Last night, I went out to dinner with friends and in the course of the dinner we started discussing my programming for the inaugural concert of the orchestra. It so happens that my friend is a real musical scholar although he is more into the Baroque style.Programming is fun. It is also difficult. Let’s look at it:
- The concert is the first concert for the orchestra. You want to start with a bang and show off the musicians. You want the pace of the concert to be varied but at the same time you want to end on a “high” note.
- The concert takes place on the eve of Mother’s Day. You want to program pieces that are attractive to the audience, and preferably pieces which are recognizable. However you want to be innovative. You will also want to mix the genres and the periods.
- I also want that concert to be a memorial to a good friend of the arts who passed away a year ago. Such a concert has to be upbeat, celebrating a life and not a passing.
Talking about the program, my friend raised some questions. For example, why choosing the Cosi Fan Tutte Overture instead of one of the other Mozart’s overtures? Simple: it is shorter, fast-paced and shows off the orchestra. Now, there is some tongue-and-cheek here…. which honestly I did not think about until now: The title means “They (women) all do the same” sometimes also translated as “They are all the same”… I will talk about the overture in one of my postings (stay posted).
Then I will conduct the Mother Goose’s Suite by Ravel, a suite of little tableaux written for children.
Each concert has to have a soloist, that is one of the golden rules of symphony programming…. although I do not always agree with this. Amy Dinsmore is a fabulous oboe player. She is also principal oboe of the orchestra. The two pieces she will perform are both French works from the 20th century repertoire (D’Indy and Lesur). The oboe is an unusual instrument to feature for an opening concert. It is also one of the most fascinating instruments, and children absolutely love it. It is traditionally associated with love and romance.
Finally, after the intermission, I programmed the Brahms Third Symphony. My friend’s reaction was enthusiastic. Although he prefers the 2nd or the 4th, the 3rd is shorter and more accessible. He was also happy that I did not program the 1st symphony which is “totally overplayed” (he is right).
So there you have it. Mothers, you will be acknowledged and celebrated. You will also give your children the beautiful fairy tales of Ravel, you will enjoy the dreamlike and sensual writing of the French oboe pieces, and you will give your husband the true sense of romance in Brahms.
Stay tuned!
