Hear Beethoven’s 3rd “Piano Concerto,” Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance #19,” “Ballet Music from El Cid” by Massenet, and Tchaikovsy’s stirring “Marche Slave”
Friday, May 12, 8:00 p.m., First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena
WHO: Pasadena Community Orchestra
WHAT: Join Pasadena Community Orchestra and talented young pianist Rufus Bordal on a world tour through music! At age 16, pianist Rufus Bordal has already won 1st place in numerous prestigious competitions (including the Los Angeles Young Musicians International Competition), and has performed concertos with several Los Angeles-area orchestras.
Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto #3” is a work full of triumph, beauty, and light-hearted humor, and Bordal (despite his youthful appearance!) plays with the authority and maturity that make the work such an audience favorite. Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 19” is one of his sunniest and lightest works, showcasing distinctive Hungarian melodies and rhythms that evoke the swirling, stomping Gypsy dances that inspired it. And for dance music, it’s hard to beat the vibrant sounds of Spanish music. Like many other French composers, Jules Massenet wrote a piece more essentially Spanish in character than the works of some Spanish composers! His “Ballet Suite from El Cid” takes us on a sonic tour of Spain, highlighting the particular sounds of specific regions: once again, we can picture dancing, from elegant to frenzied, from another place and time. Finally, we are transported to the Russia and Serbia of the late 19th century, in Tchaikovsky’s rousingly patriotic “Marche Slave” (Slavic March). According to a critic at the time, the piece aroused such patriotic fervor that people were jumping onto their seats, clamoring for an encore: he called the performance “one of the most stirring moments of 1976”! Audience members may meet the soloist, the Music Director, and other musicians at a reception following the concert. Admission is free, and no reservations are necessary.
WHERE: In the sanctuary of First Church of the Nazarene, 3700 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Pasadena (just west of Michillinda Avenue). Ample free parking, wheelchair accessible.
WHEN: Friday, May 12, 8:00 p.m.
FURTHER INFORMATION: Please call 626.445.6708, contact publicity@pcomusic.org, or visit us online at www.pcomusic.org. Follow us at https://twitter.com/PCOrchestra.
Concerts are made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, LA County Arts Commission, Pasadena Community Foundation, Michael J. Connell Foundation, and Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts.
