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Thinking about the Roman Empire: Violinist Grace Park to play with the New Mexico Philharmonic
American violinist Grace Park will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic on Saturday, May 18.
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American violinist Grace Park will perform Max Bruch鈥檚 concerto in G minor with the New Mexico Philharmonic on Saturday, May 18.
Slated for Popejoy Hall, the concert draws the season to a close with music by Mikhail Glinka and Ottorino Respighi, as well as Aram Khachaturian.
Today, Bruch is generally known only as the composer of works for the violin. In addition to the Violin Concerto in G minor, the popularity of which continues, and, to the annoyance of the composer, overshadowed much of his other work.
As a native of Los Angeles, Park began violin at the age of 5 where she trained at the Colburn School of Music. She continued her studies at Colburn Conservatory and New England Conservatory for her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 of music degrees. She lives in New York.
Park performs on a 1717 Giuseppe Filius Andrea Guarneri on loan from an anonymous sponsor.
Born in Armenia, Khachaturian was famous for writing for ballet. He was the first Soviet composer to write for film.
The orchestra will also play his 鈥淪partacus鈥� Suite No. 2.
鈥淚t has a love scene that is very famous,鈥� said Roberto Minczuk, conductor and artistic director. 鈥淚t has been used in movies.鈥�
Its adagio was used in the 2006 computer animated film 鈥淚ce Age: The Meltdown.鈥�
Respighi鈥檚 鈥淧ines of Rome,鈥� a tone poem for orchestra in four movements, premiered in 1924 in Rome. It is the Italian composer鈥檚 tribute to scenes around his country鈥檚 capital, some contemporary and some recalling the glory of the Roman Empire. Each movement depicts a setting in the city with pine trees, specifically those in the Villa Borghese gardens, near a catacomb on the Janiculum Hill and along the Appian Way.
鈥淚t was built when Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淲hen the soldiers came back from battle, they would parade through the gardens.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very epic music,鈥� Minczuk continued, 鈥渢he sort of thing you hear in movies like 鈥楪ladiator鈥� and 鈥楩antasia 2000.鈥� 鈥�
The concert will open with Glinka鈥檚 overture to 鈥淩uslan and Lyudmila,鈥� an opera written between 1837 and 1842. Glinka was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very famous, virtuosic piece for the entire orchestra,鈥� Minczuk said, 鈥渁 lot of running scales. It鈥檚 very uplifting.鈥�
