Next Season, Part I

Hot on the heels of recovering from my French music gueule de bois, I turn my attention to the 2012-2013 Masterworks season to learn what the “hair of the dog” will be. It looks like straight-up classics, with some works that I welcome back especially warmly after long absences from my music stand.

The biggest news is that this season will be Maestro Richman’s TENTH!!! He made this announcement at last week’s concerts, but some may have misunderstood this to be his tenth wedding anniversary. (I’m not positive of the exact length of time, but I’m pretty sure he and Debbie have been married somewhat longer than ten years). Another change is the moving of the start time of our concerts, which will be 7:30 p.m., following a trend that many orchestras are now pursuing. This allows for earlier nights out, which the Thursday crowds will especially appreciate. It will also aid people in getting to restaurants before their kitchens close post-concert.

September 20th and 21st’s gala affair will start with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, travel to a Lucas Richman original, Summer Excursions, then south of the border to Copland’s El Salon Mexico, and finishing with Rachmaninov’s hallowed Piano Concerto No. 2 with Orion Weiss at the keyboard. Fall continues on October 18 and 19 with another Lucas Richman original, Kol Nidre. Another fine French work, Bizet’s crackling Symphony in C finishes up the first half, while a suite from Bernstein’s Candide closes out the evening. The November 15 and 16 shows look to Germany for sources. Weber’s classic Overture to Der Freischutz starts, with new concertmaster Gabe Lefkowitz then soloing on Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Maestro Richman will come full circle with Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, which you may remember is the piece he auditioned with here back in October of 2002.

Just as we did this season, we will have two guest conductors in ‘12-‘13. On January 24 and 25, Toshiyuki Shimada will lead the orchestra in a “favorites” concert, featuring Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto (with piano soloist Gleb Ivanov) and Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony. “The Romance of the Violin” is the theme of the February 21st and 22nd concerts. Violinist Brittany Sklar will join us for  James Newton Howard’s haunting A Village Romance from the M. Night Shyamalan 2004 film The Village, then dazzle us with Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy. Dvorak’s Carnival Overture (which I somehow have NEVER played) and Tchaikovsky’s Polish Symphony (ditto) sandwich these two works.

March 21 and 22 will bring a taste of Spain to the Tennessee Theatre, with our second guest conductor, Kelly Corcoran. Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez will feature guitarist Ana Vidovic. Falla’s 2nd Three-Cornered Hat Suite, Turina’s Danzas Fantasticas and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol round out the program. The big guns of the season are saved for last; on April 18 and 19 we will perform Verdi’s masterful Requiem, and closing out the season on May 16 and 17 will be Stravinsky’s crowning achievement, The Rite of Spring. Appetizers for the Rite will be Wagner’s Tannhauser Overture and Lucas Richman’s Three Pieces for Cello & Orchestra, with cello soloist Inbal Segev soloing.