The Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s new VSO Up Close Concert series continues Sunday in Christopher Newport University’s Peebles Theater with VSO concertmaster Grace Park and pianist Gilles Vonsattel. (Note: The version of this story that appeared in print mistakenly said the concert was on Saturday.)
The 3 p.m. performance will feature three Beethoven violin sonatas: No. 2 in A Major, No. 3 in E-flat Major and the well-known by name “Kreutzer,” No. 9 in A Major.
Park, who started the series as a way to feature members of the VSO and special guests, is an impressive violinist with an envious pedigree of solo accomplishments across the national and on international stages.
She appeared in the first Up Close program in September when she was joined by VSO principal strings, with special guest Jan Vogler. This time, she’ll appear with cellist and VSO conductor Eric Jacobson in the afternoon’s featured Schubert String Quintet.
Vonsattel accompanies Park in this program, displaying piano skills that have found him in demand across the world.
For tickets, visit virginiasymphony.org.
Williamsburg Women’s Chorus
The Women’s Chorus, under the artistic direction of Rebecca Davy, will present a program “Songs from the Story-Verse,” consisting of musical settings of texts by Lewis Carroll, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare and Emily Brontë.
The Sunday event takes place at 4 p.m. in Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. Suggested donations are $15 and $10 for students.
Chamber Music Society of Williamsburg
Chamber music continues with the society’s presentation of the Ying Quartet on Nov. 18 in the Hennage Auditorium at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. The Ying was established in 1988 at the Eastman School of Music. It has gone on to find a very distinguished career performing everywhere from Carnegie Hall and the White House to hospitals, juvenile prisons, churches and schools.
The 7:30 p.m. program will feature Haydn’s String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 74 (“Rider”) which is joyous, lyrical and spirited; the emotional Bartók’s String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 17; and Beethoven’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2 (“Razumovsky”), with passages of both energy and hymnlike qualities.
For information, visit chambermusicwilliamsburg.org.
William & Mary Gallery Players
The W&M Gallery Players is a conductor-less, advanced level, chamber orchestra made up of 15 university string players, all under the general direction of Susan Via. The ensemble will be presenting a program at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 in the Comey Recital Hall, located in the Music Arts Complex. The selections will include C.P.E. Bach’s Symphony, Antoni Dvořák’s Nocturne for Strings and Josef Suk’s Serenade for Strings.
These performances offer finely prepared and played music. The program is free but reservations are a good idea. To reserve seats, visit wm.universitytickets.com/w.
William & Mary Theatre
W&M Theatre presents “The Scarlet Pimpernel” Nov. 20-23 in the Glenn Close Theatre at Phi Beta Kappa Hall. The musical deals with the exploits of aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney, who plays both sides of the socially acceptable fence — fancy dandy in the day and leader of men by night to rescue innocents from the blade during the French Revolution. There’s romance, intrigue, comedy and music.
Music director is Suzanne Daniel, with musical direction by professor Laurie Wolf and choreography by professor Valerie Winborne. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20-22 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 23. For tickets, visit wm.universitytickets.com.
Cantori Choral Ensemble
Cantori is celebrating its 20th season with its Christmas program at 5 p.m. on Nov. 30 in Walnut Hills Baptist Church and 5 p.m. Dec. 7 in Abingdon Episcopal Church in White Marsh. Under the direction of Agnes French, the festive program will include 13 familiar and maybe less familiar seasonal songs, some a cappella and some with strings. Among the riches will be such tunes as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “In the Bleak Midwinter,” “Silent Night,” “O Magnum Mysterium,” “Carol of the Magi,” “A Welsh Lullaby,” “Love Came Down at Christmas” and “Still, Still, Still.”
Rebecca Davy will accompany on piano and organ, augmented by a five-member string ensemble. Cantori suggests a donation starting at $20 and upward in $20 amounts. Send donations to Cantori Choral Ensemble, Agnes French, conductor, 3341 Derby Lane, Williamsburg, 23185.
Recap
Opera in Williamsburg assembled one of its finest ever companies in its production of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice,” which marked the stage directing debut of OiW’s founder, Naama Zahavi-Ely. She assembled an exquisite ensemble of vocalists, including members of the Virginia Chorale.
This Sunday matinee production was filled with exceptional singing, many of the primary vocalists with Met Opera experience. The additional voices supplied by the chorale enhanced the rich, highly-textured sounds. Nicholas Tamagna is an internationally acclaimed countertenor and that acclaim was obvious here, his upper range incredible; he was perfect as the love struck Orfeo. He was effectively matched by the loveliness of soprano Maria Brea’s Euridice and her delightful portrayal. But the entire cast excelled.
Zahavi-Ely’s venture into stage direction showed the depth of the skills she possesses, not to mention her expertise at managing the set, supertitles and OiW’s best-yet wonderfully crafted background projections.
Gluck’s marvelous score was deftly handled by OiW conductor Jorge Parodi and carried out by first class musicians, one and all. A big bravo to OiW for this swell production.
Have information about the arts in the Historic Triangle? Contact John Shulson at johnshulson@gmail.com.
