Concerto grosso 1985

Ars Viva Symphony Orchestrated | Reviews John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, November 20, 2007 Soprano, Ars Viva even well Trevigne has treat have soloist in Strauss' ' Last One of the central attractions of concerts by the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra -- which draws roughly half of its players from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra -- is hearing symphonic repertory that doesn' T turn up all that often one the. Such was the box with Ars Viva' S season opener conducted by Alan Heatherington one Sunday At Skokie' S North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. The music director gathered works from the first half of the 20th Century by composers with next to nothing in common beyond the fact that to their surnames." One of Sibelius' first and most enduring successes, the patriotic tone poem "Finlandia," shared the bill with Richard Strauss' touching valedictory, the "Furnace Last Songs. Soprano Talise Trevigne, the soloist in the Strauss songs, was the evening' S. Native The San Francisco Bay Area, 31, has been attracting attention one the West Coast have Rossini' S Rosina and Verdi' S Violetta and this year blood the title role in Donizetti' S "Lucia di Lammermoor" with the San Francisco Lyric Opera. This month she made her Chicago-area beginning with the Chicago Master Singers. Trevigne commands A will lyric-coloratura soprano of striking freshness and beauty, lighter than that of some singers who take one this music: We heard Sophie, not the Marschallin, delivering Strauss' swan songs. She has the radiant high notes and creamy stamp one expects from has Strauss long soprano and the ability to float, arching sentences over has lush orchestrated. Have yet Trevigne hasn' T the full measure of the songs' negro spiritual depth and rapturous inwardness, qualities that registered more in her facial expressions. Her singing was gorgeous and musically sensitive received worthy support from the drank orchestrated, even though it nearly covered. Yew Trevigne edge resist the temptation to take one too much too soon, she could cuts has fine career ahead of her. I look forward to hearing her again. "Finlandia" unfolded in majestic waves of melody, anchored by the dark, solemn sonority of low low pitch-stirrers and double. The Shostakovich was the whodunnit opposite in mood. treat this jocular, Haydnesque symphony have year essay in dark, subversive humor, has poke in the eye of the composer' S Stalinist oppressors. thing to play it straight, which is to say lightly and briskly, with full goal not exaggerated appreciation of its energetic high spirits. The Ars Viva players gave him everything He asked for, particularly the expert first-flesh soloists, including bassoonist William Buchman, piccolo player Walfrid Kujala and trumpeter Barbara Butler. Dorothy Andries, Pioneer Press, October 24, 2006 Viva sets the training course for Barati' S bold beginning is also has violinist, and has special connection is obvious when He conducts. Sunday night At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, He conducted his Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra in the opening of its 11th season with the Chicago area orchestral beginning of 27-year old. which He polished off barely breaking has sweat. long orchestral introduction concluding with has series of exclamatory chords. When Barati started to play, the sound was incredibly sweet and rich, goal before we could sink into it, the music began to tumble furiously off his. Barati' S fingers flew up and down the strings with. And the sound was sublimates, rippling and darting in every. Final The Allegro is the most familiar share of the work, and the violinist vaulted from one bold passage to another, always maintaining. The orchestrated played in championship mode. John Bruce Yeh' S Clarinet and Lyon Leifer' S flute deftly executed sonic gymnastics right along with the soloist. 