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NMPAS celebrates the Winter Solstice with duo of concerts
The New Mexico Performing Arts Society will perform its Winter Solstice concerts in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Santa Fe.
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The New Mexico Performing Arts Society is bringing in the holidays with its Winter Solstice Concerts in Santa Fe and sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
Blending two major works by Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as motets and choral settings, the concerts will take place at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in Santa Fe and St. Michael and All Angles Episcopal Church in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 on Friday, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 26.
Artistic director Franz Vote will lead members of the New Mexico Bach Society and Orchestra. He has divided the concerts into choral and orchestral sections.
The program will open with Bach鈥檚 鈥淏randenburg Concerto No. 4,鈥� known for its joyful and buoyant virtuosity. The violin takes center stage in an extended statement.
鈥淭he usual association is Christmas, but it鈥檚 not limited to Christmas,鈥� Vote said of the solstice.
The motet series features 鈥淰eni Jesu鈥� by Luigi Cherubini, the 鈥淢agnificat鈥� by British Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons, Franz Joseph Haydn鈥檚 鈥淎ve Maria,鈥� 鈥淚n the bleak mid-winter鈥� by Gustav Holst, 鈥淎ve verum corpus鈥� by Franz Liszt, Johann Friedrich Reichardt鈥檚 鈥淗eilige Nacht鈥� and 鈥淥 Magnum Mysterium鈥� by Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know whether to call them Christmas carols or anthems or selections,鈥� Vote said. 鈥淢otets are a more dignified鈥� description.
The music ranges from the Renaissance to more contemporary composers.
The Liszt piece may be surprising to those accustomed to his romantic flash.
鈥淚f you ever listen to his later piano music, it鈥檚 very different,鈥� Vote said. 鈥淗e gave up all the pyrotechnics.鈥�
The musicians also will perform Bach鈥檚 little-known 鈥淢ass in A.鈥�
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 finish it,鈥� Vote said. 鈥淗e only did the Kyrie and the Gloria.
鈥淣one of these pieces are very long,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e basically 3-to-5 minutes long. I always like to look for the lesser-known.鈥�
The concert ends with Victoria鈥檚 鈥淥 Magnum Mysterium.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 somewhat difficult to arrange,鈥� Vote said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 trying to get the women鈥檚 voices to work because the male voices are what he wrote it for. This is the unorthodox side of me.鈥�
