Be There With Bells On
Back in October, we took a look at the anatomy of a Classical music superstar when pianist Lang Lang came to town to dominate Chopin's 1st Piano Concerto with his own adidas shoe line and Audi car endorsement in tow. His performance showed that musical art of the highest form and commercial success can enjoy a very happy coexistence.
This week, we will enjoy the visit of another giant of the Classical music world: Joshua Bell. Bell's rise to super-stardom has come via a career-long philosophy that being a classical violinist doesn't mean life has to consist of merely playing concertos with orchestras and appearing at recitals. His career has taken him everywhere musically from Broadway's West Side Story to an appearance on Sesame Street to performing the folk tunes of Appalachia to big screen movie soundtrack performances such as The Red Violin and, most recently, Angels and Demons. In 2007, Bell even took on a social experiment which found him performing incognito in a Washington D.C. subway station resulting in being all but ignored and $32 in his violin case (the Pulitzer Prize winning article is a must-read here).
So what piece will this titan of violin versatility bring with him to Phoenix? A showy Beethoven or Mendelssohn perhaps? Try Lalo. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole comes from that fantastic period in Spanish-themed composition which produced some of the most passionately romantic music of all time including Bizet's Carmen. If you are interested in seeing a master violin showman show off the heights of his emotional music prowess, Symphonie espagnole is the piece for you.
A few tickets remain for this opportunity to see one of Classical music's greatest doing what he does best - taking the audience to another place through the power of breathtaking performance. Also, for the first time ever, The Phoenix Symphony is offering a limited amount of On Stage seating for this concert. Reserve you seats or find out more by calling the Box Office at 602-495-1999 Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Stage seating can only be offered with special conditions which you can read here.
After you take in the spectacle, come right back and give us your take on Bell's performance in the comments. He has been known to stir some controversy when it comes to interpretation. In an interview with Violin.com he discusses the idea that music during the time of Mendelssohn and Schumann was about the celebration of making music and not treating it as an untouchable, unchangeable art form. He says, "Music was very much more free to experiment We're kind of obsessed a little bit too much with authentic playing of everything – authentically in the original form. That's why I enjoy being a little irreverent with the arrangements." Do you agree?
This week, we will enjoy the visit of another giant of the Classical music world: Joshua Bell. Bell's rise to super-stardom has come via a career-long philosophy that being a classical violinist doesn't mean life has to consist of merely playing concertos with orchestras and appearing at recitals. His career has taken him everywhere musically from Broadway's West Side Story to an appearance on Sesame Street to performing the folk tunes of Appalachia to big screen movie soundtrack performances such as The Red Violin and, most recently, Angels and Demons. In 2007, Bell even took on a social experiment which found him performing incognito in a Washington D.C. subway station resulting in being all but ignored and $32 in his violin case (the Pulitzer Prize winning article is a must-read here).
So what piece will this titan of violin versatility bring with him to Phoenix? A showy Beethoven or Mendelssohn perhaps? Try Lalo. Lalo's Symphonie espagnole comes from that fantastic period in Spanish-themed composition which produced some of the most passionately romantic music of all time including Bizet's Carmen. If you are interested in seeing a master violin showman show off the heights of his emotional music prowess, Symphonie espagnole is the piece for you.A few tickets remain for this opportunity to see one of Classical music's greatest doing what he does best - taking the audience to another place through the power of breathtaking performance. Also, for the first time ever, The Phoenix Symphony is offering a limited amount of On Stage seating for this concert. Reserve you seats or find out more by calling the Box Office at 602-495-1999 Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Stage seating can only be offered with special conditions which you can read here.
After you take in the spectacle, come right back and give us your take on Bell's performance in the comments. He has been known to stir some controversy when it comes to interpretation. In an interview with Violin.com he discusses the idea that music during the time of Mendelssohn and Schumann was about the celebration of making music and not treating it as an untouchable, unchangeable art form. He says, "Music was very much more free to experiment We're kind of obsessed a little bit too much with authentic playing of everything – authentically in the original form. That's why I enjoy being a little irreverent with the arrangements." Do you agree?
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