February 23, 2009
Rare Concert Staging of Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” Plus Holst and Debussy
La Jolla, Calif. (February, 2009) — The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus (LJS&C) presents its fourth concert of the 54th season continuing a season-long exploration of the “DNA of Music.” In this concert we explore the theme of “Perspective” as Choral Director David Chase conducts an extraordinary program that engages a cast of soloists and divides the chorus in two.
The women of the chorus begin the program with Gustav Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, featuring harpist Elena Mashkoutseva. The three short hymns create a crystalline mood -- a quiet exoticness that separates the outer world from the inner world of the concert and sets the stage for Debussy’s La damoiselle élue. This setting of Gabriel-Dante Rosetti's poem about medieval love, “The Blessed Damozel,” tells the tale of a beautiful woman in heaven who waits for her beloved. Soprano Mary Jaeb and mezzo-soprano Janelle DeStefano are featured.
The tone shifts dramatically on the second half of the program with Igor Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex – a concert staging of one of the most compelling of the great Greek tragedies. The performance features all-male chorus and six soloists plus narrator. Tenor Chad Frisque performs the title role with contralto Martha Howe as Jocasta, his wife and mother. Other soloists are bass-baritones Lórànt Najbauer and Philip Larson, tenor Warren Hoffer, and bass Walter Du Melle. Kenneth Bell serves in the role of narrator. Supertitles translate the Latin text.
“This is a concert I’ve wanted to do for many years because the two major pieces are so beautifully balanced: female versus male voices; lush impressionist colors versus stark neo-classicism; ethereal poetry versus Greek tragedy,” says Chase.
“This is a concert I’ve wanted to do for many years because the two major pieces are so beautifully balanced: female versus male voices; lush impressionist colors versus stark neo-classicism; ethereal poetry versus Greek tragedy,” says Chase.
The March 14–15 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: March 4
As prelude to the concert weekend, LJS&C presents the third in its series of INFORMANCES on Wednesday, March 4 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. These special events combine performance, lecture, and audience discussion in an intimate, informal setting to explore concert themes. The March INFORMANCE looks at the subtle relationships between Sophocles’ 5th century B.C. play and Stravinsky’s 20th century musical masterpiece. The evening is moderated by Choral Director David Chase with noted classics scholar Dr. Marianne McDonald and Oedipus expert David Newby. Joining in the evening are guest artists Chad Frisque and Martha Howe and actors from Theatre, Inc. The March 4 INFORMANCE takes place in Mandeville Recital Hall, directly behind Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD. Tickets are available at the door ($15) or in advance ($12) by calling 858-534-4637. Seating is limited. UCSD charges $3 for parking on weekday evenings.
The La Jolla Symphony & Chorus, San Diego’s oldest and largest community orchestra and chorus, is a non-profit musical performing group dedicated to inspiring San Diego with the joy of music. Its 200-member ensemble performs groundbreaking orchestral and choral music along with traditional favorites from the classical repertoire. During the 54th season, Music Director Steven Schick shares the podium with Choral Director David Chase.
