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Music / September 2016

October 2016 | August 2016
    • ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON presents NUTCRACKERSATURDAY 15 OCTOBER...
      • ORCHESTRA WELLINGTON presents NUTCRACKER SATURDAY 15 OCTOBER 2016, 7:30PM MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE, WELLINGTON Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) Overture to Beatrice and Benedict (Composed 1860) Béla Bartók (1881–1945) Piano Concerto No 3 in E Major (Composed 1945) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) Nutcracker Ballet, Act II (Composed 1892) Marc Taddei, Conductor Michael Houstoun, Piano It is no surprise that the most personally dramatic of Romantic composers, Hector Berlioz, revered the works of one of the greatest dramatists, William Shakespeare. His last substantial work was a comic opera based on two characters from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Mercurial and bright, the overture captures the essence of an opera Berlioz described as “a caprice written with the point of a needle”. Michael Houstoun and Orchestra Wellington have enjoyed a long and fruitful artistic relationship. Music Director Marc Taddei calls the intelligence and clarity that Houstoun brings to his musicmaking “a perfect fit for the Bartók”. The Third Piano Concerto is Bartók’s most lyrical, full of whimsical and beguiling melodies influenced by Hungarian folk music. Bartók wrote it as a gift for his wife, Ditta, who was also a concert pianist. In keeping with the Orchestra’s 2016 theme of final masterworks, the concerto is truly Bartók’s “last word,” written during the illness that claimed his life. Tchaikovsky’s greatest gifts shine in his last ballet, the Nutcracker. His ability to write unforgettable melodies is matched by orchestration that clothes them in their most attractive colours. The Nutcracker is filled with the impulse to move, and its music understands everything about how a human body might express grace, power and emotion. With its fantastic scenes and dramatic montages, this is music that brings the imagination to life. For the fourth time, the Orchestra will celebrate its partnership with Hutt Valley’s Sistema youth orchestra Arohanui Strings by inviting them onstage to perform with them. The pieces include the Finale from Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings (in honour of the Orchestra’s Last Words theme), Purcell’s Rondo from the Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and a few other miniature gems. This partnership performance is the highlight of the year for many of the Sistema families, says Arohanui Strings  director Alison Eldredge. “We are very grateful for OW’s support as well as for the  pizza, smiles and encouragement our young players receive on this special occasion.” www.orchestrawellington.co.nz
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        • Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


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