April 9, 2009
Cellist Maya Beiser and U.S. Premiere Highlight May 2-3 Concerts
La Jolla, Calif. (April 9, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fifth in the DNA of Music series with a concert titled Passion. Music Director Steven Schick conducts orchestra, chorus, and special guests in a program that features acclaimed cellist Maya Beiserperforming Elgar’s Cello Concerto, the U.S. premiere of The General drawn from music by Beethoven with text by noted music critic Paul Griffiths,and Beethoven’s moving Elegy for chorus and string orchestr.
Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 was composed in 1919, the year following World War I. It reflects both a sense of mourning and the feeling that the world had somehow permanently changed.
“It is one of the most beautiful of the traditional cello concerti we know, and it will be performed by the great contemporary cellist Maya Beiser,” says Maestro Schick. Known for her eclectic repertoire and virtuosic artistry, Beiser has been described by The New Yorker as a “cello goddess.” She has performed with leading symphonies worldwide and commissioned and performed works written for her by such contemporary composers as Tan Dun, Steve Reich, Osvaldo Golijov, and Philip Glass.
“By asking Maya to bring her contemporary, cross-cultural ears and musical orientation to Elgar, we hope to hear the piece for what it really is: not simply a standard of the repertoire but a great composer's valedictory essay on the past and his tentative first steps towards an uncertain future,” says Schick.
In The General, Paul Griffiths (former chief critic of The Times of London and The New Yorker) draws a composite score from Beethoven (mostly Egmont and King Stephen) and adds text to create a dramatic work for orchestra, chorus, soprano, and actor. The piece, originally commissioned by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in 2007, tells the story of the Rwandan genocide through the eyes of General Romeo A. Dallaire who led the U.N. peacekeeping mission there. Dallaire’s subsequent book, “Shake Hands with the Devil,” inspired Griffiths’ text.
“Through that mixture, that crosswire, we get a fresh look at both Beethoven and one of the most haunting contemporary political situations in recent memory,” says Schick. “The text is moving, sometimes strong and evocative – though never inappropriate – and when paired with the martial music of Beethoven, extremely forceful.”
Phil Larson narrates the role of the general. Soprano Alexis Grenier, a 2007 first-place winner of the LJS&C’s Young Artist Competition, is also featured.
Beethoven’s Elegy for chorus and string orchestra begins the program.
“This is a thoughtful concert, but not sentimental or mournful,” says Schick. “It is, as the name implies, about Passion.”
The May 2-3 concerts are held in Mandeville Auditorium at UCSD. Concert times are 8:00 p.m. on Saturday and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. Individual tickets are $26 general, $22 senior, and $15 student. Group discounts are available. Parking is free. A pre-concert lecture is offered one hour prior to concert times. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the LJS&C office at (858) 534-4637.
Related Event: April 30 (8:00 pm and 10:00 pm)
Maya Beiser will appear at The Loft on the UCSD campus, Price Center East, on Thursday, April 30 in “Plugged In,” a program of music for solo cello with and without electronics. Works by Douglas J. Cuomo, Raz Mesinai, Joby Talbot, and Evan Ziporyn receive their West Coast premieres, heard alongside pieces by Osvaldo Golijov, David Lang, and Chinary Ung. This event is a co-presentation by community partners ArtPower and La Jolla Symphony & Chorus as part of ArtPower’s “Tentacle Sessions” and the Symphony’s INFORMANCE series. Tickets to “Plugged In” are $15 and can be purchased by calling the UCSD Box Office at 858-534-TIXS (M-F, 10am-4pm).
