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POWELL, Wyo. - Now that the summer intermission is over, the house lights will dim for another season of Northwest Civic Orchestra performances under the baton of conductor Tim Schoessler. This year’s first concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, in the Nelson Performing Arts Center Auditorium at Northwest College.
The evening begins with Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture.” Written in 1807 and based on a tragedy about the ancient Roman leader Coriolanus, this dramatic work centers around two thematic ideas. The obstinate nature and force of the opening represents Coriolanus’ warlike tendencies, while the beautiful theme that appears soon afterward shows his mother pleading with him not to go into battle.
Next on the program is Haydn’s London symphony. This four-movement work was written in 1795 and is the last of 12 symphonies composed during his extended visit to England. Evident throughout the piece are Haydn’s humor, wit and dramatic silences between sections.
Following intermission, the orchestra will premiere a three-movement concerto for violoncello and orchestra that was composed this summer by NWC student Jess Preis, from Greybull, Wyo. “The Forest: The Tale of a Witch” tells the adventures of a group of people traveling through a dark forest and their subsequent escape from an unknown terror. Billings Central Catholic High School senior David Kirk is featured on the cello solo.
The concert closes with “Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor,” composed by Max Bruch. Considered one of the great Romantic violin concertos, the piece premiered in 1866, featuring virtuoso passages and lyric melodies throughout. NWC music student Josiah Baker, of Powell, Wyo., performs the violin solo.
General admission to the concert is $7 for adults, senior citizens pay $5. NWC students and children 12 and under are admitted free.