Grand Valley State University’s Fall Arts Celebration 2011 presents
six enriching events, from classical compositions to a focus on
contemporary issues and global arts. Each event, September 12 –
December 5, is free and open to the public.
The opening night event is “A Night in Hapsburg Vienna: From
the Marriage of Figaro to Fidelio as arranged for Wind Harmonie,”
Monday, September 12, at 8 p.m., Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing
Arts Center, Allendale Campus.
This is a rare opportunity to hear opera compositions by Mozart,
Beethoven and Rossini as they were originally heard in the many great
noble houses of 18th-century Vienna — in woodwind arrangements.
“You will be able to hear these great and familiar operas with all
the original melodies, the duets and trios and finales performed by a
wind octet — known then as a harmonie — with two each of oboes,
clarinets, horns and bassoons,” said Danny Phipps, professor and chair
of the Department of Music and Dance. “This performance will include
rich and wonderful arrangements from ‘Marriage of Figaro,’ ‘Magic
Flute,’ ‘Don Giovanni,’ ‘Barber of Seville’ and ‘Fidelio,’ all very
upbeat music, but rarely heard this way today. It is going to be
really amazing.”
The nearly one-hour performance by Grand Valley’s Music
Department faculty will include narration and vocal soloists taking
audiences through the story line of each piece. Phipps said that all
of these great operas were arranged either by the composer or the
musicians.
“If you were an emperor and you commissioned an opera for the
Imperial Theatre, it would only play for about a week, maybe 10 days,
then it was done,” said Phipps. “But the operas got a second life as
outdoor entertainment by harmonie musicians wandering the streets of
Vienna or even setting the ambiance in the local taverns.”
The concert will be followed by a reception. Fall Arts
Celebration is made possible, in part, through the generosity of
sponsors including, Ginny Gearhart and the Gearhart Family, Liesel and
Hank Meijer, Elaine and Larry Shay, Judy and Peter Theune, and media
partner WOOD Radio.
For details about all Fall Arts Celebration events visit www.gvsu.edu/fallarts, or call
(616) 331-2180.
