THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 23, 1995 TAG: 9504210071
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: MARK MOBLEY
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
WHAT'S AN ORCHESTRA without a conductor? Technically superb, critically acclaimed and not to be missed.
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra appears with guitarist Pepe Romero on Monday and Tuesday at the College of William and Mary. The conductorless New York-based ensemble is fresh from the release of ``The Four Seasons'' with violinist Gil Shaham.
This energetic Deutsche Grammophon recording is vastly more compelling than Shaham's performance last season with the Virginia Symphony. It has brought the ensemble to the Weather Channel by way of a music video included with every CD on a bonus CD-ROM. Orpheus also released last year a vividly recorded and excellently played Charles Ives disc, ``A Set of Pieces.''
The Monday and Tuesday programs are the same, including the ballet music from Mozart's ``Idomeneo'' and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4, ``Italian.'' Romero will play Rodrigo's ``Concierto de Aranjuez'' and Orpheus member Guillermo Figueroa will be soloist in Mario Davidovsky's new Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra.
Concerts are at 8 p.m. at Phi Beta Kappa Hall. General admission tickets are $20. Call (804) 221-3276 for reservations. HANDEL PROGRAM
The Virginia Symphony Chorus will perform Handel's ``Dixit dominus'' in Virginia Symphony concerts Saturday and next Sunday. Chorus Master Donald J. McCullough will also conduct Handel's ``Water Music'' and the Overture and ``Entrance of the Queen of Sheba'' from ``Solomon.'' Principal horn David Wick is the soloist in Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 1.
Saturday's performance is at 8 p.m. at Hampton Roads Academy, Newport News. Sunday's performance is at 3 p.m. at Phi Beta Kappa Hall of the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg. Tickets are $15 and $20 with discounts for students, seniors and military. Call 623-2310 or 671-8100 to order. WARM UP
The symphony chorus, Virginia Opera chorus and the McCullough Chorale are holding auditions in the coming weeks.
In the 1995-96 season, opera chorus members will appear in ``Rigoletto,'' ``Die fledermaus,'' ``The Flying Dutchman,'' ``The Barber of Seville'' and ``Carousel.'' Auditions are May 9 through 12 at the Harrison Opera House. Call 627-9545, ext. 300, to schedule an audition.
Symphony choristers will sing Mozart under JoAnn Falleta and showtunes with Skitch Henderson. McCullough Chorale members will sing the music of Vivaldi, Bernstein and Arvo Part. Auditions for both groups are June 12, 13 and 19 at First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk. For more information call 623-8590. DREAM STATE
Recent Norfolk concerts of music by composers lost in the Holocaust proved to be both informative and deeply moving. Washington Opera's 1995-96 season will include the American premiere of ``Betrothal in a Dream'' by Hans Krasa, an extraordinarily talented Czech musician interned at Terezin and executed at Auschwitz.
The production, which opens Jan. 6 and runs through February, is being imported from Prague State Opera and the National Theater Mannheim. The cast includes British bass John Shirley-Quirk.
The other operas in the season are Verdi's ``Luisa Miller,'' which opens Nov. 4; Strauss' ``Der Rosenkavalier,'' Nov. 11; Rossini's ``The Barber of Seville,'' Dec. 23; Massenet's ``Werther,'' Jan. 13; Boito's ``Mefistofele'' with Samuel Ramey, Feb. 29; and Mozart's ``Cosi fan tutte'' with Pamela Coburn and Jerry Hadley, March 9.
All performances are at the Kennedy Center. For more information call (800) 87-OPERA. For groups of 10 or more call (202) 416-7851. TODAY
Peter and Yvonne Seymour, British harpsichordist and soprano. 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Norfolk, 739 Yarmouth St., Norfolk. 627-5371.
Virginia Symphony, Casual Classics Series. 5 p.m. at the Pavilion Theater, Virginia Beach. Associate Conductor Andrews Sill leads American music, including marches and selections from ``Porgy and Bess.'' Tickets: $15 to $25, discounts available for students, seniors and military. 623-2310.
African-American Heritage Singers of Richmond, choral concert. 5 p.m. at Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church, Norfolk. 473-9251.
The Hampton University Choir and the University Concert Choir, classical. 3 p.m. at Ogden Hall, Hampton University. 727-5402. DATEBOOOK
Cantata Chorus, featuring Music from Imperial Austria with members of the Virginia Symphony. Program includes Mozart's ``Litaniae Lauretanae,'' Haydn's Te Deum and Beethoven's C Major Mass. 8 p.m. Wednesday at Christ and St. Luke's Church, Olney Road, Norfolk. Tickets: $7 to $15. 627-5665.
Hesperus, classical, blues chamber ensemble. 6:45 p.m. Friday at Chrysler Museum Theater, Norfolk. 664-6200.
Virginia Children's Chorus. 7:30 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church, 514 South Armistead Ave., Hampton. 723-0114.
``Remember Radio,'' barbershop harmony program with The Commodore Chorus, Virginia Coast Chorus and the Entertainers. Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. at Maury High School, 322 Shirley Ave., Norfolk. Tickets $8 (matinee), $12 and $15 (evening). Discounts available for groups. 499-1449 or 479-0232.
Hardwick Chamber Ensemble, trios by Telemann, Vanhal, Stravinsky (the arrangement of ``A Soldier's Tale'') and Chesapeake composer John Winsor. 2 p.m. next Sunday at Oscar Smith High School, 1994 Tiger Drive, Chesapeake. 424-4277. MEMO: Send notices to Roy A. Bahls, The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star,
150 W. Brambleton Ave., Norfolk, Va. 23510. Fax 446-2963. Include
description of event, admission charge, time, date, location and phone.
Deadline is 10 days before publication. Call Mark Mobley at 446-2783,
write to the above address or send electronic mail to
mobley(AT)infi.net. by CNB