Thursday, May. 14, 2009

A look at the Columbus Symphony Orchestra's 2009-10 season

For Mother’s Day, I took my mother to see the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. She’s always loved Chopin’s concerti and guest pianist Terrence Wilson played Piano Concerto No. 2.” It turns out she’s also loved Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5.”

She told me this story how my aunt took her to see a movie called “One Hundred Men and a Girl.” The movie, made in 1937, is about a unemployed man who gets all his fellow unemployed musicians together to form an orchestra.

My Aunt Keiko loved this movie so much that she saw it multiple times, including the time she took my mother.

When Aunt Keiko was here in 2002, I took her to the Bill Heard Theatre, which had just opened. Serendipitously, the symphony was playing Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5,” which was the big piece the movie orchestra played in “One Hundred Men and a Girl.”

She was so happy to be able to hear it in such a beautiful place.

The orchestra sounded better than ever on Saturday.

I know that last Saturday was a crazy day for events. Keni Thomas was singing in the Phenix City Amphitheatre. “Red White and Tuna” was in the Springer Opera House, Sherlock’s Mystery Theatre was doing “Spy Games” in the Columbus Marriott, the Liberty Theatre had “I’ve Got the Music in Me, Two” and the Chattahoochee Shakespeare Co.’s ChattShakes Weekend had “The Taming of the Shrew” in the Riverfront Amphitheatre. On top of all that, Devin Johnson’s party for signing with Universal-Motown Records was in the Columbus Convention & Trade Center.

No one can say there’s nothing going on in town!

Well, next season, I hope some of you will go to at least one CSO concert. The season looks like a good one.

Violinist Adele Anthony opens the season on Sept. 26 with “Beginning with Beethoven.” The symphony has traditionally opened with a Beethoven piece. The program includes Handel’s overture to “The Royal Fireworks,” Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto in D-Minor, Opus 47” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6 in F-Major, Opus 68,” also known as the “Pastorale.”

Trumpeter Jens Lindemann performs on Nov. 21 with “Let the Trumpet Sound,” featuring Dvorak’s “Serenade for Strings in E-Major, Opus 22,” Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major,” Vizzutti’s “The Rising Sun” and Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 4 in A-Major, Opus 90,” also known as “Italian.”

The annual holiday show, “Christmas Tales ... A Very CSO Christmas” is Dec. 10. It will feature Santa Claus, of course, and JJ Musgrove (the symphony’s executive director and co-founder of Sherlock’s Mystery Dinner Theatre) and actors from Sherlock’s Mystery Dinner Theatre will perform stories from the holidays.

The orchestra will play “Two Great Symphonies” on Jan. 16. The program includes Mahler’s “Symphony No. 10” and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 11 in G-Minor, Opus 103” (also called “The Year 1905”).

On Valentine’s Day, the orchestra will play the score in the pit as they accompany Charlie Chaplin’s silent film masterpiece, “City Lights.” It’s the annual “champagne and chocolate strawberries” concert.

The Hamann Sisters, piano-playing siblings, perform on March 6’s “French Impressions.” The program includes Ravel’s “La Valse,” Poulenc’s “Concerto for Two Pianos in D-Minor” and Debussy’s “La Mer” (or “The Sea”).

Violinist Michi Wiancko returns April 17 with “Michi and Mozart.” The program includes Resphigi’s “Gli Uccelli” or “The Birds,” Brouwer’s “Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, Mozart’s “Rondo for Violin and Orchestra in C-Major” and “Symphony No. 38 in D-Major,” also called “The Prague.”

The final concert of the 2009-10 season is May 8 and features pianist Tanya Bannister in “Romantic Russians.” The program includes Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major” and Rachmaninoff’s “Symphony No. 2 in E-Minor.”

I’ll let you know when I have ticket prices.

But if you can’t wait, call the CSO office at 706-323-5059.

ContactSandra Okamotoat sokamoto@ledger-enquirer.com or 706-571-8580.