Music from the past three centuries will be featured on the opening concert of Clinton Symphony Orchestra’s 63rd season. The concert is at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, September 24 in Centennial Auditorium at Sterling High School.
Guest soloist for the evening is Samantha Keehn, trombonist, and faculty member at Augustana College in Rock Island. She will perform the Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra by Ferdinand David, composed in 1837, and one of the earliest works written for that instrument and orchestra.
Dr. Keehn is in her seventh year on faculty at Augustana, and already has a distinguished history of performance and awards as an educator and performer. During her time in Sterling, she will visit Middle School and High School music classes to perform and work with the students. The in-school sessions are sponsored by a grant from Sauk Valley Bank.
Conductor Brian Dollinger will open the concert with the overture to Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni, composed in 1787. Everything was prepared for the first performance of the opera when Mozart realized that he had not written music to be played before the action begins. The ink was barely dry in time for the performance.
Following the trombone Concertino, the string section of the orchestra will be joined by harp to perform the Adagietto from the Fifth Symphony of Gustav Mahler. The movement was written in 1902 as a musical love-letter to Mahler’s future wife, Alma.
The major work of the evening is the Symphony No. 5 by Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich. The composer was at odds with Soviet authorities for much of his career, and he proved to be one of the more tragic figures of Russian arts and letters. He was in particular disfavor in 1936, and composed the new symphony in 1937 in an effort to re-gain approval of authorities. The premier of the work was the scene of extraordinary public acclamation. Performance requires mobilization of the complete orchestral forces.
“Orchestra concerts,” according to Executive Director Robert Whipple, “are a chance to hear a complete sound spectrum, and without the interference of electronic devices. Recording or broadcast of music requires reduction of the spectrum to make the information fit on or through the device. In any style of music, live is always better.”
“Classical music concerts may be frightening to some,” Whipple said. “It’s true that classical music lovers generally shut up and listen, holding off expressing appreciation until the end. It’s not necessary to dress up, tickets are affordable, and the main point is that everyone is welcome.”
All students are admitted free to Clinton Symphony Orchestra concerts. Adult tickets are $15 and available at the door of the concert. Advance tickets may be purchased at Grummert’s Hardware in Sterling, Fitzgerald Pharmacy in Morrison, and Tegeler Music in Clinton, or online at www.clintonsymphony.org. Season tickets are also available at the door or online, a 20% savings over individual concert tickets.
Program notes, with insights into the music on this concert are available on the website as well.
Community State Bank has partnered with the Symphony to provide a bus from Clinton, through Fulton and Morrison, to the concert in Sterling. Information and reservations can be made by calling 563-219-8084.