Details
Gioachino Rossini
Overture to L'italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) (8 min)
The 21-year-old Gioachino Rossini already had ten operas under his belt when he composed L’Italiana in Algeri (The Italian Girl in Algiers), and it took him only 18 days to craft the recycled libretto into a two-act dramma giocoso. It was this comic opera, along with the more serious work Tancredi composed a few months earlier, that elevated Rossini from a successful working musician in Venice to an international opera star.
The premise of L’Italiana in Algeri is that the sultan Mustafà, bored with the submissive wives in his harem, decides he must find a strong-willed Italian girl. He lucks out when a shipwreck delivers the beautiful Isabella to his shore, but in the end, she proves to be more than he can handle.
In the overture (or sinfonia in Italian parlance), the music follows the same sonata-allegro structure that Franz Joseph Haydn perfected in his symphonies, including the optional slow introduction that was a Haydn staple. And clearly the young Rossini learned plenty about musical humor from jolly Papa Haydn, as heard in the shocking outburst that interrupts the introduction’s idyllic plucking! There is barely a trace of the opera’s North African setting in the overture (maybe just a whiff of exoticism in the woodwind solos and the spirited percussion), but audiences at this type of comic opera weren’t expecting verisimilitude; they were there to get swept up in Rossini’s wild crescendos, unforgettable tunes and infectious joy.
Aaron Grad ©2022
Franz Schubert
Andante from Symphony No. 2 (9 min)
Henryk Wieniawski arr. Jonathan Posthuma
Scherzo-tarantelle (6 min)
Lisa Sung,
viola
Intermission
Listen to Audio
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 34 (21 min)
Zoltán Kodály
Hungarian Rondo (8 min)
About This Program
Approximate length 1:25
Please join us for the seventh annual Musician Appreciation Concert! This joyful celebration of our musicians - who enrich thousands of lives each year - is our chance to honor them. This one-night-only program is an opportunity to spread a little joy of your own, as all proceeds go to members of the orchestra. This concert will showcase the exquisite talent of SPCO musicians through solo and ensemble performances, as well as opportunities to get to know them.
Please join us for the seventh annual Musician Appreciation Concert! This joyful celebration of our musicians - who enrich thousands of lives each year - is our chance to honor them. This one-night-only program is an opportunity to spread a little joy of your own, as all proceeds go to members of the orchestra. This concert will showcase the exquisite talent of SPCO musicians through solo and ensemble performances, as well as opportunities to get to know them.
This special concert is a fundraising event and is not eligible for ticket exchanges or guest pass redemption. Additional restrictions may apply.
Make A Gift
Can't attend, but still want to support the musicians of the SPCO? You can make a gift directly. All proceeds from this fundraising event will go to SPCO musicians in appreciation for the passion, dedication and incredible artistry they share every year. Make your gift today.
Event Packages
Ticket packages are also available for purchase. To reserve a Gold or Silver event package, please contact Erin VanBurkleo at 651.292.3275 or evanburkleo@spcomail.org.
Gold – $10,000 (includes 12 premium tickets)
Silver – $5,000 (includes 6 premium tickets)
Note: Your ticket purchase total minus $25 per ticket is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please note that it is our policy that donations made to this event are non-refundable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Musician Appreciation Concert different from a regular SPCO concert?
The Musician Appreciation Concert is an annual fundraising event, with proceeds going directly to the musicians of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Your generous support of this special event will help meet our goal. Proceeds from the event go directly to the musicians of the SPCO in recognition of their dedication to sharing a world-class orchestra with our whole community.
I’m a Concert Member. Why should I make a gift with my ticket?
The SPCO Concert Membership program is designed to make SPCO concerts accessible by charging a low monthly fee for unlimited concert attendance. This monthly fee does not cover the cost of a regular season ticket and is not considered a donation. Your gift to the Musician Appreciation Concert will support the musicians of the SPCO in recognition of the artistry they share with our community all season long.
What portion of my ticket purchase is tax deductible?
The fair market value of each ticket is $25; that means the remaining amount of the purchase price for each ticket to this special event, minus any fees, is a donation to the musicians of the SPCO. Example: An SPCO fan purchases a premium ticket for $1,000. $975 of the purchase price is a tax-deductible donation; the remaining $25 is the cost of admission. Please note that it is our policy that donations made to this event are non-refundable.
What happens to my ticket(s) if I can no longer attend?
Please contact the Ticket Office to turn back your tickets as a tax-deductible donation to the musicians of the SPCO or request a refund. This concert is a special fundraising event, so tickets cannot be exchanged from this event into another performance. The Ticket Office can be reached by phone Monday through Friday 12pm–5pm at 651.291.1144 or by email at tickets@spcomail.org.
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SPCO concerts are made possible by audience contributions.
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