LAKEPORT
L.C. Chamber Orchestra to play Vivaldi -and more- in summer concert
Antonio Vivaldi, Franz Joseph Haydn, George Friedrich Handel and Luigi Boccherini are the featured composers in Lake County Symphony’s summer chamber concert scheduled for 2 p.m., August 20 at the Lakeport’s Soper Reese Theatre. John Parkinson conducts this exciting mixture of baroque and classical favorites.
The concert begins with Boccherini’s “Menuette du Quintette.” This piece is followed by “Fandango” from his Guitar Quintet in D, featuring local guitarist Carlos Bono. Boccherini was born into a musical family in Lucca, Italy in 1743. He was considered a child prodigy and had a long career in music, supported by wealthy benefactors. He died in Madrid in 1805 after several years of ill health and money problems.
Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor comes next, with two soloists: Emerson Lee and Kathy Vast. This composition is believed to have been composed in the 1720s and is Vivaldi’s only concerto for two cellos. It begins in an unusual way-with the solo instruments alone, imitating each other in fast succession with virtuoso passages. Both soloists are equals.
Vivaldi, (1678-1741) was one of the first composers to feature the cello and wrote at least 27 concertos for the cello. He is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, along with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.
Following the intermission, the audience will hear Haydn’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in G major with soloist Eleanor Cook. Haydn (1732-1809) was born in Rohrau, Austria and is considered one of the greatest composers of classical music. His compositions include 104 symphonies, 50 concertos, 84 string quartets, 24 stage works, and 12 Masses, among numerous other works. He has been called the “father of the symphony.”
The concert ends with Handel’s Concerto Grosso Opus 3, No. 3, featuring Patricia Jekel on flute. Handel, (1685-1759) born in Halle, Germany, was a prolific and enduring composer of the Baroque period. His operas and orchestral works—particularly Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks —continue to remain standard repertoire. Handel’s Messiah is the most famous of all oratorios and is a staple for many ensembles’ Christmas programming. His compositions are considered benchmarks of Baroque-era music, known for their deceptive simplicity and dramatic effects.
Tickets may be purchased online at the Soper Reese website or by phone: 707-263-0577. They will also be available prior to the performance at the Soper Reese box office at 275 S. Main St. Please arrive 30 minutes before showtime when buying tickets at the door. Tickets are $15. There is no admission charge for season ticket holders and for anyone under age 18. There will be one performance only, beginning at 2 p.m.
—Submitted
