Symphonic Icons Share Emotional Power
Rochester, NY –The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra spotlights the music of Romantic composers Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler, as well as their compositional influences, in the fifth Symphony 101 concert of this season. The concerts will take place on Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, and Sunday, April 20 at 2 p.m. in the Hale Auditorium, Roberts Cultural Life Center at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Through musical demonstrations by the RPO and insightful discussion by Maestro Seaman, audiences will have the opportunity to delve into the music of 19th century composers Bruckner and Mahler. Composing in the shadow of Beethoven’s landmark Ninth Symphony, both Bruckner and Mahler strove to write symphonies that could live up to the magnitude of Beethoven’s music. The success of these two compositional legends has given orchestras and audiences some of the most epic and passionate music ever written. The RPO will demonstrate these symphonic expressions through excerpts from Mahler’s Symphony Nos. 1 and 4 and Bruckner’s Symphony Nos. 4, 6 and 7. In addition, Maestro Seaman has programmed music from Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 9 and Wagner’s The Ride of the Valkyries to demonstrate the significant musical influences on Mahler and Bruckner.
The 2007-08 Symphony 101 Series concerts delve into the motivations, everyday lives and masterpieces of composers from Bach to the present day. Music Director Seaman leads these engaging and innovative concerts that feature discussion, musical examples, selections from significant works and complete pieces. Following each concert, Mr. Seaman takes questions from the audience.
General admission tickets for these performances are $22, available online 24/7 at www.rpo.org, by phone (454-2100) in person from the RPO Box Office and at area Wegmans. A convenience fee may apply. RPO Box Office hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (non-concert Saturdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.).
The Symphony 101 Series is sponsored by PAETEC Communications, Inc. Additional support for this series is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. RPO performances are made possible in part with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; the State of New York; Monroe County; and the City of Rochester. Christopher Seaman’s appearance is made possible by Friends of Christopher.
Celebrating its 85th season in 2007-08, the RPO inspires and enriches the community through the art of music. The Orchestra is passionately dedicated to outstanding musical performance at the highest artistic levels, and has a unique tradition of musical versatility, commitment to music education in the broadest sense and a deep and enduring engagement with the community. The RPO has been honored with the New York State Governor’s Arts Award and two recent ASCAP awards for adventurous programming.
