Summer adult education class Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed takes place at Walnut Creek Library starting July 9. Instructor Scott Foglesong (Chair of Musicianship and Music Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music) leads the class.
First stop in Fresh Look is an introduction to the orchestra. In this class you’ll meet the key players and delve deep into the role of the conductor. We’ll also cover who’s on stage, where they sit, and why they are where they are. For now, here’s a sneak peek at the music you will hear during Class 1: Who’s On First?
MOZART – SYMPHONY NO. 40
Leonard Bernstein takes the lead conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 40. In the first class, you’ll hear more about the role of the conductor and the many things they do, from selecting the music to setting the tempo to developing balance.
BACH – MASS IN B MINOR, KYRIE ELEISON
Ranks of musicians and ranks of chorus fill up a stage to pull off this massive masterpiece. In addition to the performance being held in a cathedral, the performance also pays homage to how it was originally meant to be performed by including period instruments—just take a look at those wooden flutes.
VIVALDI – SPRING CONCERTO
In this performance of Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto, perhaps the most well-known part of the Four Seasons, the conductor is actually the first violin, or concertmaster.
BRITTEN – YOUNG PERSON’S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA
This piece is designed to showcase each instrument as a teaching tool for those less familiar with the different parts of the orchestra. In the video from 1946, a young boy explains what you will hear. We also see a young Leonard Bernstein conducting once again.
The California Symphony presents FRESH LOOK: THE SYMPHONY EXPOSED at the Walnut Creek Library in Walnut Creek starting on Tuesday, July 9 at 6:30pm. Tickets are $25 for the full 4 classes, which is later redeemable for any first purchase of an adult-priced concert ticket in the 19/20 season.
