FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2019
Corvallis-OSU Symphony opens season with Mozart, Bruckner October 6
By Zachary C. Person
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Corvallis-OSU Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Marlan Carlson opens the 2019-2020 season at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 6 in the Austin Auditorium at The LaSells Stewart Center, 875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis.
The program include three works from the classical and romantic eras: W.A. Mozart’s Overture to “Don Giovanni” K.527 and Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds K.297b, and Anton Bruckner’s “Te Deum” for orchestra, choir and vocal soloists.
Mozart’s popular Overture to “Don Giovanni” K.527 opens the program. “The ominous chords at the very beginning,” says Maestro Carlson “show that though this dramma giocoso may include many humorous moments, it is not going to end well for Signor Giovanni. The Overture to Mozart’s masterpiece captures the essence of the opera from the very first note.”
The Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds K.297b by Mozart follows. The 28-minute work in three movements features OSU music faculty members Carol Robe (clarinet), Ann Kosanovic-Brown (bassoon), Lawrence Johnson (horn), and retired faculty member Fred Korman (oboe) as soloists.
Anton Bruckner’s “Te Deum” in C Major, WAB 45, conducted by OSU director of choral studies Dr. Steven Zielke, comprises the second half of the concert. The performance features guest choirs from Corvallis High School, Crescent Valley High School, South Albany High School and West Albany High School. Current OSU music students Grace Dawald, Naomi Bennett, Jacob Hungerford and Tyson Zagelow perform as soloists.
The five-movement, 25-minute work was one of Bruckner’s few successes during his lifetime. Originally sketched in 1881, “Te Deum” is one of only two mature sacred works by the deeply religious composer. Unlike his symphonies, this work was an immediate success and received tens of performances during the final decade of his life. Curiously to the modern audience to whom Bruckner’s music has become a staple of the repertoire, the 50 gulden that Bruckner earned from the publication of “Te Deum” was the only money he earned as a composer.
The Corvallis-OSU Symphony season continues on Sunday, November 24 with works by Shostakovich and Kodály.
Tickets $22-32 advance, $25-35 door. Advance tickets available online at www.cosusymphony.org. Up to three K-8 students accompanied by a ticketed adult, and all high school and college students with ID, may be given free general admission tickets at the door starting one hour prior to the concert, subject to availability. CAFA discounts apply with valid SNAP card, available one hour prior to performance at the LaSells Stewart Center. For accommodations relating to a disability please call 541-286-5580, preferably one week in advance.
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About the OSU College of Liberal Arts: The College of Liberal Arts includes fine and performing arts, humanities and social sciences, making it one of the largest and most diverse colleges at OSU. The college’s research and instructional faculty members contribute to the education of all university students and provide national and international leadership, creativity and scholarship in their academic disciplines.