Marin Alsop leads the Baltimore Symphony in Copland's Symphony No. 3

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Music Director Marin Alsop will lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Copland’s Symphony No. 3. The concert opens with Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn and will feature BSO concertmaster Jonathan Carney in Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. A shortened program will be performed as part of the Casual Series on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

American composer Aaron Copland was recognized for creating music more quintessentially American than that of any of his peers. A witness to the effects of the Great Depression, Copland decided to address his music not to the elite few but to all music-lovers, while simultaneously refusing to compromise his own fierce integrity. His first large-scale symphony was Symphony No. 3, an end-of-war piece intended to reflect the euphoric spirit of the country at the conclusion of World War II. Divided into three separate movements, the piece commences with simplicity and gentleness, and ends with Copland's signature nostalgic-Americana style.

Max Bruch, one of the most prolific and respected German composers of the second half of the 19th century, began composing Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor when he was a teenager. Written for and first performed by Joseph Joachim, Bruch’s concerto immediately took its place in the core repertoire of virtuoso violinists. It is said that the piece was perfectly written for the violin and allows the instrument to be exploited in the hands of a master. Violin Concerto No. 1 greatly emphasizes Bruch’s talent for writing haunting, deeply expressive melodies.

Johannes Brahms, viewed as the 19th century’s greatest writer of variations, had not written a purely orchestral work in nearly 15 years before composing Variations on a Theme by Haydn. The theme, discovered to have actually originated as a pilgrims’ hymn from an earlier era, was what Brahms needed to set his imagination on fire. All eight variations and the finale range from the very soft and mysterious, to the strong and lively.

Jonathan Carney, violin
Concertmaster Jonathan Carney begins his seventh season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra after twelve seasons in the same position with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He also held the concertmaster post with the Basque National Orchestra in Spain. Born in New Jersey, Jonathan Carney hails from a musical family with all six members of his family having graduated from the Juilliard School in New York. After completing his studies with Ivan Galamian and Christine Dethier, he was awarded a Leverhulme Fellowship to continue his studies in London at the Royal College of Music. After enjoying critically acclaimed international tours as both concertmaster and soloist with numerous ensembles, Mr. Carney was invited by Vladimir Ashkenazy to become concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991. He was also appointed concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1994.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Classical Concert Series: Copland’s Symphony No. 3
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Casual Concert: Bruch Violin Concerto
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. – Joseph Meyerhoff Hall

Marin Alsop, conductor
Jonathan Carney, violin

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Copland: Symphony No. 3

Tickets for these concerts range from $20 to $68, and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444, 410.783.8000 or www.BSOmusic.org.

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