A Word About Coppélia from Ballet Arizona
A combination of the romantic music of French composer Leo Delibes performed by The Phoenix Symphony, gorgeous sets, elegant costumes and the beautiful and talented Ballet Arizona Company dancers; make this production a perennial favorite for families of all ages, friends and that special valentine.
The story of Coppélia follows an eccentric toymaker and his humorous attempts to bring a doll to life; resulting in romance, comedy, mischief and mayhem. (photo by Rosalie O’Connor)
Dancer Astrit Zejnati from Coppélia shares his thoughts on the production:
"I have been a principal dancer with Ballet Arizona since 2003 and spend about 9-months of the year in Phoenix and my summers in Greece. There are two casts for Coppélia, and I will be performing the lead male role of Franz on Friday and Saturday nights. Coppélia is a ballet that I am sure most young men can relate to: being torn between two loves. In addition to having a great appreciation for the athletic demands of this ballet, I also enjoy the emotional demands: portraying a love that is innocent and pure and eventually prevails. Coppélia is among the livelier and more enjoyable ballets to perform, and also to watch. I hope that you can join us this Valentine’s Day weekend!"
Four Performances Only!
Friday, February 16 through Sunday, February 18.
For tickets call: 602-381-1096
2 Comments:
Seigfried Landau's (conductor who programmed "new" music: Bartok, Corgliano, Harris, Nielsen, W. Schuman amongst others) obit in the NY Times yesterady had a great quote of his: “If I stayed with the same old warhorses year after year, if I permitted the repertoire to stagnate and become impoverished, I would no longer be serving the course of music. What is of enormous importance is that we take a stand against a tendency that is absolutely deadening to the future of Western music.”
Thank you, Mr. Landau, for saying many years ago what so many of us are still thinking today.
Sonny-
I always enjoy your comments- definately thought provoking and dialog about the arts is so important. I would just like to throw in a couple of comments of my own regarding the 07-08 season announcement, or lack there of. 1) not all orchestras have announced their seasons yet, each one does it on its own timeline for their community. 2) from experience, it is not as easy as it seems to throw together a program, let alone a season of programs. Many things to consider including budget (these "new" pieces are all under copyright therefore cost money for both the rental music and the payments to the copyright holders), date and venue changes, soloists dropping out at the last moment, the marketing department being slow, etc. It is a team effort and sometimes, as hard as you try, if the Maestro holds off on one small decision, or something else seemingly small comes along, it can stop the whole process.
Now, as for the Phoenix Symphony, I think that although we must continue to hold them to the highest possible standards, the symphony must work within what it is given in this community and not worry about the "big boys" like New York, Chicago, Boston, LA etc. (Chicago and NY don't even do pops programs) nor worry about the smaller organizations that do not have the complexity that the Phoenix Symphony must endure including its lack of its own hall and facilities.
Saying that, one thing I like that my hometown symphony does, is that in April it invites the media, donors, corporate sponsors, guests etc. for a morning launch of the season. That is when everything is announced from stage and the orchestra plays a movement or short piece here and there while a special local celebrity (usually someone from public radio or an actor or musician) does the honors of highlighting the season. It was always a fun, festive morning to get a rise in interest level for the orchestra. I wish more organizations I worked with did this type of season announcement.
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