The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra will continue its 12th season with a performance of Ludwig Von Beethoven’s Overture to “The Creatures of Prometheus,” Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capricio Espagnole,” and Antonin Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 8 in G Major” at 4 p.m. on Sunday
The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra will continue its 12th season with a performance of Ludwig Von Beethoven’s Overture to “The Creatures of Prometheus,” Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capricio Espagnole,” and Antonin Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 8 in G Major” at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Kahilu Theatre in Waimea.
Guest conductor David MacKenzie, one of three current candidates for new artistic director, will lead the orchestra in this exciting, energetic program, which he has titled “Promethean Passions.” Tickets for the event are available at www.kamuelaphil.org or www.kahilutheatre.org. Admission ranges from $6 to $22 and details about seating options are available online.
Beethoven’s only full length ballet, “The Creatures of Prometheus,” was commissioned from the Imperial Court Theater in Vienna in 1801, where the relatively new art form of ballet was very popular at the time. The plot depicts the Greek mythological god Prometheus as a lofty spirit who, finding the human beings of his time in a state of ignorance, refines them through art and knowledge. Beethoven worked with famed Italian dancer and choreographer Salvatore Vigano, whose large-movement, dramatic dance was a good fit with the composer’s impassioned, dramatic music, to create this ballet. MacKenzie has strived to create a concert program that is invigorating for the audience, and representative of important works from the orchestral repertoire, and this overture fits the bill perfectly, since it is “promethean” (creative, boldly original).
“Capricio Espagnole” is Rimsky-Korsakov’s sparkling orchestral painting of Spain. The piece’s passionate tunes are based on folk melodies from the Asturas region of northern Spain. With its Gypsy-flavored material, it paints an exotic picture of Spain, and it has been a concert favorite since its premiere at St. Petersburg in 1887. There is no concerto soloist for this concert, so MacKenzie programmed this piece to highlight soloists within the orchestra, since it features extended solo passages for violin, clarinet, harp, flute, the brass section and the percussion section.
Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 8 in G Major” was composed in 1889 and premiered in Prague on the occasion of his election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts in 1890. It is a passionate expression of his love for his Czech heritage, drawing on the Bohemian folk music that he loved. More cheerful and optimistic than many other symphonies of the era, including Dvorak’s Seventh and famous Ninth (“New World”) symphonies, MacKenzie considers “Symphony No. 8” a “captivating and profound masterpiece that both the orchestra and audience will love,” exploring the full range of human emotions within its 36 minutes.
Info: www.kamuelaphil.org
