Now in his 20th season as Music Director of the Santa Cruz County Symphony, Maestro John Larry Granger presents a delicious concert duo, “Decadent Delights,” on Saturday, March 26th at 8 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and Sunday, March 27th at 2p.m. at the Mello Center in Watsonville. Both performances feature internationally renowned pianist Adam Neiman performing Franz Liszt’s Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2. A Grammy nominee, Neiman has been earning acclaim from audiences and critics alike since his debut at age 11 in Los Angeles’ Royce Hall. With tickets starting at $20 (Student Rush $10) the Symphony offers an exciting opportunity for music lovers to experience high quality performances at affordable prices.
The program begins with Percy Grainger’s highly inventive In a Nutshell, four independently written movements concluding with “The Gum-Suckers March,” a bright and lively reference to his native Australia. Eccentric, brilliant and highly individualistic in both his personal and professional life, Grainger was fascinated with folk music from a variety of countries and spoke 11 languages fluently. His imaginative compositions add vivid color and spice to the “Decadent Delights” concert menu.<
Franz Liszt’s luscious Piano Concertos No. 1 & 2, highlighted by the virtuosity of pianist Adam Neiman, form the central course of the concert. Liszt was the archetypical romantic composer: charismatic, handsome and exceptionally talented. Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major is the more often played of the two because of its passionate, flamboyant approach, while Piano Concerto No. 2 in A Major is quieter and more reflective. Both concertos demand a dazzling level of technical ability – Liszt, consideredthe world’s greatest pianist, wrote to display his own prodigious skills.
The “Decadent Delights” program concludes with a Russian/Spanish dessert: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, a masterpiece of orchestration woven around vibrant elements of Spanish folk tunes. The suite consists of five movements beginning with a festive salute to the sunrise, which creates a lilting motif revisited in the third and final movements. Rimsky-Korsakov himself conducted the 1887 premiere in St. Petersburg, where his enthusiastic audience called for an encore of the entire performance!
FREE PRE-CONCERT TALKS take place before both performances: at 7 PM in the Civic Auditorium, prior to the Saturday evening concert; and at 1 PM in the Watsonville Mello Center, prior to the Sunday matinee concert. The Pre-concert talks are free and open to all concertgoers.
SEASON SPONSORS: The 2010/11 season is generously sponsored by Rowland & Pat Rebele; the Glenwood Equestrian Center; the Symphony League of Santa Cruz County; and Plantronics.
PROGRAM SPONSORS: The two “Decadent Delights” concerts are made possible with support from Todd & Corinne Wipke and Rowland & Pat Rebele.
TICKETS: Single tickets ($20-$65) are now on sale: 831.420.5260 or www.santacruztickets.com
2011/12 SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS: Beginning March 26, 2011/12 Season tickets are available.
Student Rush: On the day of the concert, bring a Student ID to the box office between 6:30-7:30pm at the Civic Box Office or to the Mello Box Office between 12:30-1:00, and pay just $10!