Highlighted by a premiere arrangement by and for its musicians, The Orion Ensemble,
winner of the prestigious Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for
Adventurous Programming, continues its 27th season with a diverse
chamber music program combining classics with modern works.
Performances, which also feature guest violist Stephen Boe ,
take place at a new venue this season--New England Congregational
Church in Aurora--March 1, followed by a benefit reception; PianoForte
Studios in Chicago March 4; and Music Institute of Chicago's Nichols
Concert Hall in Evanston March 8.
The program
A highlight of the concert is the premiere of Orion clarinetist Kathryne Pirtle and Orion violinist Florentina Ramniceanu's arrangement of Ugandan composer Justinian Tamusuza's Mu Kkubo Ery 'Omusaalaba (On the Way of the Cross) for clarinet quartet (1993), a rhythmically
innovative and captivating work earlier recorded by the Kronos Quartet.
Tamusuza blends Western classical and Ugandan traditional styles in his
compositions, including African folk elements, minimalist techniques
and poly-rhythms.
The Concertante Duo in E-Flat Major for violin and viola, Op. 5 by Alessandro Rolla features
the highly expressive strains of early Romanticism, tempered by the
charming elegance of Classical era influences. Known primarily as
Paganini's teacher, Rolla was a viola and violin virtuoso whose many
accomplishments include writing one of the first viola concertos.
Dvorák
had an international reputation when he completed his Piano Quartet in
E-Flat Major, Op. 87 in 1889. Responding to his publisher Simrock's
request, Dvorák composed this work only after completing his opera, The Jacobin.
This masterful chamber work displays extraordinary writing for piano
and prominent expressiveness for strings, resulting in an exquisitely
crafted work in overall texture and tone.
Continuing a long and fruitful partnership with Chicago-based composer Sebastian Huydts (b. 1966), Orion performs selected movements of his Delicias de Blancanieves
(Snow White's Delight, 2015), a highly imaginative work consisting of
27 fairy tales with a decidedly Spanish flavor. Strongly melodic and
tuneful, offering much rhythmic variety and a fair amount of harmonic
spice, each piece harbors a little story, suggested by its title.
Orion's performance features selections Huydts has arranged specifically for the ensemble as well as original versions played by Orion pianist Diana Schmück.
Orion's 27th season
Orion's
2019-20 season, which includes violist Stephen Boe on all programs,
concludes with Mozart, Borodin and Schumann, featuring guest violinist
Mathias Tacke, in May. Orion appears on the broadcast series "Live from WFMT" May 11, 2020.
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