Long Beach Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Eckart Preu, is pleased to announce its 2019–2020 Concert Series comprising six Classical concerts and five POPS! concerts beginning September 28, 2019 and ending May 30, 2020. The season culminates with a Family Concert, free for children under the age of 18, on May 31, 2020.
Most notable in the Classical Concert Series is the Violins of Hope Concert on April 25, 2020, in which Symphony musicians will play instruments from the Violins of Hope collection that were played by Jewish musicians during The Holocaust. Thanks to painstaking restoration by Amnon Weinstein and his son, they now bear testimony to the power of music to lift hearts in the most horrific circumstance. Repertoire includes John Williams “Hatikvah” (Israel’s national anthem) from the film Munich, his moving Theme from Schindler’s List and Ben-Haim’s Symphony No. 1, 2nd Mvmt, “Psalm”.
The finale is none other than the Verdi Requiem, which was performed by the Jewish orchestra and chorus in silent protest during the Nazi’s SS visit at the Terezin camp and ghetto in 1944. With its frightening and instantly recognizable Dies Irae (Day of Wrath/Armageddon), this dramatic and highly operatic requiem will engender chills among listeners. The Violins of Hope project includes related lectures, a film, panel discussion, two chamber music concerts and a week of programs in local high schools and colleges, all intended to create a region-wide dialogue about music, art, social justice and free expression.
“There are more reasons to subscribe this year than ever before,” said Symphony President Kelly Lucera. “Subscribers guarantee their seats to Violins of Hope with the option to purchase two additional tickets before single tickets go on sale to the public. We also offer flexible exchanges for all other concerts, except Violins of Hope, so patrons need not worry if they have to miss one.”
“My intention for each concert of the season,” explains Preu, “is to achieve three things: to touch the soul, to open one’s mind, and to entertain. In each program the audience will find a well-known work – music where many listeners might be able to anticipate the next phrase – combined with something more adventurous – a piece that will deliver a listening experience of discovery.”
Opening night (September 28) presents music by Ligeti, a Hungarian composer whose music has been heard in soundtracks to some of Stanley Kubrick’s most famous movies, followed by Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in A minor and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
On November 16, the Symphony takes a musical tour of France, leading off with an orchestral rendition of DeBussy’s charming Clair de Lune, then stopping to savor the lush textures of Franz Schmidt’s Intermezzo from his romantic opera Notre Dame. The program includes Cesar Franck’s Le Chasseur maudit (The Accursed Huntsman), in which he depicts a huntsman condemned to be pursued by Hell’s demons for eternity for his failure to observe the Sabbath. The fear is palpable. To wrap up the evening, listeners will bask in Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 dubbed the Organ Symphony, of which Saint-Saëns said, “I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again.”
February 8, 2020, the Symphony celebrates the rich heritage of folk melodies from the United States and Mexico reborn by 20th Century composers. The program opens and closes with works by American composer Aaron Copland: El Salón México and Appalachian Spring orchestral suite, which is best known for its “Simple Gifts” melody. In between, we’ll travel south of the border to hear rhythmic music from Arturo Marquez (b. 1950), who captures the essence of his native Mexico in his charming Concerto for Harp, “Mascaras” and from Carlos Chavez, whose Symphony No. 2, “Sinfonía india” consists of three melodies originating from native-American tribes of northern Mexico.
We’ll commemorate Beethoven’s 250th birthday on March 7, when guest violinist Stefan Jackiw will solo on Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major – the only concerto he ever wrote for the instrument. Trombone lovers will revel in Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, dubbed “The Great” to distinguish it from his shorter symphony in the same key.
We wrap the Classical season with an exploration of love and war by Romantic composers on May 30. In Les Preludes, Liszt questions the meaning of love, life and death. Then guest pianist Claire Huangci will present Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, a work akin in its virtuosity to Chopin. By contrast, Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor, his final symphony, incorporates Brahms’ interpretation of the ideal symphony.
The POPS! season kicks off October 26, with a performance by cross-over artist Lucia Micarelli, known for her collaborations with Josh Groban, Chris Botti, and Jethro Tull. On December 21, we’ll celebrate the holiday season with The Copa Boys, then on February 22 a celebration of Mardi Gras infused with New Orleans jazz. A tribute to the great Broadway composers, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber follows on March 21 with tunes from Gypsy, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera!
The POPS! season ends with energy on May 9: A Night of Symphonic Rock featuring an all-star band playing classic rock favorites that will have audiences playing air guitar in the aisles.
Patrons may choose from subscription options ranging from $129–$489 for all six Classical concerts and $93–$680 for the five-concert POPS! series. For more information or to purchase subscriptions visit www.LongBeachSymphony.org or call 562-436-3203.
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