Back by Popular Demand!
Join MCOSJ this Sunday, January 28th, for an afternoon of music that will take you far away from the rains and chills of January. Our concert of Italian music at San Jose's Italian American Heritage Foundation was so popular last year that we're bringing you another one! Our founder, Maestra Emily Ray, takes the podium for this special concert, conducting a program of beautiful and beloved orchestral music by Italian composers, as well as some newer gems from North American composers with an Italian connection.
Italian composers have always expressed the strongest emotions and passions through opera, and this program brings you orchestral music from the operatic tradition that does just that. Rossini's Overture to The Barber of Seville, Mascagni's Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) and the orchestral suite from Wolf-Ferrari's The Jewels of the Madonna all encapsulate the heightened emotion and drama of the opera, while one the greatest Italian opera composers, Puccini, is represented by Crisantemi, a gorgeous elegy performed by the orchestra's string section.
Alexander Goodhart is a young American who is one quarter Italian. He is the composer of the concert's newest work, his response to the increasing stresses and divisions in our contemporary society, feelings we all can share as we begin this election year. We're delighted to bring you the world premiere performance of Movements 2 and 3 from his Divided: An American Symphony. The second movement, Duetto Lontano, is a duet – a bittersweet love-song is juxtaposed with a dirge, representing two worlds forever separated despite longing for each other. The third movement, Circuscherzo, reflects the information saturation we all experience, with entertainment, news, advertisements, and social media making our emotions swerve wildly, the different moods following each other like acts in a circus.
Our other North American composer is Marjan Mozetich, a Canadian who was born in Italy. His Procession of Duos is a showcase for the orchestra, giving different pairs of instruments their chance to shine, revealing a full range of sounds and textures. Respighi's symphonic poem, Fountains of Rome, takes us on a colorful and evocative tour of some of the city's most famous fountains, starting with a peaceful dawn, through a day of joyful dances and processions both triumphant and solemn, before returning to the calm of evening and the silence of night.
The afternoon will be a great escape from humdrum January into a world of warmth and music! The Italian American Heritage Foundation in San Jose offers convenient free parking in the parking lot and along the street. For more information, please visit our website missionchamber.org.
Tickets: $25 General, $20 Senior (65+), $15 Student (25 and under), $10 Child (12 and under)
Italian American Heritage Foundation
425 N. 4th St., San Jose
Free parking in IAHF parking lot and along street