Never in recent history has a popular concerto been more associated with a particular soloist as Elgar's cello concerto. It seems to be so closely tied - musically and personally - to the great English cellist Jacqueline du Pres and her tragic life intertwined with the most moving and heart-wrenching interpretation of this work. This piece will feature cellist Omer Strumpf, one of the two runner-ups of last January's Aria & Concerto Concert. Sibelius's work "en Saga" - literally "the story" is a moving and thrilling tone poem that the composer adamantly admits to being totally without any story. Rather it evokes a state of mind with an unspecified "painful autobiographical element".
Born By The River is a piece in which Karen Sunabacka explores her Manitoba heritage through the visual art, music and stories of her Métis Grandmother Lenore Clouston (nee Birston). Her grandmother met Karen's Scottish grandfather in a band where he played fiddle and she played the piano. Her grandmother’s rhythmic chords laid the foundation for the pieces and she would often sing and laugh as she banged the chords out on the piano. For this reason it is the Métis music of the Red River Valley that is the background of this piece. The fiddle tunes show up in fragments and are the major rhythmic pulse throughout the work.
Die Meistersinger, again from opera, the great story-telling medium - this time with no magic, no mythology, just based on some history of 16th century German love and reverence for the arts. Wagner's only comedy running about four and a half hours. Not funny...
Directed by Daniel Warren, the orchestra@uwaterloo is a 60 piece orchestra with student, staff, faculty, and alumni members.
Admission is free, and tickets are available at the door.