Pacific Symphony And Music Director Carl St. Clair To Perform CARMINA BURANA AND BACH
Orff's mysterious and majestic work is complimented by the GRAMMY award-winning Pacific Chorale and a performance of Bach's Keyboard Concerto in D Minor.
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 18, 2025
"O Fortuna!", one of the most popular and exhilarating choral movements in the Western canon becomes thefinale to Pacific Symphony's upcoming concert exploring the power, complexity, and beauty of music and the human voice.
A blockbuster piece for Carl St.Clair's 35th season as music director of Pacific Symphony, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" invokes the Goddess of Fortune and her ever-turning wheel of fate with recognizable themes used in pop culture to evoke intensity and grandeur. Also on the program is Morten Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium," which creates a communal meditation on the mystery of God through exalting sacred text sung by Pacific Chorale. Frequent collaborator with St.Clair, prize-winning pianist Benjamin Pasternack of the Peabody Institute performs Bach's intricate Keyboard Concerto No. 1, originally written for harpsichord and highly influenced by his study of Vivaldi.
"The program offers a truly dynamic range of musical expression, from the spiritual serenity of Lauridsen to the brilliance of Bach and the dramatic power of Orff's Carmina Burana," said St.Clair. "It is quite a thrilling experience for the audience, and I'm delighted to perform these majestic works with our dear friends and long-term artistic partners at the Pacific Chorale, led by Robert Istad."
Pacific Chorale, which won Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance in 2022, opens the concert with Lauridsen's exquisite "O Magnum Mysterium." Having hailed from the Pacific Northwest, Lauridsen's work exudes nothing less than the immaculate beauty and mysterious creation nature embodies. The choral masterpiece, known for its radiant harmonies and inspiring beauty, brings a sense of connection to nature and spirituality - captivating the audience in profound wonder.
Bach's Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1052 was written before the modern piano was invented, but the composer would have reveled in the expressive and dynamic possibilities of the instrument. While glittering on the harpsichord, the showy passagework and counterpoints are more controlled in the hands of pianist Benjamin Pasternack, exemplifying the composer's insurmountable genius and dazzling audiences centuries after its composition.
The evening concludes with Orff's "Carmina Burana," a monumental choral work that remains one of the most widely performed oratorios in classical music. "Carmina Burana" is a culmination of the main attributes of Orff's early creative life including his gift for theatrical spectacle, scholarly interest in medieval forms, and the return to musical innocence. The piece highlights a collection of poems dating from the 12th and 13th centuries and explores the themes of fate, love, revelry and the cyclical nature of life. Audience members will be enthralled by rhythms that evoke raw emotion and theatrical flair - making the work a timeless favorite.
"'Carmina Burana' never fails to captivate audiences," said St.Clair. "We look forward to performing the quintessential work alongside two equally compelling compositions as they all highlight the depth and beauty of choral and orchestral music."
Taking place Thursday-Saturday, February 27 - March 1 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the concert includes a preview talk with KUSC midday host Alan Chapman at 7 p.m. This concert is part of the 2024-25 Classical Season and is sponsored by the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation. Tickets are $30-$182. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 858-0945 or visit pacificsymphony.org.
About Pacific Symphony
Pacific Symphony, under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Carl St.Clair since 1990, has been the resident orchestra of Orange County's Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over 15 years. Founded in 1978, the Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years and is not only a fixture of musical life in Southern California but is also recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scenes. The orchestra presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages.
Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018, where it was invited to perform as part of a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass' 80th birthday. The Symphony made its first-ever tour to China the same year, with performances in five cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country's five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras.
Pacific Symphony's discography comprises 15 recordings, mostly of 20th- and 21st-century music by such American composers as William Bolcom, John Corigliano and Richard Danielpour. In 2012 for Naxos, St.Clair and the orchestra recorded Philip Glass's The Passion of Ramakrishna, a Pacific Symphony commission that appeared on the Carnegie Hall program. Most recently, the Symphony released Fiat Lux, a choral-orchestral work by Sir James MacMillan. The Symphony has also recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Koch International Classics, Reference Recordings, and Sony Classical, among other labels. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country's five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras. The Symphony's education and community engagement activities have also been recognized by the League, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.
Comments
Videos