WMU Symphony Orchestra — Spring concert 2010

By Kelsey Joachim

Western Herald

The Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra will have their first free concert of the spring semester Sunday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. in Miller Auditorium.

The concert will feature soloist professor Scott Thornburg who will be performing the “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra” by Eric Ewazen (arranged by Phil Norris.) The piece was originally a sonata for trumpet and piano.

Ewazen is well known among Kalamazoo audiences and WMU School of Music faculty and students. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Western Brass Quintet and several WMU music student ensembles have featured his works.

Ewazen music has been praised by audiences and critics for its accessibility, lyrical lines and rhythmic drive. He is a living composer and a teacher at the Julliard School of Music in New York City.

The concert will open with “Festive Overture,” Op. 96 by Dmitri Shostakovich, conducted by Brian Mast, assistant conductor of the orchestra and WMU School of Music graduate assistant. The second half of the concert, “Symphony No. 9 in E-Flat Major,” Op. 70, will be conducted by Bruce Uchimura, professor of music and a regular conductor of the WMU Symphony Orchestra.

“I don’t know if I would say [I’m] nervous as much as I am excited,” said Mast about conducting the second half of the concert. “It is an amazing experience to share the stage and lead such a fine group of musicians.”

These two works are considered to be some of Shostakovich’s most optimistic and joyful works. Shostakovich was one of the most famous Russian composers of the 20th century.

Shostakovich’s work reflects his frustration with the Soviet Union, in response to the current events of his time: World War II, the Korean War and the rule of Joseph Stalin the Russian dictator. But he also used Russian folk music and themes in his pieces.

“He was a marvelous orchestrator and used musical instruments in colorful and expressive ways,” Uchimura said.

The Symphony No. 9 by Shostakovich is upbeat and dance-like.

“Most of the themes have a march-like rhythm and spirit. Shostakovich’s music always surprises both the musicians and the audiences with subtle rhythmic anomalies, and this movement is no exception,” Uchimura said.

Somewhere in the middle of the piece the frustration with Stalin becomes apparent when, “the trombones and tuba announce a forceful and overbearing theme that musically resembles a scowling Stalin with folded arms. In response, the strings quietly sustain a simple triad while a lone bassoon cries in anguish,” wrote Uchimura in the show’s program.

Mast said that this particular concert is traveling Thursday to Hart, Mich. to play two educational concerts for elementary students, which he said will make for good practice before their Sunday concert at Miller.

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Posted by heraldstaff on Feb 3 2010. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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