The Valley Concert Society opens its new season on Thursday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium with a program that offers an exciting new listening experience.
Four musicians will play pieces that are normally performed by a full orchestra. Violinist Jasper Wood and cellist Sungyong Lim will join the Bergmann Duo, a husband-and-wife pair at a shared piano keyboard, to play beloved works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Beethoven.
Hearing Beethoven’s majestic Fifth Symphony played by three instruments will be a fascinating revelation. You will hear things Beethoven wrote that are usually overwhelmed by the great wash of sound from a large orchestra.
These arrangements were created by two 19th century composers, Carl Burchard and Friedrich Hermann. They come from a time when LPs, CDs, and digital streaming were not available. If people wanted to enjoy this great music, they had to find a way to play it with small groups in private homes, so arrangements such as these became quite popular.
The first half will open with Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and end with three lively Hungarian Rhapsodies by Johannes Brahms.
Besides these orchestral arrangements, Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann will be featured in a piano duet by Debussy. The two string musicians will play a duet for violin and cello by the Hungarian composer Kodály.
This program opens what promises to be an exceptional season of musical performances. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $32 for adults and $20 for students. For more information, call 604-289-3377.
I look forward to seeing you at the concert.
John Wiebe - President