By JEFFERY JOHNSON, Special to The Courant
The Hartford Courant
January 1, 2012
January 5 – 8, 2012
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra presents Brahms and “beatboxing: Baltimore-based beatboxer Shodekeh will perform in the concerto Fujiko’s Fairy Tale by Finnish composer Jan Mikael Vainio. In an interview on “mic(ism)” Shodekeh said that he got into beatboxing “because it was really popular in the ’80s, you know, around the era of Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie and the other first tier of pioneers.” There will be an online vote to choose the opening piece on this program, and the first symphony by Brahms will round out the evening.
February 9 – 12, 2012
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony: Ta-Ta-Ta. TaaaaaH!…Ta-Ta-Ta. TaaaaaH! That’s right — it’s the most iconic opening in the symphonic repertoire. But this symphony transcends its familiarity as it progresses systematically from darkness into light. It is also filled with challenges for conductor and ensemble. The program will also include an arrangement of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet for viola and orchestra performed by violist Gilad Karni, and the overture to Die Meistersinger by Wagner.
March 8 – 11, 2012
Violinist Sirena Huang: She has performed brilliantly with the HSO over the past three seasons, and Hartford has heard her develop from a prodigy into a young artist. She is now the HSO’s first Artist in Residence and will perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. The Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 will close the program.
April 12 – 13, 2012
Guest conductor Gerard Schwarz leads the HSO in a program featuring the Symphony No. 2 by Sibelius and the Dvorak Cello Concerto with his 19-year-old son Julian as soloist. Schwarz was the music director and conductor that put the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on the map and it will be a treat to hear him conduct in Hartford.
May 10-13, 2012
Pathétique: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 was premiered in a performance conducted by Tchaikovsky himself nine days before he died. The work was described as “the essence of late romanticism” by Leonard Bernstein. The program will also include the tasty “Essay no. 2″ by Samuel Barber, and Pianist Teo Gheorghiu will join the orchestra for Mozart’s piano concerto in D minor.