While the program doesn’t contain the national anthem or “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” the music for Fox Valley Orchestra’s upcoming “Americana” concerts are, well, very American.
Under the baton of Guest Conductor Daniel Sommerville, the orchestra will perform two concerts, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre as well as 3 p.m. Sunday at the Crimi Auditorium at Aurora University.
“As we think about our country during this election year, we are reminded of the privileges our democratic republic form of government affords to all of us,” Sommerville said. “In the midst of some difficult times our country is now going through, we can be proud of our musical heritage, a heritage that has even influenced some of the great European composers.”
The concert begins with a piece by perhaps one of the greatest American composers, Aaron Copland.
“‘An Outdoor Overture’ provides a bold beginning to the concert and is a good bookend to the rousing ending of the concert,” Sommerville said. “The piece has the tone of hope and optimism.”
Next is William Grant Still’s first symphony, titled “Afro-American,” which was reportedly the first symphony written by an African-American composer (in 1930) that was performed for a U.S. audience by a top orchestra.
“(It’s) an absolutely delightful piece, full of both black and folk music idioms, yet original in every respect,” Sommerville said. “From the blues-y first movement, to the very beautiful and tuneful second, on to the fun and energetic third movement and the heartfelt, spiritual-like opening of the fourth, the piece is sure to endear itself to our audiences.”
The final “Americana” piece is Antonín Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” which Sommerville called one of the great symphonies of all time.
“Dvorak was greatly influenced in this work by the music he heard while working here in the United States, mostly the African-American Spiritual,” he said. “One can hear this influence in the beautiful, heartfelt English horn solo of the second movement, a melody that was later given words as the spiritual ‘Going Home.'”
While Dvorak was a Czech composer, he wrote this symphony in 1893 when he was director of the National Conservatory of Music of America, hence the Americana connection.
“The whole concert excites me,” Sommerville said. “I hope the audiences experience delightful new things, and familiar things done in ways that are new and fresh.”
Subscriptions and group discounts also are available.
Jen Banowetz is a freelance writer.
Fox Valley Orchestra’s ‘Americana’
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Batavia Fine Arts Centre, 1201 Main St.; and Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave., at Aurora University
Tickets: $9-$16.50
Information: 630-891-2526 or www.foxvalleyorchestra.org
