Stratford Symphony Orchestra continues to demonstrate prowess with two November concerts

By: Lisa Chester

An ambitious pair of concerts is planned for November by the Stratford Symphony Orchestra (SSO). From the passion of Spanish music to the beauty of Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony No. 6, the excitement of the two evenings will be palatable.

“We’re proudly presenting this because we think Stratford audiences will love it, and it showcases our talent working internationally,” said SSO conductor William Rowson.

A special chamber concert featuring SSO musicians and David Murray on piano and Kaye Royer on clarinet welcomes Spanish conductor Cristóbal Soler, mezzo-soprano Lorena Valero and pianist Alexander Panizza for an intimate evening. The concert, dubbed Viva España, takes place Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church.

“Kaye Royer, who is our principal clarinet player, brought it to us over the summer because she actually participated in the exchange and went over to Spain earlier this year. So, the second part of the exchange is the Spanish artists that she worked with are coming to Ontario and they’re doing a couple shows for the week that they are here. They had an extra spot and wondered if we would be interested in bringing them to Stratford and I said, ‘Absolutely!’” said A.J. Ashley, SSO executive director. “It is such a rich arts and culture that we have in town, and I know our audience would love experiencing something new.”

The second concert planned is Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at Avondale United Church in what is curated to be a symbiotic evening. With Rowson leading a full orchestra he will present what is often referred to as a big bucket list piece of music for music lovers, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony No. 6.

“It’s a famous piece of music because it’s the first piece of music that is what we call a program symphony, or a program music, in that it’s called a symphony, but it actually tells a story. Prior to that in the Viennese tradition symphonies were very structured; there was a minuet and there was always a little set of variations but a dramatic finale. Beethoven changes all of that,” explains Rowson.

Beethoven wrote about arriving in the country, he wrote a piece of music about contemplating the blessings of life while sitting by a stream. He wrote a piece of music about the gathering of country folk which is a big dance. There’s a thunderstorm and then there’s a beautiful pastoral finale. This symphony is a piece of music that was featured by Disney in the film Fantasia.

Opening the concert, the orchestra begins with Canadian composer Claude Champagne’s Danse Villageoise inspired by traditional French-Canadian folk music. SSO principal cellist, Gwendolyn Nguyen, then takes centre stage for Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, a brilliant showcase of lyrical beauty and technical virtuosity.

“Gwen has been a featured soloist with us before, and she always does an amazing job, so we give her bigger and bigger challenges each time so now she’s doing the full cello concerto which all cellists will want to see it. It’s up and down the instrument. It is a piece of music when it was introduced to the world in the 19th century that just broadened the parameter of what a cello could do,” said Rowson.

This is the 22nd season of SSO and 10 years under the artistic direction of Rowson. Together they continue the tradition of bringing outstanding performances, innovative programming and memorable musical experiences.

For tickets, or more information about the concerts, visit stratfordsymphony.ca or by calling 519-271-0990.