For its season finale, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra will present “Bernstein and Mahler 5” at 7:30 p.m. May 5 and 2:30 p.m. May 6 at the Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin. The program features a suite from Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide” operetta and Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5.”
“Both pieces call on all the skills of the orchestra; everyone has to give the max all the time,” said Conductor and Music Director Andrew Grams. “In terms of subject matter, (however) the two pieces are diametrically opposed.”
Despite their complexities, the two works are truly opposites.
“The Mahler starts with a funeral march — it’s not really uplifting stuff,” Grams said. “But then there’s ‘Candide,’ which is light and operatic. What I find very interesting, if you listen closely, you find strains of Mahler in there.”
That’s no coincidence, given that Bernstein was a fan of Mahler.
“Gustav Mahler would not have been as famous without Bernstein championing him,” Grams said. “Their names are linked together. Bernstein made a case for the importance of Mahler’s music.”
There are other parallels between the two as well.
“They both were very famous conductors, but both Mahler and Bernstein wanted to be recognized, I think, at least as much for their work as composers as their work as conductors,” Grams said. “Leonard Bernstein (also) was known for his emotional vulnerability (in his work), and I think he realized that in Gustav Mahler, the person, a kindred spirit.”
You could say Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5” is a bit, well, heavy, spanning a wide range of emotions.
“It’s a five-movement symphony that tries to express everything there is to express,” Grams said. “There are moments of lightness that can turn into deadly seriousness. He was trying to put the gamut of human existence into each of his symphonies.”
On the other hand, Bernstein’s “Candide” boasts a certain effervescence.
“It’s like a nice glass of champagne,” Grams said. “It’s bubbly.”
The orchestra will be playing selections fused together from the 1956 operetta.
“It’s a suite, like a highlight reel,” Grams said. “It flows from one piece to another — it’s orchestral fun.”
Featuring Bernstein on the program with this piece — which also happens to be an Elgin Symphony Orchestra premiere — is part of a worldwide celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth.
“This is our small contribution to the celebration of Bernstein’s birth,” Grams said. “In terms of musical figures, he was one of the most important musical influences for decades.”
It’s a safe bet, that most are familiar with Bernstein’s work, one way or another.
“Everybody at least knows the title ‘West Side Story,'” Grams said. “He gave so much to the musical life of America as a composer, as a person, as an educator. His life was way bigger than most.”
If you’d like to see the orchestra at work, there is a free, open rehearsal May 4 at the Hemmens Cultural Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the rehearsal starts at 7:15 p.m.
For more interaction, after the Saturday-night concert, the audience is invited to “Mingle with the Musicians” at Bennigan’s, 495 Airport Road in Elgin.
Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Bernstein and Mahler 5’ Concerts
When: 7:30 p.m. May 5 and 2:30 p.m. May 6
Where: Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin
Tickets: $10-$65
Information: 847-888-4000; www.elginsymphony.org
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
