Earlier this year, the Grand Rapids Symphony announced the addition of a new chamber music series to its musically diverse lineup. Great Eras, a three-concert series sponsored by Crowe Horwath, was designed to explore different periods of orchestral music—Classical, Baroque, and Romantic. Comprising fewer musicians than the symphony orchestra, Great Eras’ chamber orchestra instrumentation will allow audiences to experience the Grand Rapids Symphony in a smaller, more intimate setting: the beautiful Royce Auditorium at St. Cecilia Music Center. The new series kicks off with the program The Classical Concert, Friday, November 15, at 8 p.m.
Music Director David Lockington leads the orchestra through three musical selections, all written by Classical period composers. The Classical period, generally recognized as being between 1730 and 1820, was characterized by melodic lightness and an increased variety of keys, rhythms, and dynamics. Perhaps the two best-known composers from this era are Mozart and Haydn; works by both composers will be featured during The Classical Concert.
First on the program is Haydn’s Symphony No. 84, an appropriate selection to commemorate the Grand Rapids Symphony’s eighty-fourth season. The composition is the third of Haydn’s so-called Paris Symphonies, all of which were commissioned by Claude-François- Marie Rigolet, a young aristocrat and music enthusiast. Symphony No. 84 is in the standard four-movement form and was well received by the public and the press after its Parisian premiere.
The concert’s second composition is by Chevalier de Saint-George, a Frenchman of African descent sometimes referred to as the “black Mozart.”
“Interestingly, Chevalier de Saint-George was the director of the organization that invited Haydn to write his Paris symphonies,” said Lockington. “I thought it would be fun to put both Haydn’s Symphony No. 84 and Saint-George’s Symphony No. 1 on the program.” Saint-George was an accomplished swordsman, conductor, violinist, and composer. Although his work may be unfamiliar to many, he wrote several symphonies, roughly twenty-five violin concertos, and myriad string quartets and operas, all in a style similar to that of his contemporaries, Mozart and Haydn. The concert will conclude with Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, performed by Janina Fialkowska. Born in Montreal, Fialkowska began playing the piano at the age of five and has performed professionally for more than thirty years. Celebrated for her interpretations of the Classical and Romantic repertoire, she is particularly distinguished as one of the great interpreters of the piano works of Chopin and Mozart. Fialkowska has performed with many of the great North American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony, and several premier Canadian orchestras. Audiences interested in daytime concerts can enjoy selections from the above works during Classical Coffee Concert, Friday, November 15, at 10 a.m. at St. Cecilia’s Royce Auditorium. The one-hour concert will be preceded by a complimentary coffee and doughnut reception, beginning at 9 a.m.
Tickets for The Classical Concert are $26 to $34; tickets for Classical Coffee Concert are $12. Tickets are available at the Symphony office, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 300 Ottawa NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616/454-9451, ext. 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.) Tickets are available at the St. Cecilia Music Center box office on the day of the concert, beginning one hour before the performance. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787, online at www.grsymphony.org, or in person at Ticketmaster outlets: select D&W Fresh Markets, Family Fare Stores, and Walmart. Tickets purchased at these locations will include a Ticketmaster service fee. Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5, beginning one hour before the concert, by enrolling in the Symphony’s Student Passport program.
About the Grand Rapids Symphony
The Grand Rapids Symphony was officially organized in 1930 and is nationally recognized for the quality of its concerts and educational programs. Led by Music Director David Lockington, ten concert series are presented, featuring a wide range of music and performance styles. More than four hundred performances are presented each year, touching the lives of some 170,000. Nearly half of those who benefit are students, senior citizens, and people with disabilities reached through extensive education and community service programs. The Symphony’s Affiliated Organizations include the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Classical Orchestra, and Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses. The Symphony also provides the orchestra for Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. To learn more about the Grand Rapids Symphony, please visit www.grsymphony.org.
These concerts are made possible with support from the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Source: Grand Rapids Symphony
