City Newspaper Archives - 5/2007
CLASSICAL: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (5/10 & 5/12)
Published by Brenda Tremblay on May 08, 2007
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra hikes the fascinating territory between visual art and music during the last Philharmonics concert of the 2006-07 season. It's a brilliant program beginning with "Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee." These 1959 musical sketches by composer Gunther Schuller are based on visual works by a Swiss painter. They're dreamy, imaginative, and a little spooky - just like Klee.
Pianist Jonathan Biss will join the RPO in one of only two Mozart piano concertos in a minor key, "Piano Concerto No. 24." Its severity, melancholy, and energy have mesmerized audiences since 1786.
Finally, the RPO will revisit the original territory in "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Modest Mussorgsky, orchestrated by Ravel. (Back story: composer befriends artist, artist dies young. Composer bereft, writes music to honor dead friend's artistic visions.) Honestly, you don't need to know any of that to enjoy this work. Its forceful, exciting climax speaks for itself.
Christopher Seaman conducts the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Thursday, May 10, 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 12, at 8 p.m. in Eastman Theatre, 26 Gibbs Street, 454-2100, $54-20. www.rpo.org.
