A season of celebration in honor of Music Director Carl St.Clair's 20th Anniversary culminates on Tuesday, May 18, at 8 p.m., in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, with a very special evening of music, featuring classical music superstar Joshua Bell. Like no other violinist of recent times, Bell has captured the imaginations of both critics and audiences; Interview magazine once said his playing "does nothing less than tell human beings why they bother to live." The evening's concert was specially programmed by St.Clair to include music that holds special meaning for him, with guest artists he considers close friends, including pianist Benjamin Pasternack, baritone Christòpheren Nomura, and Pacific Chorale, led by John Alexander.
The program includes Mozart's Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro"; Mahler's "Ich bin der Welt" from Rückert Lieder; with baritone Christòpheren Nomura; Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, performed by Bell; Ticheli's "There Will Be Rest," featuring Pacific Chorale, conducted by
John Alexander; Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, featuring Benjamin Pasternack and Pacific Chorale; Bernstein's Three Dance Episodes from
On the Town; and Beethoven's Allegro con brio from Symphony No. 7.
"The concert is an evening of fondly remembered music performed by dear friends," says St.Clair. "I am very honored that Josh has found time in his schedule to be with us. Having someone of his musical stature performing the beloved Mendelssohn Violin Concerto is a rare treat." Bell enjoys a successful concert career; chamber music collaborations; occasional partnerships with artists outside the classical arena, including
Josh Groban,
James Taylor and Sting; and performances as featured soloist in movie soundtracks, including
The Red Violin, and, more recently, James Newton Howard's Academy Award-nominated score for
Defiance.
"Most everything that has been important in my musical life will be present during this single evening," adds St.Clair. The program begins with Mozart's Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro," which is also the first piece on the first concert that St.Clair conducted with Pacific Symphony in 1990. "I still remember the rehearsals and the performance," he says. "It sizzled and delighted. There was only one work which could open such a special 20th anniversary program—and it is this little jewel by Mozart."
The program continues with
Gustav Mahler's "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen"—which was chosen for two reasons that are important to St.Clair: "The first is that during my tenure I have brought the world of Mahler to our audiences and they have increasingly embraced this master and his music." The second reason is that this song was sung by
Christa Ludwig in
Carnegie Hall at the first memorial concert for St.Clair's mentor, teacher and friend,
Leonard Bernstein. "This work—in a mere seven minutes or so—paints a vivid portrait of the essence of Mahler's and Bernstein's lives. And Nomura has sung with us on many important occasions, including the opening of the concert hall. Having his musical spirit on this program fills it with a musical sincerity, integrity and honesty."
After intermission, Pacific Chorale performs a work by Frank Ticheli—who was the Symphony's first composer-in-residence and who has since composed half a dozen works for the orchestra. Ticheli also helped to establish the credibility of the Symphony's pre-concert lectures by making them informative, educational and entertaining. The Chorale's Alexander then conducts, "There Will be Rest," a text by Sarah Teasdale, which is an a cappella choral work written and dedicated to the memory of the St.Clairs' late son, Cole Carsan St.Clair, for whom the Symphony's arts-X-press program was created.
"Having Frank, the Chorale and
John Alexander on this program brings so much together during these sublime five minutes of this very touching work," says St.Clair. "It will be a profound moment for me during the evening. And having Ben Pasternack on the evening's docket was a must. Of all the
International Artists I've conducted, I have performed most often with my dear friend, Ben."
St.Clair and Pasternack share a great deal of history together from their days together at the Boston Symphony Orchestra and at Tanglewood, and during the past 20 years, Pasternack has performed with Pacific Symphony on many occasions. For the evening's program, Pasternack performs a work by a mutual friend and mentor of St.Clair's—
Leonard Bernstein's Three Dance Episodes from
On the Town. The piece, which had been arranged for solo piano, was approved by the Bernstein Foundation "because they know how much Lenny respected and appreciated Ben's musicianship," adds St.Clair.
The concert continues with Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. "This brings the gang all together—Ben, the Chorale and the Symphony," says St.Clair, who, when he first performed the work with Pacific Symphony encountered a problem with the soloist. So he called Pasternack in Boston at midnight, PST (it was 3 a.m. in Boston). St.Clair asked what the pianist was doing the next day and if he was free to fly to Orange County and rehearse the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto and the Beethoven Choral Fantasy. Pasternack agreed—but added that he hadn't played the Mendelssohn since he was a young music student at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia—but was sure he would remember it. He added that he had never performed the Beethoven before, but had heard the work often.
"Well, needless to say, Ben showed up a little tired, but performed both of these works incredibly. It was astounding!" says St.Clair. "The whole orchestra realized what he had done for us to save that week's concerts and they applauded him heartily. He was a hero! He is today one of my heroes!"
The program closes with the final movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. On Aug. 19, 1990,
Leonard Bernstein conducted this fiery symphony at the 50th anniversary of the Serge Koussevitzky Memorial Concert at Tanglewood. This ultimately was the very final concert of the iconic conductor/composer's 72 years of life.
"It was a moment I will never forget," says St.Clair. "Because he had been so ill, I ended up conducting the world premiere of the last composition of his life, 'Arias and Barcarolles,' on the last concert of his life. This was a weekend that remains life-altering. Being there during these moments carries with it a responsibility to continue his footsteps as a champion of music—to lead, embrace, challenge, educate, inspire, share, mentor, embrace the new and cherish the old, to celebrate differences, dream big, work hard, be thankful, remain humble."
St.Clair adds one last sentiment, as he nears the end of his anniversary season: "My dear friends, the wonderful musicians of Pacific Symphony—my partners in my mission to bring music and culture to our county—are the reason that Pacific Symphony continues to rise in stature. Along with our extended Symphony family—friends, supporters, staff and board of directors—we share a unique bond and realize the importance of having music that has endured as a part of our daily fabric of life. Together we have decided to make this common goal a reality. When I extend my deepest thanks, at the top of my list will be the musicians. What a rewarding 20 years it has been."
-----
Tickets are $29-$129; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit
www.pacificsymphony.org.
The 'MUSIC DIRECTOR CARL ST. CLAIR'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY' event begins with a delectable pre-concert celebration dinner beginning at 5:45 p.m. at Mastro's Steakhouse, 633 Anton Blvd., in Costa Mesa; an intermission reception in the Box Circle Lobby on the second floor of the concert hall follows the first half of the concert. Admission to the dinner and reception (concert is separate) is $250 per person and includes a contribution in support of the Symphony's artistic prgrams.
Comments
To post a comment, you must
register and
login.
.png)
.png)