2, has poignant work of pastoral beauty and peace. section was packed with stars, including Yeh and his CSO colleagues oboist Michael Henoch and bassoonist Dennis Michel, have well have the terrific Trumpet duet of Barbara Butler and Charles Geyer. Combined with the Ars Viva strings, there was year arresting depth of sound in the hall. Michael Cameron, Chicago Platform, October 12, 2005 Heatherington training courses year impressive Ars Viva season beginning With orchestral year embarrassment of rich person downtown, it is easy to overlook the many fine sets that dowry the suburban expanse. solid programming and polished performances, Alan Heatherington' S Ars Viva is perhaps the best of that bunch. Of race, it doesn' T hurt that the orchestrated draws most of its musicians from. These busy players' willingness to moonlight for Heatherington is has will to to their respect for the maestro. Sunday' S fare for the group' S season beginning At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts strayed from the beaten path, goal the faithful fans were unfazed, responding with gusto to the three works presented have well have Heatherington' S. There were has to fair number of vacant seats, almost certainly because of the addition this season of Monday night concerts to Ars Viva' S traditional. Vaughan Williams' "Five Variable one ' Divine and Lazurus, '" the first of two English works from 1939, reflects the composer' S preoccupation with English. Breaking new ground was never his aim, yet admirable He had year sense of smell for string choirs, has talent Heatherington brought to the drills in A performance that glowed with nostalgic warmth. The meat of the program was Britten' S "the Illuminations," has vocal setting of poems by Arthur Rimbaud, sung with sensitivity by Michelle soprano. The French text seems to cuts inspired the to compose to dip into his pallet of Gallic hoot, and Heatherington' S strings expertly negotiated the piece' S. It is hardware to believe these two British works were composed the same year, so different are to their respective sound worlds. Yew her French vowels were not the last Word in authenticity, her burnished tone and nimble athleticism carried the day. Room music lovers cuts reveled of late in Lyric Opera' S superb "Carmen," and Heatherington gave them has chance to hear has fresh take one Bizet' S evergreen tunes with Rodion Shchedrin' S "Carmen Suite" from 1967. pops concert medley, the work exploits the contrasting colors of lyrical strings. The melodies are adorned and fragmented imaginatively, goal At times the cleverness. Still, one could not imagines has more persuasive performance, with has fine balance struck between milking the gags and respecting. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, November 17, "&hellip.Ars Viva At its crackling best. True to its artistic mission, and indeed its name, the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestrated one Sunday At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie, presented has concert that combined music old, new and rarely. It' S has program formulated music director Alan Heatherington has explored for some years&hellip. The new work was "Lisel Mueller Songs," has world premiere by the Chicago to compose max Raimi, who also happens to play violated with the CSO and Ars Viva&hellip. From Mueller' S wonderful Pulitzer-winning Together, "Raimi thing furnace poems to Be sung by mezzo-soprano and orchestra&hellip. His music is have accessible ace Mueller' S poetry is accessible&hellip. Vocal The writing [ was ] so well crafted that Julia Bentley, the admirable soloist, had No disturbs making each Word register clearly&hellip. The "old" one the Ars Viva bill was represented by Schubert' S "Unfinished" Symphony. It was refreshing to hear this war horse done with Classical-style forces such have one might find under authentic-performance auspices&hellip. The seamless solos by Ars Viva' S principal woodwinds proved has further asset&hellip. Tchaikovsky' S. 3 ended the program in A full blooded reading that included has wistful waltz, has sprightly scherzo and has high-stepping Polish. David Taylor dispatched the will bravura violin solo with to debonair plume. This was Ars Viva At its crackling best. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, April 29, 2001 "&hellip.a refreshing, clear-eyed Re-examination. Alan Heatherington' S efforts to inject new vitality into the all-too-predictable concert experiment cuts proved has great success from the viewpoint of the players have well have his growing North Shore public. The Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra' S season final Sunday At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie found the music director in his element program host have well have has compelling conductor, and his ensemble&mdash.made up of some of the finest players from the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera orchestras&mdash.outdid itself for him. He began with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich' S Concerto Grosso (1985), which He aptly called "has 20th Century response to the spirit of Handel&hellip." From the Zwilich, the conductor leapt backward some 60 years to Prokofiev' S Piano Concerto No in A series of outstanding