‘Different angles’ fill MSO program
This weekend’s Memphis Symphony Orchestra engagement offers a diverse trio of hefty works by John Adams, Beethoven and Dvorak.
Julie Albers
Mei-Ann Chen
STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
More Stage News
- Hattiloo Theatre wants its actors recognized
- 'Dearly Beloved' keeps the laughs coming
- Miracle play: Brush with death opens curtain on little-known disorder
Share and Enjoy [?]
It’s also a chance to check out guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen, the third of three candidates to audition for the job held by retiring music director David Loebel.
In a telephone interview last week, Chen spoke about the program to be performed as part of the First Tennessee Grand Series Saturday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts and also the Sundays with the Symphony Series at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre.
The popular Dvorak Cello Concerto, to be performed by guest artist Julie Albers, was already set when Chen got the guest conducting assignment. Taking it from there, Chen, assistant conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, said, “I thought it would be nice to bring a repertoire with different angles to the orchestra so they could check out the different skill sets I bring.”
She observed that the Dvorak Cello Concerto was written when the composer was in New York. “It has an American connection and I thought I could construct the program with something more contemporary that gives a different color and experience for the audience and orchestra.”
She chose “The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot,” an excerpt from the John Adams opera “Nixon in China.” “I thought it might be a good combination of something I was looking for and bring in a different angle.”
For the second half of the concert, however, Chen went for one of the grandest favorites of all time, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
“I wanted to do something that could showcase the orchestra,” she said. “It’s one of the hardest pieces for the conductor, and it takes a great team to bring that piece to life.”
Chen also wanted to show that the monumental work was something she could do with the orchestra within a week, “and give everybody a chance to ponder over which candidate is the right match for the orchestra.”
Memphis Symphony Orchestra with guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen and guest soloist Julie Albers on cello
The First Tennessee Grand Series concert is Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 N. Main. Tickets: $15-$78.
The Sundays with the Symphony Series concert is Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre, 1801 Exeter Road. Tickets: $45. Call 537-2525 or go to memphissymphony.org.
Comments
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.