Program Notes
Vallejo Symphony's July 4th Pops - July 4, 2011, 2:00pm
Armed Forces Salute
Feeling patriotic? Put on some red, white, and blue, and join the Vallejo Symphony in a musical voyage from sea to shining sea. The U.S. Navy is the focus at this feel-good concert, from Rodgers' thrilling "Victory at Sea" to the madcap fun of "South Pacific." With some waltzes from The Merry Widow, and some jazzy favorites by Leroy Anderson and Henry Mancini, the whole family will enjoy this free concert, sponsored by your Target store.
Ludwig in Paradise - October 8, 2011, 8:00pm
Beethoven—The Creatures of Prometheus Overture
Rodrigo—Concierto de Aranjuez, with Paul Psarras, guitar solo
Beethoven—Symphony No. 8
In our fall concert, two of Beethoven's most cheerful works bookend one of the most exquisite concertos in the repertoire. The Creatures of Prometheus Overture shows the lighter side of Beethoven. His Eighth Symphony, while more complex, is full of wit and humor. Rodrigo's charming Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar and orchestra, was inspired by 18th-century Spanish gardens, and captures, in the composer's words, "the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains." Prize-winning, versatile guitar soloist Paul Psarras has played everything from Greek folk music, to classical works with the San Francisco Symphony, to varied repertoire with the renowned Pacific Guitar Ensemble.
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Love, Death, and Dance - March 25, 2012, 3:00pm
Our spring concert takes off into flights of fancy with three evocative works that will transport you to other worlds. Rossini's dramatic opera Semiramide is only seldom performed today, but its lovely, bittersweet overture alternates gorgeous wind and brass solos with martial passages that express the violent passions unleashed in its plot. Fauré's poignant Pavane evokes a lovely and mysterious vision of dances from other times. Brahms's stormy Symphony No. 4 is an emotional journey in itself, from passionate yearning to fulfillment.
Rossini—Semiramide Overture
Fauré—Pavane
Brahms—Symphony No. 4
