Holst, Haydn Masterworks highlight Asheville Symphony musicians – Nov. 21
October 27, 2015
Gustav Holst’s always popular and captivating orchestral suite The Planets is the featured work on a program of sonic masterpieces as the Asheville Symphony performs its third concert of the season Saturday, November 21.
The musicians of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra will have a chance to shine during both Holst’s ode to the cosmos and Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante, Op. 84, which will be the opening piece on the program under the direction of ASO Music Director and Conductor Daniel Meyer. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.
The Planets requires the use of a large orchestra – one of the largest that ASO audiences will hear this season – to reflect Holst’s fascination with the scope of our solar system. Each planet, with the exceptions of Earth and Pluto (which at the time Holst composed the work 100 years ago had yet to be classified and then de-classified as a planet) is portrayed in the suite.
“Holst devised an orchestral suite with imaginative musical portraits of the planets, from Mars, the Bringer of War to Neptune, the Mystic, in astounding sonic renderings using a massive orchestra,”
Meyer said.
For its monthly program, the Asheville Symphony Guild will host Meyer and astronomer Bernard Arghiere for a discussion about The Planets – both the musical work and the planets themselves – starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Asheville. The program is free and open to the public.
Haydn’s Sinfonia concertante, Op. 84, which was composed as a unique quartet with orchestra, features concertmaster Jason Posnock, principal oboe Alicia Chapman, interim principal cello Franklin Keel, and principal bassoon Michael Burns.
“Haydn sought to exploit the sonic characteristics of the solo violin, oboe, cello, and bassoon in a concerto,” said Meyer. “Stepping into the spotlight, our own principals will take the solos while the musicians of the ASO provide the charm and zest that makes Haydn’s music so joyous.”
Single tickets for all concerts are $22 – $62 depending on seating section; reduced youth pricing is available. Single tickets and season ticket packages can be purchased at www.ashevillesymphony.org, by calling 828-254-7046, or in person at the U.S. Cellular Center box office at 87 Haywood Street.
The Asheville Symphony Orchestra performs and promotes symphonic music for the benefit, enjoyment and education of the people of Western North Carolina. The ASO presents concerts in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville’s U.S. Cellular Center. Related organizations include the Asheville Symphony Guild, Asheville Symphony Chorus, Asheville Symphonettes, and education initiatives such as the Asheville Buncombe Youth Orchestra, Music in the Schools, MusicWorks!, Spotlight on Young Musicians, Symphony Talk and pre-concert lectures.
Masterworks 3
THE PLANETS
November 21, 2015 • 8 p.m.
Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
Daniel Meyer, conductor
Haydn Sinfonia concertante, Op. 84
Holst The Planets