The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Presents Fire and Water

    KALAMAZOO, MI, March 12, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For the fifth concert of the 2014-2015 Symphonic Series, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents Fire and Water. From the thundering opening chords of Tchaikovsky's fiery first piano concerto to its triumphant conclusion, this most Russian of all piano concerti dazzles the listener with sheer brilliance. Debussy's La Mer paints an impressionistic look at the power of the sea.

Among the most regarded of all piano concertos, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 did not initially receive the warm regard it would eventually garner. Though he later became a champion of the concerto, esteemed pianist Nicolai Rubinstein (to whom Tchaikovsky intended to dedicate the work) called the piece worthless and unplayable when Tchaikovsky played a personal preview for Rubinstein. Nevertheless, Tchaikovsky rejected any changes and published his work as-is. It has become one of his most popular compositions.

Hector Berlioz's first opera, Benvenuto Cellini, disappointingly did not gain the popularity the composer had hoped for. Inspired by the memoirs of sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, Berlioz's radical (for its time) production was not widely accepted by the conservative audiences of 1838 Paris. Fortunately for Beriloz, the opera was seemingly redeemed by its rousing Overture, which quickly became a welcome fixture in concert halls. The eleven minute piece opens with a vigorous fanfare, before entering into a long section that moves from somberness to lyricism and passion, before reintroducing the opening theme for a majestic conclusion.

While he loathed the label, Claude Debussy can very much be considered an Impressionist and his inspiration for La Mer is clearly stated in its title (The Sea). He composed the work while visiting a seaside town near the English Channel. Fittingly, the titles of its movements also suggest the composer's vision for each: De l'aube a midi sur la mer (From Dawn to Noon on the Sea), Jeux de vagues (Play of the Waves), Dialogue du vent et de la mer (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea). Similar to the composition at the start of this program, the initial reaction to La Mer was rather negative. However, the piece would later see great success and has become one of Debussy's most popular and frequently performed compositions.

"There are few orchestral works that fill me with as much anticipation as Debussy's La Mer" states conductor, Michael Christie. "No two performances are ever the same so this great kaleidoscopic work creates a unique treasure for audience and performers alike." Christie adds, "I always love meeting new colleagues and exploring great works together. I know Arnaldo is going to bring us an amazing Tchaikovsky Concerto."

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Michael Christie, conductor
Michael Christie is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. The New York Times reports, "Michael Christie is a director open to adventure and challenge," and the Cincinnati Enquirer declares, "If Michael Christie represents the future of music in this country, the future looks promising indeed."

Christie, who was featured in Opera News in August 2012 as one of 25 people believed "to break out and become major forces in the field in the coming decade," began his tenure as the first-ever Music Director of the Minnesota Opera with the 2012-13 season. His 16-year symphonic conducting career has included serving as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony (2005-2013) and Brooklyn Philharmonic (2005-2010), and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra (2001-2004) in Australia, as well as guest appearances leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonies of Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, Minnesota, Oregon, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Christie also served as the Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival from 2000-2013, where he was highly praised for his innovative programming and where audiences are now at an all-time high, resulting in him being named "Musician of the Year" by The Denver Post in 2010.

In 2011, Christie led the Minnesota Opera in the world premiere performances of Kevin Puts' Silent Night, which was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Anthony Tommasini praised his "supple pacing and vitality" in The New York Times, when Christie led the work in 2013 with Opera Company of Philadelphia. He conducted the European premiere of the opera in October 2014 at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland and will conduct Silent Night again in May 2015 with Opera de Montreal.

Christie's 2014-2015 season will include performances of Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, Bizet's Carmen, and the world premiere of Kevin Puts' and Mark Campbell's new opera, The Manchurian Candidate at the Minnesota Opera; and engagements with the Phoenix, Santa Rosa, Elgin, and Kalamazoo Symphonies.

Arnaldo Cohen, piano
The Brazilian-born pianist Arnaldo Cohen, now living in the United States, has long had a reputation for astonishing his audiences with the musical authority and blistering virtuosity of his performances. His graceful and unaffected platform manner belies playing of white-hot intensity, intellectual probity, and glittering bravura technique bordering on sheer wizardry.

Long in demand internationally, Mr. Cohen has in the past few years entered a rarefied echelon among performers in America as well. He is regularly invited to appear as soloist with major orchestras, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. His solo recitals everywhere draw enthusiastic crowds of cognoscenti.

Critics, too, marvel at his mixture of musical complexity and elan. "A model of balance and imagination" was Steve Smith's verdict in his review of Mr. Cohen's Town Hall recital in The New York Times. "His judicious use of rubato and finely honed sense of dynamic contrast gave each Prelude its own shape and character. Technically flawless in treacherously difficult selections, Mr. Cohen lavished no less care on slower, simpler ones.

CALENDAR LISTING

Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra presents

KSO Symphonic Series

Fire and Water

Michael Christie, conductor
Arnaldo Cohen, piano

From the thundering opening chords of Tchaikovsky's fiery first piano concerto to its triumphant conclusion, this most Russian of all piano concerti dazzles the listener with sheer brilliance. Debussy's La Mer paints an impressionistic look at the power of the sea.

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Berlioz: Overture to Benvenuto Cellini, Op. 23
Debussy: La Mer (The Sea)

Saturday, March 28 at 8pm

Miller Auditorium

Tickets: $60 - $24

For tickets, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

Visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com for up-to-date information, details and schedules. Prices, artists, dates, time and program are subject to change without notice.

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra receives major support from the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra also receives generous support from other local, state and national foundations, as well as private and corporate support. For more information, visit www.kalamazoosymphony.com.

About the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1921, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is Southwest Michigan's premier musical organization, providing musical enrichment to over 80,000 adults and youth per year. The third-largest professional orchestra in the state, the KSO has won numerous awards and grants, including the Met Life Award for Arts Access in Underserved Communities, the National Endowment for the Arts for its extensive education programs, and a major Ford Foundation grant to found its innovative Artist-in-Residence program.

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