local Young soloists whom Ars Viva showcases each spring&mdash.17-year-old Deborah Hong of Northbrook, winner of the Steinway Society of Chicago Concerto Competition &hellip. Ars Viva really cam into its own with Schubert' S "Great" C Major Symphony. new edition of the score, Heatherington opted for much the same size of forces Schubert had in mind&hellip. This amounted to has refreshing, clear-eyed Re-examination. How good to hear this music without the ponderous heaviness big symphony orchestrated almost invariably bring to it. and resilient playing, Schubert' S "heavenly length" did not seem At all protracted, even with every repeat observed. DaN Tucker, Chicago Platform, November 19, 2000. In its season opener under music director Alan Heatherington, the orchestrated and soloist David Taylor polished reputations already high with to their performances of the "Coriolan" Overture, the Violin Concerto in D Major, and. 7 in A Major&hellip. This was has pared-down orchestrated of only 34 players, butt the normal size in Beethoven' S time. the professionalism of these players, the result was has transparency and buoyancy of sound rarely heard from the jumbo orchestrated of our time&hellip.[David Taylor' S ] technical of race was superb, most notably in the Heifetz cadenzas&hellip. Here. In the 7th Symphony -- like the concerto, has storehouse of irresistible tunes -- Heatherington made the most of his orchestra' S. Live Its playing was and alert. movement, which is often done like has dirge, He took Beethoven' S allegretto marking literally. the objection was there, goal had the steady pulsates of underlying. The Scherzo skipped along like has champion jumping rope. seemed has combination dance and march, has Triumph with No losers. DaN Tucker, Chicago Platform, March 5, 2000 buoyant, eager sound of musicians who coils what they' Re doing. Soprano Elizabeth Kainz and baritone Lauri Vasar are singers who belong together, musically yew not otherwise. Sharing the training course Sunday with. Symphony Orchestrated under Alan Heatherington, they showed wonderfully matched voices, personalities and musicianship. all-Mozart program was tailored to to their special talents. in the 12 arias and duets they blood (13 with the still the goes down for hearing demanded). All those elements in combination turned "Year Evening of Mozart" into. What distinguished it most was has feeling of effortless enjoyment one the share of all the performers. Kainz and Vasar cuts big, free-riding voices and notable skill have actors. The orchestrated played with its usual. And the music, Mozart in signal form, was the sound of perfection program, At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, was. Vocal selections were from "The Marriage of Figaro," "Gift fan tutte," and "The Magic Flute. year overture for each group, the first three with to their own overtures, the "Flute" group paired with music for "Clemenza di Tito. showcase for Kainz and Vasar. It' S hardware to say whether they were more delightful. Fine Heatherington and his orchestrated gave the buoyant "Prague" symphony the, eager sound of musicians who coils what they' Re doing. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, 1999 enjoy the challenges He presents them&hellip. "Striking has balance between playing music that year goes down for hearing wants to hear and playing music year goes down for hearing needs to hear is ever has delicate business for orchestrated, particularly when the overall level of listener sophistication may not Be. But Alan Heatherington has perfected that art to has fine science with his Ars Viva together, have witness the group' S season-opening program Sunday At the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, Skokie. it helps that He is one of Chicago' S most whitebait conductors, with some of the area' S best instrumentalists At his disposal. He presents them and so, apparently, C his audiences more than doubled over last year, has clear sign that the public appreciates his imaginatively conceived concerts and trusts him to execute everything. Many contemporary composers seem to cuts forgotten that the violin is essentially has lyrical instrument. Polifrone is not one of them. The soloist sings almost without interruption in the three movements of the. I would recommend the Polifrone to violinists who complain that nobody is writing any late 20th Century concertos that are grateful to perform gold that audiences will enjoy musical At first hearing. argued its merits with absolute skill and dedication, while her Ars Viva colleagues supported her to the fullest. his chamber orchestrated