MILL VALLEY PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS A RUSSIAN FESTIVAL

Mill Valley Philharmonic begins its 15th season with its fall series, A Russian Festival. The program includes the late 19th Century composers Rimsky-Korsakov and Balakirev, whose styles reflected the Russian national spirit. Also featured are Glazunov and Prokofiev’s works from the 1930s. Local artist, Kevin Stewart, solos with MVP on Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto. Kevin joins MVP in Prokofiev’s beloved Lieutenant Kijé Suite.

“Dubbed the “Mighty Handful” in the Russian press, a circle of composers from St. Petersburg sought to create a uniquely Russian musical tradition. The”five” were recognized as the standard bearers of a new form of Russian art music, one that reflected the Russian spirit and was not imitative of European music. Among the five were Rimsky-Korsakov and Balakirev.

In Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Festival Overture, the melodies are largely from the Russian Orthodox liturgy, based on a collection of liturgical chants called the Obikhod. Though he was a non-believer, Rimsky-Korsakov wrote that he was eager to reproduce “the legendary and heathen aspect of the holiday, and the transition from the solemnity and mystery of the evening of Passion Saturday to the unbridled pagan-religious celebrations of Easter Sunday morning”.

In 1861, Balakirev established the Free School of Music with the support of Tsar Nicolas. At the school’s concerts, Balakirev programmed his own music, including In Bohemia, and that of his students, all of whom, including Balakirev, came to be known as The Might Five. Originally titled Overture on Czech Themes, the symphonic poem, melds together three Czech songs Balakirev discovered in Vienna in a book called Marriage among the Czech People. Balakirev draws on the romantic, and nationalistic, folk themes of Russia’s brother nation.

The saxophone was still unfamiliar in Glazunov’s day but the composer was enthralled by the sound. Her wrote the Saxophone Concerto in 1934. Sigurd Raschèr was a famous German saxophonist and it was Raschèr who hounded Glazunov to write the work. It was Glazunov’s final work and the composer never heard the piece performed. Celebrated local artist Kevin Stewart performs on saxophone with MVP. Kevin describes the work as “a formidable piece, which is beautifully written with a large harmonic range (3½ octaves) for the alto sax. It is difficult rhythmically; the soloist needs to understand the line to bring out the lyrical phrasing and to tell the story.”

Prokofiev’s beloved work, the Lieutenant Kijé Suite, was originally written as a film score in 1934 for the movie directed by Aleksandr Faintsimmer based on a novel by Yury Tynyanov. The satirical, comedic plot of the movie centers on a clerical error that creates the name of a nonexistent soldier, Kijé. When the Tsar becomes interested in this peculiar name, terrified officials have to invent an entire life and death for Kijé. Prokofiev called the plot a ‘tragedy’: he felt the fate of the ridiculous Kijé, and the whole nation so frightened of its rulers, led ever deeper into absurdity.

Free Concerts, everyone is welcome

November 7th, 8th and 9th

A Russian Festival

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian Easter Festival Overture

Alexander Glazunov, Saxophone Concerto, with Kevin Stewart

Mily Balakirev, In Bohemia

Sergei Prokofiev, Lieutenant Kijé Suite

Friday, November 7th 8:00pm

walk-in seating

Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church

410 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley

Saturday, November 8th 4:00pm

walk-in seating

Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church

Sunday, November 9th 2:00pm

Osher Marin JCC, Kanbar Center for the Arts

200 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael

Advance tickets for the Sunday concert only at millvalleyphilharmonic.org/concerts/

Walk-in seating as available

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Contact: Peter Boam or Laurie Cohen

mailto:mvphilharmonic@gmail.com or laurie.cohen@sonic.net

Photos on request

415-383-0930

millvalleyphilharmonic.org