Seattle Chamber Orchestra: Nostalgia & Farewell

• Lorenzo Marasso, piano & conductor

John Dowland — Farewell (for piano solo (originally scored for lute))
Franz Joseph Haydn — Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in D major, Hob. XVIII:11
Benjamin Britten — Simple Symphony, Op. 4
Alfred Schnittke — Musica Nostalgica (for cello and piano)
Béla Bartók — Romanian Folk Dances for strings, Sz. 68, BB 76
Franz Joseph Haydn — Symphony No. 45 in F-sharp minor "The Farewell"

Join us on Friday February 9th, at 8pm, for a concert dedicated to the theme of Nostalgia & Farewell two emotions that virtually everyone has experienced in their lives. The composers featured on this program have given a different take on those states, some choosing to be more melancholic, others, like Joseph Haydn, seeing it as an opportunity for creativity and fun.

The program includes works by John Downland whose Farewell was originally written for lute. Follows Joseph Haydn and his happy Concerto for piano and orchestra in D major, ending the first half with the Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten, who composed it in 1933 using various themes that he wrote when he was a child and to which he felt particularly attached (and nostalgic?). 

Alfred Schnittke’s short and melancholic Musica Nostalgica for cello and piano will open the second half of the program before the (nostalgic?) Romanian Dances by Béla Bartók who made ample use of folk tunes to inform his compositional process. The program ends with Joseph Haydn in a sort of funny (and perhaps scolding?) way to demonstrate "a point" with his Farewell Symphony. Will not spoil the surprise on how the piece ends but be prepared to witness some theatrical moves.  

Concert will be held at Tagney Jones Hall at the Seattle Opera (363 Mercer Street, Seattle, 98109). Join us at 7:15pm for a pre-concert talk. Concert begins at 8pm. Admission includes the pre-concert talk, the performance, accompanied by wine and appetizers.

About Seattle Chamber Orchestra

Founded in 2021, Seattle Chamber Orchestra seeks to bring music lovers tantalizing combinations of the traditional and modern, performed by world-class professional musicians. Brought to life through thoughtful programming that educates as much as it inspires, SCO seeks to reinvigorate live classical music, which has suffered most of all during the pandemic, by providing opportunities musicians and audiences to explore new music and challenge established boundaries.

https://www.seattlechamberorchestra.org/

About Lorenzo Marasso, piano & conductor

Lorenzo Marasso is an impassioned and sympathetic conductor, concert pianist, chamber musician, educator and radio host. Dubbed the "king of repertoire," Lorenzo's creative programming reveals lesser known masterpieces and rarely performed arrangements. Lorenzo's performances have been broadcast in numerous media outlets, including Seattle's 98.1 Classical King FM and NPR. In 2021 Lorenzo founded the Seattle Chamber Orchestra and is serving now as the ensemble's music director. In the same year he also started hosting a weekly radio program called Dress Rehearsal on 107.3FM KBFG Seattle. Equally inspired by contemporary music, Lorenzo has commissioned and performed world premieres of new works by several international composers who have written and dedicated pieces to him. In July 2020 he completed the Invention Project, a commission of new pieces for piano inspired by J.S. Bach's Inventions and Sinfonias. Further commissions included works composed by Michael Finnissy, Edward Cowie and Bernhard Lang.

https://www.lorenzomarasso.com