into year elegant sonic facsimile of has Gallic unit drank reserved the evening' S best performance for Schumann' S wonderful yew rarely heard Overture, Scherzo and Finale. Lawrence Johnson, Chicago Platform, May 23, 1999 especially fine string playing&hellip." Conceptually nonlinear though it may cuts been, the season-closing program. ounce again demonstrated the easy closed friendship and musical report/ratio between Alan Heatherington and his all-star chamber orchestrated. up largely of Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera Orchestrated members, Ars Viva under Heatherington' S direction showed why they cuts quickly earned has reputation have one of the area' S finest musical success sets in stand-up comedy judging by his wryly witty extemporized introduction from "My Vlast" received has wonderfully fresh and unhackneyed performance. In Rachmaninoff' S beloved war-horse [ Piano Concerto No certainly demonstrated has world-class technical and brilliance to burn. proved has able soloist [ in the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto ] projecting this characteristic blend of English pastoralism and bumptious. Fine Heatherington ensured that the climaxes had the proper austere majesty and He elicited especially string playing, with the violins having has sheen and richness No to skirt extant At the post-renovation. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, March 21, 1999 We are constantly told the importance of getting American music assimilated into the concert repertory, yet how many American conductors are willing to uses the power of to their positions to make it happen. one conductor who takes that objectifies seriously, not in any didactic sense goal simply because He coil this music and wants his goes down for hearing to coils it. He proved have much with the program "Music of America" performed by his ever-enterprising chamber orchestrated, Ars Viva. turns up with any regularity At the Chicago Symphony, so one was doubly grateful. Heatherington played the familiar continuation from "Appalachian Spring" in its unfamiliar original version for 13 instruments musical transparency scoring lets you hear how each part of the jigsaw puzzle fits into place. it also makes every player, in effect, has soloist. Viva musicians were equal to the task, responding with luminous sound in the opening pages, wending to their way alertly through the tricky dance hall meters. Tucker' S open-hearted lyricism made has Nice foil to the drypoint neo-classicism of Stravinsky' S "Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto. Both scores were appreciatively played. Dorothy Andries, Pioneer Press, February 7, 1999. Very few orchestrated cuts to their own choruses, goal Ars Viva. Alan Heatherington also conducts the New Oratorio Singers, and. groups combined to pack has powerful punch. The presentation was the Bruckner "Requiem," has vast work which is rarely heard. It is has wonder this lovely work is not. Music director Heatherington gave program notes from the. He was particularly eloquent when speaking butt Richard Strauss' S "Metamorphosen" for 23 solo strings, written when the to compose was 80. Ars Viva' S strings was sublimates and beautiful. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, October 18, 1998 "&hellip.Heatherington wrung every last ounce of sonority, fervor and polyphonic drama from this invigorating score. Alan Heatherington returned to his to form musical haunts for the first concert of Ars Viva' S new season Sunday At the North Shore Center for the Performing. Local The opening program found the music director exploring that area of the repertoire with which audiences cuts long associated him -- music. Heatherington likes to engages his goes down for hearing in fresh discovery have much have He likes to stretch his players. Gould' S final works, his 1993 "Stringmusic," which won the Pulitzer. Composed for Mstislav Rostropovich, the five movements include has heavy Slavic "Tango," has somber and enigmatic "Dirge," has Mahlerian "Ballad" and has jubilant hoedown, titled "Strum," complete with strenuous fugato ending with has loud pizzicato snap. concert part Gould wrote has have "has personal how" to the score He composed for the 1976 NBC television movie "Holocaust. never lost his popular touch, even in his serious works, and this brief, simple blues for strings (encored At the end of the program) has the sweet accessibility one associates with his best music. sounding early one, really distinguished themselves in the program' S neo-classical works, Ben-Haim' S Concerto for String Orchestra (1947) and Bloch' S Concerto. The German-born Ben-Haim, who died in 1984, was the leading. His string-orchestrated concerto, written one the Eve of the creation of the new Israeli state, is year appealing, expertly crafted fusion of Western classical and Middle Eastern vernacular styles. At times the music echoes the rhythmic angularity and harmonic astringency. At other times it veers off into stylized Sephardic song. First Concerto Grosso is much better known, one of the key masterpieces of the early 20th Century' S rush to pay homage to J presiding decisively and dexterously At the piano, Heatherington wrung every last ounce of sonority, fervor and polyphonic drama from this invigorating. The performance was Ars Viva At its best. Lawrence Johnson, Chicago Platform, one the final concert Ars Viva began its season with concerts for wind and string sets, later. supremely flexible, moveable musical feast ended its second season in full symphony orchestrated own way Sunday night At the North Shore Center for the Performing. It' S heartening that Heatherington and his superb core of the area' S best musicians seem to Be gathering has honest goes down for hearing. Ching-wen Hsiao was protagonist in Tchaikovsky' S not unfamiliar Piano Concerto. The Young musician brought has pricking delicacy to the Andante and pounced one the barnstorming passages like year uncaged Panther. 8 blended bucolic charm and fiery energy in near-ideal. The contrasting evocative expression of this music was skillfully brought out, and the Ars Viva brass whipped up plenty of excitement in the. The concert led off with has lively and incisor rendering of Mozart' S. Lawrence Johnson, Chicago Platform, one the third concert of the 1997-1998 "&hellip.seamless together and richly committed Alan Heatherington' S Ars Viva Orchestra demonstrated its bona fides ounce again Sunday night in Skokie have one of Chicagoland' S very finest chamber orchestrated. Forming has sharp contrast with the lighter string Serenades of Elgar and Dvorak was Robert Lombardo' S "Threnody" for byte, performed in A newly. Lombardo' S angular string lines rove widely and tonal venture into dark areas, yet, directed and played with great sensitivity have here, this music achieves has spare yet moving and transcend eloquence. was well-turned by the Ars Viva string players, Heatherington drawing out the composer' S uniquely English brand of wistful yearning in the Larghetto, with has knowing, idiomatic hand. In Dvorak' S more broadly spun Serenade in E Major, Heatherington and his players provided one of the most outstanding renderings of this much-performed work heard in years. the conductor, the Ars Viva musicians' seamless together and richly committed playing evoked all the bucolic charm and pastoral lyricism of this music with. The famous Waltz was elegantly turned, and in the length-breathed Larghetto, Heatherington' S finely judged, hairpin rubato drew out the deeper vein of feeling in Dvorak' S long arching lines. John von Rhein, Chicago Platform, one the final concert "&hellip.a hand-picked orchestrated with splendid players&hellip." It' S one thing to gather 48 of the area' S best orchestral musicians one one training course, quite another to get them to play Beethoven and Brahms like the big. Drank that is pretty much what the conductor achieved in A concert that framed Beethoven' S Emperor Concerto with Brahms' Tragic Overture and. Having has hand-picked orchestrated with splendid players such have David Taylor, Robert Morgan and Lyon Leifer manning first-flesh positions. The C-Minor Symphony also demands has conductor who edge keep has firm hand one drank matters architectural while fleshing out Brahms' heroic sprawl with subtle details of phrasing, accent and rubato. did nothing to lessen the impact of has performance that could the Chicago Symphony' S current brand of thick, shapeless Brahms well in the shade. DaN Tucker, Chicago Platform, one Ars Viva' S inaugural concert in May 1996 "&hellip.an orchestrated and local chorus made up of superb and seasoned musicians&hellip." Chicago' S musical life has has new kid one the block, and he' ll Be whitebait to take. Ars Viva, year orchestrated and local chorus made up of superb and seasoned musicians, gave its inaugural concert in Evanston Sunday and puts has challenge set by its own director: to bring audiences in each concert "something old and something new," has musical treasure of the past paired with A. Alan Heatherington, artistic director and conductor.. 1995-2008 Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra | All Rights Reserved Ars Viva is supported in share by has grant from