick off our March Masterworks.Our annual 'Beethoven & Blue Jeans' concert will take place in January next season, and will feature his Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral.'Mozart’s music is an essential nutrient in any orchestra’s diet. We’ll be opening the October Masterworks concert with one of his final masterpieces, Overture to The Magic Flute. Though not as well known as his 'New World' Symphony, Dvorak’s American Suite is a delightful set of miniatures, similar to a series of musical postcards addressed to his Bohemian family and friends from his long sojourn to the United States."
The chairman and committee are on the clock for round two at 11 a.m.!
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THOUGHTS FROM THE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN "Among various projects we have undertaken in my tenure here, our annual survey of the major symphonic works by Brahms is very close to my heart, and has become instrumental in building a closer musical bond with the orchestra. We now get to his Third Symphony – in many ways the toughest symphony of his to crack technically and interpretively – and I believe we're fully up to the task. We often point to the rivalry between Brahms and Wagner. In some ways they represented polar opposites in terms of aesthetics, form, and technique. But they seemed to have shared at least a few common threads, one of them being their admiration for Johann Strauss Jr., aka the ‘Waltz King.’ I know some of you have been asking for some Strauss also, so we'll be performing his Wine, Women, and Song in February. Stay tuned for what else will be on this special program. Then we have two spicier choices. In my opinion, Manuel de Falla is one of the most underrated composers of the early 20th century. His music is full of verge, passion, and flamenco flair. I'm looking forward to sharing his fantastic Three Cornered Hat Suite No. 2 with you in April. It has become customary for us to feature some of our principal musicians in solo roles. They cherish the challenge, and it is always such a rewarding and collegial musical experience for all. In October, Wendy Cohen (right), our magnificent principal flutist, will play Jacque Ibert's dazzling Flute Concerto."
The chairman and committee are on the clock for round three at 12 p.m.!
Back to the October concert, which so far includes Mozart's The Magic Flute Overture and the Ibert Flute Concerto. We'll be bookending this concert with another favorite by Mozart, his Symphony No. 40.”
The lunch hour is upon us! The chairman and committee are on the clock for a quick bite and then round four at 1 p.m.
Back from lunch and ready to roll. Tweet about us (@SCPhil) and use the #Philharmadness hashtag!
The chairman and committee are on the clock for round five at 2 p.m.!
Sorry for the delay; our computer formatting was not cooperating!
“Completing the ‘Beethoven and Blue Jeans’ program in January is Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Vaughan Williams, James MacMillan, and Beethoven's ‘Pastoral’ all contain hymn- or chant-like themes, thus leading to more religious or spiritual connections for the listeners.
Many of you are familiar with at least some of the melodies from Bizet's popular opera Carmen. For our March concert entitled 'Carmen, Remixed,' we will feature a colorful ‘arrangement’ of beloved moments from Carmen (plus a few more Bizet hits not even from the opera) created by a Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin. Three unique features:
During the last round, I mentioned the insistent/repetitive nature of Berio's Ritirata Notturna di Madrid. On the same program in April, we will feature another, more well-known piece notorious for its repetitions, Ravel's Bolero. Apparently not everyone is enthralled by its seductive charm; our Development Director happens to hate it, but we forgive her because she is a bassist.
Completing the November ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ program is a fun rarity by William Grant Still. Born in Mississippi and raised in Arkansas, Still went on to become an influential composer during the mid 20th century and was nicknamed the ‘Dean of African American Composers.’ Our principal second violinist, Micah Gangwer, is a passionate advocate of Still's ‘Suite for Violin,’ presented here with a rarely performed orchestral accompaniment.”
The chairman and committee are on the clock for the final round at 3 p.m.!
That wraps up the "Philharmadness" and the second annual selection Monday. Thank you for sticking around today!
Season subscriptions for 2012/2013 go on sale through SCP Audience Services Monday, April 30th. The SCP is happy to announce that there is no change in pricing from the current season to the next! Single-concert ticket sales begin in August.
The 2012/2013 SCP Masterworks Series: there's never been a better time to "Be there."
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