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Join Emily Ray for a dazzling evening of musical treasures, featuring the Bay Area's favorite pianist, Jon Nakamatsu, and the Evergreen Valley High School Strings!
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Beethoven |
Symphony No. 8 |
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Mozart |
Piano Concerto No. 23 |
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Faure |
Pavane |
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Donizetti |
Allegro for Strings |
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Senturia |
Petra |
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Jon Nakamatsu, piano |
| Evergreen Valley High School Strings, guest performers |
About Jon Nakamatsu
Jon Nakamatsu, a San Jose, California native, is one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation. Mission Chamber Orchestra is thrilled to host Jon for another performance with the orchestra. For more details about Jon, please see his website.
Background on the Music
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 8 in 1812, writing it at the same time as he wrote his famous Symphony No. 7. This symphony is shorter than most of his symphonies, with a lighter touch - and a little less seriousness. It was first performed in Vienna, conducted by Beethoven himself.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, well-recognized for his prolific compositions and style, wrote 27 piano concertos. Concerto No. 23, composed later in his life, in 1786, was written with Concerto No. 24 in the course of one month! Concerto No. 23 is highly popular and notable for its beautiful and poignant slow movement in F sharp minor.
Gabriel Faure, a noted French organist during the late 1800's, studied with Saint-Saens, where he undoubtedly learned the power of chords and chord direction. He later became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire, where his students included Maurice Ravel, George Enesco and Louis Aubert. The Pavane, a dance, is richly harmonized and also offers an optional choral part.
Gaetano Donizetti, born in what later became Austria, came from a poor family that was not musically inclined. With instruction through the local churches, Donizetti began writing operas in the early 1800's, and ended up composing more than 75 operas, including his famous Lucia di Lammermoor. Donizetti suffered much personal sorrow, losing his wife and three children, and sinking into delirium before his death at the age of 51 in 1848.
Michael Senturia is the only contemporary composer in this concert, born in 1937 in Washington DC, and now local to the Bay Area. Senturia spent many years in higher education - instructing, conducting and composing music at Harvard and UC Berkeley, where he retired in 1992. Since his reirement, he has continued to compose music for wind, string and vocal groups. Petra was composed in 2008 and was first premiered in February 2009 by Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra.
What to listen for
Beethoven’s dashing Symphony No. 8 is lively, lively, lively! Part of its charm is the dancing cross-rhythms between various counts to a measure. Listen for the “clock-like” charm of the second movement, as Beethoven depicts the sound of a metronome! In the final movement, the orchestra maintains a steady beat, but you end up tapping your toe first three times, then two, to the same amount of time!
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 follows the typical three-part sonata form, with a light and lilting melody. Listen for themes reminiscent of “The Marriage of Figaro” – which was composed by Mozart around the same time as this concerto. With Jon Nakamatsu’s style and sensitivity, you will be thoroughly impressed by how he makes this concerto look so effortless to play – in fact, the speed is so intense, his hands fly over the keyboard!
The Pavane by Gabriel Faure, composed as a stately dance, is a graceful and lyrical melody, which should sound familiar to audiences. Listen for the moving tones, as chords fill out and then bend into the next chord. This piece is almost an exercise for the ear, but a beautifully scripted one!
Donizetti’s Allegro for Strings is a delightful piece composed between opera works, for which Donizetti was more well-known. Listen for the two themes, and interestingly, the piece ends without a recapitulation to the first theme, but rather, with a development of the second. Evergreen Valley High School Strings join Mission Chamber strings.
In Michael Senturia's Petra, listen for the haunting tones that lead down the rocky descent toward the ruins of Petra. This is followed by the excitement of the orchestra reflecting the discovery of the “Treasury” – the rock Temple and the climax of the piece - and the returning haunting tones as the visitor retraces his steps through the rocks back the way he came.
How to get to Le Petit Trianon
Le Petit Trianon is located in downtown San Jose, near the Rotunda. Free parking is available across the street from the theater in a new, well-lit parking garage. Click here for more information about the theater.
Enjoy Downtown San Jose
Downtown San Jose has a number of pre- and post-concert options for cocktails, dining and entertainment. MCO recommends Eulipia Restaurant, a few short blocks from the theater.
Buy Your Tickets!
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| Jon Nakamatsu |
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| Featured Composers |
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| Listen to Beethoven's "Symphony No. 8, Allegro Vivace" |
Click here |
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| Listen to Mozart's "Piano Concerto No. 23," Adagio |
Click here |
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| Listen to Donizetti's "Allegro for Strings" |
Click here |
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Concerts are supported, in part, by a Cultural
Affairs grant from the City of San José, grants from the Farrington
Historical Foundation and the Castellano Family Foundation, an Applied
Materials Excellence in the Arts Grant, and by a grant from Arts Council
Silicon Valley, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara and the
National Endowment for the Arts.
Photo of Jon Nakamatsu courtesy of Christian Steiner
Design by Descant Group -
San Jose, California
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