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The season opens Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette and 3 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore with "The Monumental - Beethoven's Symphony #9." Beethoven's 9th Symphony defied categorization, leapfrogging to a new pinnacle of what the symphonic form can achieve. If you find yourself sitting up a little straighter, tilting your head to listen, forgetting where you are, you are traveling and experiencing with Beethoven the hero's inner journey from mysterious and humble beginnings to thundering triumph expressed in the enduring "Ode to Joy" featuring Soprano Rhoslyn Jones, Mezzo Sylvie Jensen, Tenor Christopher Bengochea, Baritone Ben Brayd, and the combined Pacific Chamber Orchestra/Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church choirs, Brett Strader Chorus Master. The performances will be followed a special 30th PCO birthday bash.
Pacific Chamber Orchestra kicks off the holiday season Dec. 1 in Livermore with "The Glorious-Handel's Messiah." This is one of the best-loved musical experiences to be treasured. Kohl's effervescent interpretation offers great emotional impact underscoring the uplifting messages. Soloists Soprano Marnie Breckenridge, Mezzo Silvie Jensen, Tenor Ricky Garcia, Baritone Ben Brady, and the Pacific Chamber Orchestra Chorus, Ofer dal Lal Chorus Master offers dazing virtuosity with an orchestra/chorus blend only possible in the intimate hall of the Bankhead Theater. At the end of the concert presentation the chorus joins the audience. Everyone in the midst of the harmonious voices joins together in a sing-a-long reprise of the famed Hallelujah chorus.
March 22 in Lafayette and March 23 in Livermore brings "The Passionate-Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aries." Until you have experienced Piazzolla's The Four Seasons, you haven't really lived. Your heart will probably beat to a different drum when he is done, and you will be better for it. On the program also: Telemann's spritely Concerto for Oboe d'amore with Robin May soloist, Shostakovich's Two Pieces for String Octet, a wistful beginning to a dramatic homage to a dear friend lost that turns on a dime to humor, then moodiness, into delicacy, showcasing the vast range of musical emotional expression, Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins a tour de force of three intense virtuoso movements that ripple like the sea. The program journeys into baroque exuberance, modern Slavic flair and the passionate nuevo tango If you can go where words cannot, you will be glad for the invitation.
The Pacific Chamber Orchestra season concludes May 2 in Lafayette and May 3 in Livermore with "The Exquisite-Bach's Brandenburg Concertos." Pacific Chamber Orchestra presents all six Brandenburg Concertos in one concert. A rare treat indeed. It has been said that Bach's Brandenburg Concertos display the buoyant side of his `imperishable genius' because they were written during one of the happiest and most productive periods of his life. Bach in these six complementary works stretched the definition of concerto forevermore by exploring all kinds of solo combinations and in the process invented the now familiar modern keyboard concerto. This require virtuoso musicians willing to push through the edges of their instruments - and feel exhilarated doing it. No matter how many times you've heard these pieces, you feel you've heard something different each time you encounter them.
The members of the Pacific Chamber Orchestra also appear in such prestigious groups as the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet Orchestras, touring Broadway shows, and feature films recorded at Skywalker Ranch. They are touring soloists and chamber musicians.
Season subscriptions and single tickets for individual concerts are available at: www.PacificChamberOrchestra.org For ticket information: www.PacificChamberOrchestra.org
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA