Posted May 13, 2019
DAYTON, OH (May 13, 2019) – On Friday, June 7, 2019 and Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 8:00 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, will present the eighth and final concert in the 2018–2019 Premier Health Masterworks Series, Mozart and Mahler. The spotlight shines in this concert on DPO Principal Bassoonist Rachael Young. Ms. Young is the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Endowed Young Classical Artist for this performance. DPAA’s Innovation Partner for the 2018–2019 Vistas Season is DP&L Foundation—Powering Innovation in the Performing Arts.
Then, on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at 3:00 pm in the Mead Theater of the Schuster Center, Maestro Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present the final 2018–2019 Demirjian/Graeter’s Sundae Classics Concert entitled Mahler: Symphony No. 1. The afternoon concludes with a casual Q&A in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, along with an Ice Cream Social with a free scoop of Graeter’s.
The practice of presenting works by Mozart and Mahler on one program is a favorite of orchestras the world over. The combination creates pure magic. Gustav Mahler held an abiding affection for the great Salzburg-born composer Mozart. As a conductor, Mahler strongly advocated for Mozart’s operas. As a composer, he set the pattern, arguably, for the 20th-century trend of Mozartean neo-Classicism with his Fourth Symphony. As a man, he worshipped Mozart, whispering his name—Mozartl (“little Mozart”)—with his dying breath.
Somewhere, out there in the great metaphysical beyond, Mahler is smiling at the lineup of this weekend’s Masterworks program.
The evening starts on a lighthearted note when the Dayton Philharmonic welcomes Principal Bassoonist Rachael Young to center stage for Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in B-flat major. It was written when Mozart was 18, but don’t let his age belie the level of sophistication evidenced by this little jewel. In fact, it is the most-studied and performed piece in the bassoon repertory, often used in auditions. Ms. Young will showcase the work’s unique qualities with extraordinary agility showing off trills, leaps (nearly two octaves), and rapid-fire notes, all designed to project an affable, lyrical personality.
Rachael Young is Principal Bassoonist of the DPO, a position she has previously held with the Springfield Symphony, Kentucky Symphony, and Symphony of Southeast Texas. She is also Principal Bassoonist of the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra and a member of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra. She has maintained an active and varied orchestral career, holding positions or performing with the orchestras of Chattanooga, Tuscaloosa, Columbus, Charlotte, Alabama, and Louisville, as well as the Chicago Sinfonietta and many others. She won the silver medal at the 2008 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, has performed at the Kennedy Center, and was invited as a fellow to the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. She also received the John Celentano Award for Excellence in Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music. Rachael is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Following Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, the DPO turns its attention to Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. Mahler’s first symphonic outing is a real world-beater. First performed in Budapest in 1889, it couldn’t help but reflect the tone of the changing cultural and political climate of the late 19th century. Musical thought was moving away from norms, and Mahler was stretching the system.
The first notes of the work are eerily familiar. You will recognize the Star Trek theme, but those four notes were actually borrowed from Brahms, who borrowed them from Beethoven! The movement establishes a hushed, suspended atmosphere that builds to an exuberant finish. The slow second movement exhibits grace and élan with its dance-like rhythm borrowed from the Austrian Ländler. The third movement is a wry funeral march that almost seems to bid farewell to the century. The fourth is an awesome explosion of dramatic contrasts, spectacular orchestration, and shifting moods that will leave the audience breathless. All three performances of the weekend will showcase this stunning work.
Tickets for Friday and Saturday’s Masterworks Concerts, Mozart and Mahler, and for Sunday’s Sundae Classics Concert, Mahler: Symphony No. 1, begin at $12 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available for both concerts at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.
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About the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance
The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was formed in July 2012 as the result of a groundbreaking and innovative merger between the Dayton Ballet, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Together, they are the largest performing arts organization in the community, offering a tremendous variety of performance and education programs and setting a new standard for artistic excellence. Dayton Performing Arts Alliance performances are made possible in part by Montgomery County and Culture Works, the single largest source of community funds for the arts and culture in the Miami Valley. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance also receives partial funding from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency created to foster and encourage the development of the arts and to preserve Ohio’s cultural heritage. Funding from the Ohio Arts Council is an investment of state tax dollars that promotes economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohio residents. In 2013, The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance was thrilled to be one of five performing arts organizations in the country selected to receive a three-year “Music Alive” grant from New Music USA and the League of American Orchestras. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is the proud recipient of a 2017-2018 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.