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Orchestra Of St. Luke's Announces 2018-19 Carnegie Hall Season
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 25, 2018
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) 2018-2019 Subscription Series presented by Carnegie Hall, will open on October 25, 2018, with Bernard Labadie on the podium for his official debut as Principal Conductor of the Orchestra. Works of Haydn are the thematic thread to this 32nd Carnegie Hall subscription season and the three programs will also feature works by younger contemporaries and 20th-century composers he influenced. The program, for the first of three concerts, pairs two great masterworks of the choral repertoire, Haydn's Mass in D Minor, Hob. XXII: 11, "Nelson Mass," and Mozart's Requiem, K. 626.La Chapelle de Québec, the choir founded and directed by Maestro Labadie, makes its first appearance with OSL, joined by guest soloists German tenor Lothar Odinius, French-Canadian bass-baritone Philippe Sly, and acclaimed American mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.
Commenting on the Haydn focus this season and the start of his tenure as Principal Conductor of OSL, Bernard Labadie said, "Haydn has always figured prominently in my repertoire and is a specialty of Orchestra of St. Luke's. I feel a personal connection with his music whose vitality and excitement are second to none. Bringing together my new OSL family with the choir for my opening program as Principal Conductor is a special thrill. I know their exchange of energy and experience will make for a memorable performance."
The second concert of the series, also conducted by Labadie, takes place on February 28, 2019. It features Haydn's Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor, "Farewell," Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 19 with soloist Paul Lewis, and a Mozart concert aria taken from a revised scena and rondo from Idomeneo sung by rising soprano Ying Fang.
On April 18, 2019, OSL Conductor Laureate Pablo Heras-Casado takes the podium for a program highlighted by Ravel's exuberant Piano Concerto in G Major performed by Hélène Grimaud. The program also pairs Haydn's Symphony No. 103 in E-flat Major, "Drumroll" with Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 which the composer himself designated "Classical" and for which he cites Haydn as his inspiration.
Details about the 2018-2019 Carnegie Hall Series follow in this release. Subscription tickets for OSL's 2018-2019 Carnegie Hall Season are on sale now at carnegiehall.org. A schedule and tickets for Orchestra of St. Luke's upcoming performances through June 2018 are available at OSLmusic.org.
About Orchestra of St. Luke's and St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble
Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) began in 1974 as a group of virtuoso musicians performing chamber music concerts at Greenwich Village's Church of St. Luke in the Fields. Now in its 43rd season, the Orchestra performs diverse musical genres at New York's major concert venues and has collaborated with artists ranging from Renée Fleming and Joshua Bell to Bono and Metallica. In fall 2018, celebrated expert in 18th-century music Bernard Labadie will begin his tenure as the Orchestra's fifth Principal Conductor. OSL's signature programming includes a subscription series presented by Carnegie Hall, now in its 31st season; an annual multi-week collaboration with Paul Taylor American Modern Dance at Lincoln Center; an annual summer residency at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts; and a chamber music festival featuring appearances at The Morgan Library & Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center. The Orchestra has participated in 118 recordings, four of which have won Grammy Awards, has commissioned more than 50 new works, and has given more than 175 world, U.S., and New York City premieres. Nearly half of OSL's performances each year are presented free of charge through its education and community programs, reaching over 10,000 New York City public school students. Additionally, OSL provides free instrumental coaching and presents student performances through its Youth Orchestra of St. Luke's and its Mentorship Program for Pre-Professional Musicians. OSL built and operates The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in Hell's Kitchen, New York City's only rehearsal, recording, education, and performance space expressly dedicated to classical music. The Center serves more than 500 ensembles and more than 30,000 musicians each year. For more information, visit OSLmusic.org.
About the DiMenna Center for Classical Music
Orchestra of St. Luke's built The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in 2011 as New York City's only acoustically-optimized rehearsal and recording space dedicated to classical music. It is an unparalleled resource serving the entire musical community - from soloists to symphony orchestras - through affordable, state-of-the-art facilities. The DiMenna Center has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors, including more than 400 ensembles and artists such as Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Valery Gergiev, James Taylor, and Sting. Committed to serving the musical community and its Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, The DiMenna Center hosts hundreds of neighbors, families, and schoolchildren each year for free community events. About Bernard Labadie, Principal Conductor Widely recognized as one of the world's leading conductors of Baroque, Classical, and Early-Romantic repertoire, Labadie made his debut with the OSL, as Principal Conductor Designate, at the Caramoor Summer Music Festival on July 2, 2017 leading an all-Mozart program. Bernard Labadie's appointment as Principal Conductor of Orchestra of St. Luke's was announced in May 2017. The Ensemble's 2018-2019 marks his inaugural season in the post.
