The Spokane Symphony Explores New Worlds

Feb 26, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 464-7071

SPOKANE—The Spokane Symphony Chorale joins Eckart Preu and the Spokane Symphony for a concert that will be the trip of a lifetime. The journey to New Worlds will be at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox on Saturday, March 7, at 8 pm, and again on Sunday, March 8, at 3 pm.

The Spokane Symphony Chorale was established in 1955 as a volunteer organization and has been an official entity of the Spokane Symphony since 1978. The music director is Dr. Lori Wiest, an Associate Professor of Music at WashingtonStateUniversity in Pullman. The chorale enjoys a dedicated volunteer base of more than 80 singers from the Spokane area; including many who commute from Coeur d’Alene, Davenport, Sandpoint, and Pullman to participate in the over 100 hours of volunteer rehearsal and performance time for each season.

The journey begins with ascension into Messiaen’s heavenly music for winds, L’Ascension. This piece begins as a prayer from the world as we know it, ending with a slow ascension into the hereafter. From its long, fluid melodies, to its final, concrete ending, one gets the sense that they are ascending within Messiaen’s genius.

After ascending with Messiaen, the audience descends into the world of human tragedy with Bloch’s dramatic and tremendously powerful masterpiece Macbeth. The interludes from Acts 1 and 3 from the opera adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy accurately convey the personal tragedy present in this famous play, depicting the trauma of a regicide and resulting aftermath with rich and complex emotions.

The music will descend even further with Rachmaninoff’s moody underworld tone poem, The Isle of the Dead. Inspired by Arnold Böcklin’s painting of the same name, this piece begins with a depiction of the oars of Charon, the figure of Greek mythology who would transport souls across the river Styx. His use of different time meters depicts not only the rowing of the oarsmen, but also depicts breathing, creating a holistic reflection on how life and death are intertwined.

The final selection will reach ultimate heights with Holst’s The Planets. With Mars – the bringer of war, to Neptune – the mystic, and every other planet in between, Holst’s genius is able to capture the attention of the audience. The Planets depicts every human emotion and condition, including war, peace, jolliness, old age, magic, mysticism, and gaiety. This soaring piece will be accompanied by an original multimedia presentation featuring photos by NASA.

Tickets on Saturday are $22, $32, $40, and $44. Tickets on Sunday are $18, $28, $36, and $41. Tickets are available in advance at the Spokane Symphony Ticket office, 1001 W. Sprague, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 1-800-325-SEAT, or at spokanesymphony.org.

CALENDAR LISTING:

New Worlds Classics Concert; Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony, Spokane Symphony Chorale; March 7 at 8:00 p.m. and March 8 at 3:00 p.m. in the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets are $18 to $44; call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200; tickets are also available at www.spokanesymphony.org and through all TicketsWest outlets or by calling 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.