Purdue News
Purdue News
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November 30, 2001 Purdue Symphony offers "Classical Treasures" for the holidaysWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The playfulness of Beethoven, the fury of Holst and the lyric beauty of Elgar will be featured in Purdue Symphony Orchestra's holiday concert, "Classical Treasures" on Sunday, Dec. 2, following the annual Lafayette Christmas Parade. The parade, in which the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band will perform, begins at 2 p.m. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at approximately 4 p.m. at the Long Center, 111 N. Sixth St., in downtown Lafayette. Cellist Margot Marlatt, known for her performances with the Lafayette Symphony, the Bach Chorale and ensembles from Indianapolis to New York City, will be featured in Elgar's "Concerto for Violincello and Orchestra in E minor." Performing the concerto is a dream come true for Marlatt, who was first introduced to the piece as a teen. A professor at Interlochen Music Academy had invited cello students, including Marlatt, to his home to introduce them to different interpretations of Elgar. "The most famous 20th century performer to interpret it was Jacqueline du Pré," Marlatt says. "I fell in love with the piece then and her interpretation of it. In the truest sense of the word it's a very romantic piece." "It was written in 1919. Soon after that the ‘Rite of Spring' was written, and music was catapulted into the 20th century modern music era." For several decades as a professional musician, Marlatt has looked for opportunities to play the piece, but none surfaced until Purdue Symphony conductor Jay S. Gephart asked her to perform it. "From the first hearing, our orchestra thoroughly embraced the piece," Gephart says. "The melody in the first movement is hauntingly beautiful, incorporating full brass and percussion in brief moments of power and intensity." Marlatt and the orchestra perform the concerto's first two movements, which run together without a break. Alternating moments of tension and release dominate the lyrical first movement while "the second is light and transparent, almost brittle at times, with a continuous unraveling of sixteenth notes on the cello," Gephart says. The Elgar Concerto is sandwiched between the "Finale" from Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 1," and "Mars" and "Jupiter" from "The Planets" by Gustav Holst. The Beethoven symphony is playful in nature, Gephart says, and showcases the composer's writing before his trademark, unorthodox style developed. "Early Beethoven is characterized by the writing style of Mozart, and follows tradition carefully," Gephart says. "The Planets" is the composition that brought Holst widespread fame as a composer. "He was a relative unknown when it was written," Gephart says. "The whole suite put Holst on the map." Gephart says the composer wrote a movement for each planet "but purposefully left out Earth because he felt all other music depicts Earth." The symphony also will perform "Mars," a stormy piece befitting the ancient god characterized as the bringer of war. Many marching bands, including the "All-American" Marching Band, have drawn musical motifs from "Mars" for use at football games. "Jupiter," characterized as the bringer of jollity, exhibits a totally opposite, very joyful feeling, Gephart says. CONTACT: Kathy Matter, (765) 496-6785; kcmatter@purdue.edu. NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: Media interested in interviews should contact Kathy Matter, Purdue Bands public relations, (765) 496-6785. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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