Autumn Concert 2024 - some notes on the programme

Type of post:	Orchestra news item
Sub-type:	No sub-type
Posted By:	Paul Cormie
Status:	Current
Date Posted:	Mon, 14 Oct 2024

Autumn Concert - Saturday 2nd November, 7pm, Melrose Parish Church

Programme
Mendelssohn: Overture The Fair Melusine
Mozart: Aria - Ruhe sanft mein holdes Leben from Zaide
Vorisek: Symphony in D
Vivaldi: String Concerto in D minor (RV128)
Chabrier: 2 movements from Suite Pastorale (Idyll and Danse Villageoise)

Conductor: James Young
Soprano: Claire Taylor

The concert opens with a popular overture by Felix Mendelssohn about Melusine, the mythical water-nymph who takes the form of a mermaid on Saturdays. The opening arpeggios perhaps anticipate the later river music of Wagner.
Mozart wrote his opera Zaide in 1780 but it remained unfinished - we feature the beautiful soprano solo aria from Act I sung by local favourite Claire Taylor.
Jan Vaclav Vorisek was a close friend of Schubert - his only symphony was composed in 1821 and is often compared to early Beethoven. It is an accessible work in four movements lasting around half an hour.
The French Romantic composer Chabrier is famous for his orchestral rhapsody Espana but wrote much more besides, orchestrating several piano works to form his Suite Pastorale, from which we have selected two attractive movements.
Our talented string section will also perform a short concerto in D minor by Vivaldi, similar in character to the Four Seasons.

Simon McCann