Maestro Labadie's 2017 conducting engagements featured debuts with the Norwegian and Vienna Chamber Orchestras, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, the Orchestre National de Lyon, and appearances with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. French-Canadian Labadie founded the celebrated chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy in 1984 and built it to international renown. He stepped down in 2014 from his 30-year tenure as Music Director to pursue wider interests. Labadie is a regular guest conductor with all the major North American orchestras and has appeared locally with the New York Philharmonic, The Metropolitan Opera, and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. His notable European engagements include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and frequent assignments with period-instrument orchestras Including Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The English Concert, and Collegium Vocale Gent Orchestra. An eminent opera conductor, Maestro Labadie has served as Artistic Director of Opéra de Québec and Opéra de Montréal. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2009-2010 season with Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.
Bernard Labadie's extensive discography comprises many critically acclaimed recordings on the Dorian, ATMA, and Virgin Classics labels, including a collaborative recording of Mozart's Requiem with Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, both of which received Canada's Juno Award.
About Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor Laureate Pablo Heras-Casado enjoys an unusually varied career encompassing the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically informed performance, and cutting-edge contemporary scores. His tenure as Principal Conductor of OSL began in 2012 and he led his final concert in that role in summer 2017 at Caramoor. He is the first Conductor Laureate in the Ensemble's history. He has served as Principal Guest Conductor at Teatro Real since 2014. The 2017-2018 season will be Heras-Casado's first as Director of Granada's International Festival of Music and Dance.
Heras-Casado's 2017-2018 engagements included returns to the San Francisco Symphony, the Philadelphia and Philharmonia Orchestras, the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Israel Philharmonic, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and Salzburg's Mozartwoche. He continues his touring and recording partnerships with the Balthasar Neumann Chor & Ensemble, focusing on works of Monteverdi, and Freiburger Barockorchester, with programs devoted to Beethoven and Mendelssohn. In May and June 2018, he'll conduct the Spanish premiere of Bernd Alöis Zimmermann's opera Die Soldaten, for six performances at Teatro Real. In June 2018, Heras-Casado takes the podium at the new Elbphilharmonie Hamburg to lead the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in four performances of works by Brahms and Dvorak. Heras-Casado records for harmonia mundi, as well as Deutsche Grammophon's Archiv Produktion. Musical America honored Maestro Heras-Casado as its 2014 Conductor of the Year.
ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE'S 2018-2019 Carnegie Hall SERIES
Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 8:00 PM Haydn "Nelson Mass" & Mozart Requiem Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage Orchestra of St. Luke's
Bernard Labadie, Principal Conductor
Susan Graham, Mezzo-Soprano
Lothar Odinius, Tenor
Philippe Sly, Bass-Baritone
La Chapelle de Québec Bernard Labadie, Music Director Soprano to be announced Joseph Haydn, Mass in D Minor, Hob. XXII: 11, "Nelson Mass"
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, Requiem, K. 626 Two stirring masterworks of Classical sacred music performed by Orchestra of St. Luke's and La Chapelle de Québec, the choir Bernard Labadie founded in 1985, will also showcase the vocal artistry of outstanding artists including acclaimed mezzo-soprano Susan Graham. Haydn's Mass in D minor (1798), originally titled by the composer Missa in Angustiis (Mass in Time of Distress) reflects the turbulence of the era marked by the Napoleonic wars. Commenting on its unusual orchestration Bernard Labadie says, "The lack of woodwinds and horns (replaced by an organ) gives the trumpets and timpani a huge presence. The military side of the music is paramount to the work's identity." But composed for the name day of Princess Esterhazy, and embodying the balanced, harmonious classicism that defined Haydn's oeuvre, the mood turns reflective, and it ends in a joyous D Major finale. It was later given the title of "Nelson Mass," most likely to commemorate a visit by the British naval hero to Eisenstadt in 1800. More apocryphal lore surrounds Mozart's Requiem, but the music reigns supreme. It has grand and technically brilliant choral sections and passages for solo voices and ensembles expressive as anything heard in opera. Though written earlier (1791), and in the same decade as Haydn's Mass, Mozart's orchestral writing anticipates the Romantics with its color and gripping dramatic power. OSL will perform Mozart scholar Robert Levine's completion of the Requiem. German tenor Lothar Odinius, French-Canadian Bass Baritone Philippe Sly, and a soprano to be announced complete the roster of vocal soloists.
Thursday, February 28, 2019 at 8:00 PM Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto with Paul Lewis Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage Orchestra of St. Luke's
Bernard Labadie, Principal Conductor
Paul Lewis, Piano
Ying Fang, Soprano
Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp Minor, "Farewell" Two Haydn works bookend the OSL's February 2019 program. The opening Overture from Haydn's music-drama L'isola disabitata (The Deserted Island - 1779) rings out with "the Sturm und Drang style that mirrors that of the 'Farewell' Symphony," notes Bernard Labadie. The anecdote attached to Haydn's "Farewell" Symphony is that it was the composer's musical message to his patron Prince Nikolaus Esterházy to let the court musicians return to their families after a much-prolonged period at his country estate. Through three bustling movements, little-by-little musicians leave the stage, until two violinists remain, and the symphony winds down to silence. Haydn's craftsmanship, melodic mastery, and sharp wit inspired generations of composers - starting with his younger contemporaries Mozart and Beethoven, whose music, performed by two stellar artists, makes up the middle portion of the program. By the time Beethoven premiered the earliest version of his Piano Concerto No. 2 in 1795, it had undergone a long gestation, most notably being revised during the time (1792-1793) the composer spent studying with Haydn in Vienna. Bubbling with wit and high spirits, the concerto, finalized in 1797, exhibits many influences from both Haydn and Mozart. Performing it here is the renowned British pianist Paul Lewis, who makes his Carnegie Hall concerto debut at this concert. Beethoven has been central to the pianist's career, particularly over the past 10 years. His 2010 recording of the complete Beethoven concertos was hailed by The New York Times, for its "freshly considered, elegant and engrossing performances." Rising soprano Ying Fang, who "possesses a lyric soprano of ... verdant beauty" (Opera News) will perform a farewell of a different kind-to a lover-in the concert aria "Non più. Tutto ascoltai... Non temer, amato bene" from Mozart's opera Idomeneo.
Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 8:00 PM Hélène Grimaud plays Ravel Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Orchestra of St. Luke's
Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor Laureate Hélène Grimaud, Piano Sergei Prokofiev, Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25, "Classical"
Maurice Ravel, Piano Concerto in G Major
Igor Stravinsky, Suite No. 1 for Small Orchestra
Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 103 in E-flat Major, "Drumroll"
The centerpiece of the largely Neo-classical program selected by Pablo Heras-Casado is the much-loved Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major, a brilliant, exuberant work influenced as much by Mozart and Saint-Saëns as by American jazz. It will be performed by one of today's most-celebrated pianists, Hélène Grimaud. Igor Stravinsky's two suites for small orchestra (written in 1921 and 1925) were derived from two sets of piano duets he had composed as study pieces for young musicians.
The short, four-movement Suite No. 1 combines popular elements, offbeat rhythms, and ironic twists - hallmarks of the composer's emerging Neo-Classical period. Haydn was not only an influence on his immediate successors but to later composers including 20th-century masters working in the Neo-classical style. Pondering what a symphony in the style of Haydn would sound like if composed in 1917, Prokofiev wrote the effervescent "Classical" symphony - given its name by the composer himself. His brilliant creation emulates Haydn's scoring and tone but is firmly rooted in the 20th century. Bustling outer movements frame a sweet Larghetto followed by the graceful Gavotto, one of Prokofiev's favorite forms. Haydn has been called the father of the symphony and the inventive "Drumroll," premiered in 1795 - the eleventh of twelve he composed in London - is one of his finest and one of the pieces that, along with works of Mozart, might have inspired Prokofiev's effervescent "Classical" symphony.
Subscription Tickets for Orchestra of St. Luke's 2018-2019 Carnegie Hall Series are available now at carnegiehall.org.
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