North Carolina Symphony Presents SHAKESPEARE IN MUSIC, 4/28-5/3

By: Apr. 11, 2011
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"If music be the food of love," wrote Shakespeare, "play on." The North Carolina Symphony takes that famous command to five communities across the state, and offers concertgoers a unique way to commemorate the Royal Wedding on April 29 to boot. The orchestra, led by Music Director Grant Llewellyn and joined on stage by a pair of local professional actors, presents a glimpse of "Shakespeare in Music," April 28 - May 3.

The Raleigh performance is presented as the final installment of the Symphony's 2010/11 Friday Favorites matinee concerts. It takes place at Meymandi Concert Hall in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 29, at 12:00 p.m.

Llewellyn and Resident Conductor William Henry Curry also present this special lineup of the best music inspired by the Bard first at Memorial Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Thursday, April 28, at 8:00 p.m.

Weekend performances follow at Edward C. Smith Civic Center in Lexington on Saturday, April 30, at 8:00 p.m. and New Bern Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern on Sunday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. The concerts conclude at Reeves Auditorium at Methodist University in Fayetteville on Tuesday, May 3, at 8:00 p.m.

The program presents "a wide range of styles and tastes and times," says Llewellyn. "The composers are all interpreting Shakespeare in their own way. Mendelssohn's incidental music from A Midsummer Night's Dream is as sparkling and gossamer as you can possibly imagine and yet Dvorák's Othello Overture is about as brooding as you can imagine. There is an incredible amount of repertoire out there, and I think this gives a wonderful taste."

The performances open with a spirited, long-time favorite in Berlioz's Overture to the comic opera Beatrice et Benedict, before offering the two celebrated works by Mendelssohn and Dvorák. Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream is particularly popular as the source of his famous Wedding March.

The orchestra then turns to one of Llewellyn's favorite composers, Frederick Delius, for another touch of Shakespeare's romantic side in the delicate song The Walk to the Paradise Garden, from A Village Romeo and Juliet. The piece nicely balances the orchestra's playful finale, Nicolai's Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor.

In between selections, a pair of North Carolina actors-Katja Hill and Jon Mozes, directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams-complete the connection between music and literature with dramatic readings from Shakespeare's timeless works.

The Raleigh concert is the final performance in the Symphony's 2010/11 Friday Favorites series. Next season's NCS Matinees program will present three Friday Favorites concerts exploring composers who crossed national boundaries to celebrate another culture's musical heritage. Series subscriptions are now on sale.

Regular tickets to the Friday Favorites matinee performance of "Shakespeare in Music" on Friday, April 29, are $25. Meymandi Concert Hall is located in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., in Raleigh.

Regular tickets to the Duke Medicine Classical Series Chapel Hill performance on Thursday, April 22, range from $30 to $45, with $30 tickets for seniors and $10 tickets for students. Memorial Hall is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on E. Cameron Ave.

Tickets to the concert in Lexington on Saturday, April 30, range from $25 to $35 and can be purchased by calling 336.249.7875. Smith Civic Center is located at 217 S. Main St. in Lexington.

Regular tickets to the New Bern concert on Sunday, May 1, range from $25 to $40. New Bern Riverfront Convention Center is located at 203 S. Front St. in New Bern. Tickets to the concert in Fayetteville on Tuesday, May 3, are $28. Reeves Auditorium is located on the campus of Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey St., in Fayetteville.

For tickets, program notes, podcasts-or just to get to know your Symphony musicians-visit the North Carolina Symphony Web site at www.ncsymphony.org. Call North Carolina Symphony Audience Services at 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724.

The State of North Carolina has issued your Symphony an $8 million challenge; learn more at www.ncsymphony.org/challenge.

 

 

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