I had not planned on doing 0708 SLSO hot picks from the trombone section back-to-back (see previous post), but then, I rarely plan anything. Here is Principal Trombone Tim Myers with what he's looking forward to, or as he explains it, what he'd buy tickets to if he wasn't on stage:
"I’ve looked at the 2007-2008 season in several ways. How busy will the trombone section be? Busy! … How much variety is there within each program? I see lots of intriguing combinations. But when I ask myself, what would I come to hear if I weren’t playing the concerts, I’d be at Powell Hall almost every week.
"I was very pleased to see Christopher Rouse’s Rapture on the first concert of the season ('Heart Songs'). The orchestra has played Rouse’s music since at least 1983, when we played The Infernal Machine, and recently we have performed both the flute concerto and the trombone concerto. I hope we get to play the cello concerto some day -- it’s an amazing piece. I think Rapture is somewhat atypical of Rouse’s music. It spends a lot of time in C major (!), and I wouldn’t say that it’s as edgy as many of Rouse’s pieces. But it conveys a sense of wonder that speaks to the heart.
"The second week ('Sounding Together') pairs the much-loved Brahms 2nd Symphony with two works that are heard less often. I’m a big Benjamin Britten fan, so I’m glad to finally get to perform his Sinfonia da Requiem. I’m also looking forward to hearing my trombone section colleague, Steve Lange, perform in the solo group in the Frank Martin Concerto for Seven Winds.
"The season has a number of classics from the 20th century that I’m eager to revisit. At the end of November ('Thrill Ride'), I’m glad that we’re doing the Walton First Symphony again, which we haven’t played since the mid-eighties. In early March ('Keeping Secrets'), we will come back to one of my favorite Shostakovich symphonies, the Tenth. Also high on my list is Leonidas Kavakos and the Stravinsky Violin Concerto ('Effortless Music') on May 2-4.
"I tend to be an optimist about new pieces or pieces that are new to me. I’m especially looking forward to the pairing of works by Ligeti and Dutilleux in late January ('Shadows and Light'). The piece that I’m perhaps most intrigued about is John Adams’ Doctor Atomic Symphony in February ('Burden of Dreams'). If Doctor Atomic is as engaging as Nixon in China or Harmonielehre are, we are in for a wonderful experience.
"The new season looks great!"
