About Press Room Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Chorale join forces in finale of Bravo Brahms seriesMinnesota Orchestra and Minnesota Chorale join forces in finale of Bravo Brahms series
Osmo Vänskä and Kathy Saltzman Romey conduct all-Brahms concerts January 20; Vänskä leads Hungarian Dances and Serenade No. 2; Romey conducts two choral-orchestral works
(December 23, 2011) The Minnesota Orchestra explores two of Brahms’ masterpieces for choir and orchestra, Nänie and Schicksalslied, in a collaboration with the Minnesota Chorale, its principal chorus, concluding the Orchestra’s two-week Bravo Brahms series. The Chorale’s artistic director, Kathy Saltzman Romey, will conduct the two choral works. Music Director Osmo Vänskä will lead the program’s instruments-only selections, five Hungarian Dances and the symphony-length Serenade No. 2, the latter in its first performance by the Orchestra.
The concert is performed at Orchestra Hall on Friday, January 20, at 8 p.m., with ticket prices ranging from $26 to $84. For tickets, call (612) 371-5656 or visit minnesotaorchestra.org. [Editors note: a different all-Brahms program is performed on January 19 and 21; see minnesotaorchestra.org/pressroom to view press releases about all concerts in the Bravo Brahms series.]
Minnesota Chorale, Kathy Saltzman Romey, artistic director
The Minnesota Chorale, the Minnesota Orchestra’s principal chorus since 2004, is in its 17th season under the leadership of Artistic Director Kathy Saltzman Romey. Founded in 1972, the Chorale is the state’s preeminent symphonic chorus, performing regularly with both the Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. The Chorale collaborates with the Orchestra again in April 2012, performing Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe.
Romey, artistic director of the Chorale since 1995, was named choral advisor to the Minnesota Orchestra in 2004. She has conducted the combined forces of the Orchestra and the Chorale on a variety of occasions, including a performance of choral works by Mozart in January 2011 and a December 2007 sing-along Messiah concert. She also directs choral activities at the University of Minnesota and is a frequent guest conductor and clinician at music conferences throughout the U.S. Since 1984 she has been a staff member of the Oregon Bach Festival.
Dances, songs and serenade
Of the 21 Hungarian Dances Brahms originally wrote for piano four-hands, this program includes five: three he based on music of the “gypsy” bands he heard around Vienna, and two that are entirely his creation.
Nänie, a gentle elegy, begins with a lengthy oboe solo; then choral parts overlap to form a complex web of sound. The Schicksalslied presents a powerful contrast between the bliss of the gods and the bleak conditions of humanity. A turbulent Allegro follows the luminous opening, and serenity returns at the close.
Brahms didn’t complete his First Symphony until 1876, at age 43, but he crafted several large-scale orchestral pieces earlier in his career. One, the five-movement Serenade No. 2, dates from 1859 and is dedicated to Brahms’ close friend Clara Schumann. The instrumentation is notable for its omission of violins and trumpets. The characteristic sound of woodwinds places this serenade in the pastoral tradition, and the music has a sense of charm and relaxation.
Minnesota Orchestra Classical Concert—Bravo Brahms!
SERENADE AND SONG
Friday, January 20, 2012, 8 p.m. / Orchestra Hall
Minnesota Orchestra
Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Kathy Saltzman Romey, conductor (choral selections)
Minnesota Chorale
BRAHMS Hungarian Dances
Nänie
Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny)
Serenade No. 2
Music Up Close: Concert Preview with Courtney Lewis – Jan. 20, 7 p.m.
Individual tickets are available for purchase at the Minnesota Orchestra Box Office at 11th and Marquette in Minneapolis, online at minnesotaorchestra.org or by calling (612) 371-5656 or (800) 292-4141. For groups of 10 or more, call (612) 371-5662 or (800) 292-4141, ext. 662. Prices listed do not include a $5.75 service charge per transaction for all phone or mail orders. Save $1 by purchasing tickets online or by having the Orchestra e-mail your tickets. There are no service charges for subscribers, group purchasers or in-person transactions at the Orchestra Hall Box Office. A non-discountable $3.50 facility fee is included in the price of each individual ticket. No refunds. Some fees and restrictions may apply to ticket exchanges. All sales are final. All programs, artists, dates, times and prices subject to change.
Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Minnesota Orchestra’s 2011-12 season.
The Star Tribune, 830 WCCO-AM and 102.9 LiteFM are the Minnesota Orchestra’s media partners for the 2011-12 season.
This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the State’s general fund and its arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Gwen Pappas, Director of Public Relations
(612) 371-5628 •
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sandi Brown, Public Relations Coordinator
(612) 371-5641 •
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.