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Press Releases
Celebrated Pianist André Watts Joins the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Recognized as one of the most talented and promising young American conductors to have emerged on the classical music scene in recent years, James Gaffigan recently completed a three-year tenure as Associate Conductor with the San Francisco Symphony and was Artistic Director of the orchestra's Summer in the City festival. In the United States, Gaffigan has guest conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Houston, Baltimore, Colorado and Oregon symphonies and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra among others. In June 2008, he received the League of American Orchestra's Helen M. Thompson Award for his work with Cleveland.
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. More than 45 years later, André Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars. Watts is a frequent guest with all of the major North American orchestras and his extensive discography includes recordings of works by Gershwin, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky for CBS Masterworks; recital CD's of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin for Angel/EMI; and recordings featuring the concertos of Liszt, MacDowell, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens on the Telarc label. He is also included in the Great Pianists of the 20th Century series for Philips.
Bruno Walter conducted the Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York in the first performance of Barber's Second Essay on April 16, 1942. As a well-read man, Barber must have come naturally upon the term "essay" as a name for a musical composition. He was never inclined to speak much about his music and when asked to explain his choice of the work, he simply referred to the Oxford English Dictionary definition: "a composition of moderate length on a particular subject&more or less elaborate in style though limited in range." The Second Essay, though longer than the first, is a brief work based on one musical subject's development and logical conclusion.
Mozart biographer B. Paumgartner has described Symphony No. 36 as "a masterpiece that is unwilling to decide between euphoric high spirits and cantabile rapture." On the way back to Vienna from their long-awaited honeymoon in Salzburg, Mozart and his wife, noted singer Constanze Weber, stopped in Linz. Upon arriving on Oct. 30, 1783, Count Thun, a local aristocrat, welcomed the couple, insisting on showing them hospitality. Familiar with Mozart's music, he also invited him to perform a few days later. In a letter to his father dated Oct. 31, Mozart reported of the upcoming concert: "On Nov. 4, I am giving a concert in the theater here, and since I don't have a single symphony with me, I am writing one at breakneck speed." As difficult as it is to believe that Mozart completed an entire symphony in a span of four days (he finished it with one day to spare before the concert!), the astounding nature of the feat is compounded by the fact that the symphony is considered by many to be one of his greatest.
Compared to other concertos, Brahm's Piano Concerto No. 2 requires greater endurance and strength on the part of the soloist. The concerto is much longer than any classical concerto and employs four movements instead of the usual three movement format. Brahms completed his second piano concerto in 1881 after three years of composition. Always a deliberate and cautious worker-he worked on his first symphony for more than 20 years-Brahms was hesitant to finish a second concerto after the poor reception of his Piano Concerto No. 1 of 1859. However, the premiere of the second concerto, with the composer as a soloist, was a resounding success and the piece soon became part of the standard classical repertoire.
Tickets to Watts Plays Brahms range in price from $19 to $71 with a limited number of box seats available for $65 to $123. Tickets may be purchased at the Max M. Fisher Music Center box office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit); by calling (313) 576-5111; or online at www.detroitsymphony.com. Seniors (60 and over) and students with a valid student ID can purchase 50% of RUSH tickets at the box office 90 minutes prior to concerts based on availability. For group discount information (10 people or more), please contact Chuck Dyer at (313) 576-5130 or cdyer@dso.org.
PERFORMANCE
Classical Series
Watts Plays Brahms
Orchestra Hall
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
James Gaffigan, conductor; André Watts, piano
Thu., Apr. 29 at 8:00 p.m.; Fri., Apr.30 at 10:45 a.m.; Sat., May 1 at 8:30 p.m.; Sun., May 2 at 3:00 p.m.
BARBER Essay No. 2, Op. 17 MOZART Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425, "Linz" BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
Get the most out of each concert by attending Ford ConcerTalks, one hour prior to performances (excluding Coffee Concerts). ConcerTalks are informal and may include special guests, lectures and music that reveal interesting facts about the program and provide a behind-the-scenes look at the art of making music. ###
André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. More than 45 years later, André Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars. Watts is a frequent guest with all of the major North American orchestras and his extensive discography includes recordings of works by Gershwin, Chopin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky for CBS Masterworks; recital CD's of works by Beethoven, Schubert, Liszt and Chopin for Angel/EMI; and recordings featuring the concertos of Liszt, MacDowell, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saens on the Telarc label. He is also included in the Great Pianists of the 20th Century series for Philips.
Bruno Walter conducted the Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York in the first performance of Barber's Second Essay on April 16, 1942. As a well-read man, Barber must have come naturally upon the term "essay" as a name for a musical composition. He was never inclined to speak much about his music and when asked to explain his choice of the work, he simply referred to the Oxford English Dictionary definition: "a composition of moderate length on a particular subject&more or less elaborate in style though limited in range." The Second Essay, though longer than the first, is a brief work based on one musical subject's development and logical conclusion.
Mozart biographer B. Paumgartner has described Symphony No. 36 as "a masterpiece that is unwilling to decide between euphoric high spirits and cantabile rapture." On the way back to Vienna from their long-awaited honeymoon in Salzburg, Mozart and his wife, noted singer Constanze Weber, stopped in Linz. Upon arriving on Oct. 30, 1783, Count Thun, a local aristocrat, welcomed the couple, insisting on showing them hospitality. Familiar with Mozart's music, he also invited him to perform a few days later. In a letter to his father dated Oct. 31, Mozart reported of the upcoming concert: "On Nov. 4, I am giving a concert in the theater here, and since I don't have a single symphony with me, I am writing one at breakneck speed." As difficult as it is to believe that Mozart completed an entire symphony in a span of four days (he finished it with one day to spare before the concert!), the astounding nature of the feat is compounded by the fact that the symphony is considered by many to be one of his greatest.
Compared to other concertos, Brahm's Piano Concerto No. 2 requires greater endurance and strength on the part of the soloist. The concerto is much longer than any classical concerto and employs four movements instead of the usual three movement format. Brahms completed his second piano concerto in 1881 after three years of composition. Always a deliberate and cautious worker-he worked on his first symphony for more than 20 years-Brahms was hesitant to finish a second concerto after the poor reception of his Piano Concerto No. 1 of 1859. However, the premiere of the second concerto, with the composer as a soloist, was a resounding success and the piece soon became part of the standard classical repertoire.
Tickets to Watts Plays Brahms range in price from $19 to $71 with a limited number of box seats available for $65 to $123. Tickets may be purchased at the Max M. Fisher Music Center box office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit); by calling (313) 576-5111; or online at www.detroitsymphony.com. Seniors (60 and over) and students with a valid student ID can purchase 50% of RUSH tickets at the box office 90 minutes prior to concerts based on availability. For group discount information (10 people or more), please contact Chuck Dyer at (313) 576-5130 or cdyer@dso.org.
PERFORMANCE
Classical Series
Watts Plays Brahms
Orchestra Hall
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
James Gaffigan, conductor; André Watts, piano
Thu., Apr. 29 at 8:00 p.m.; Fri., Apr.30 at 10:45 a.m.; Sat., May 1 at 8:30 p.m.; Sun., May 2 at 3:00 p.m.
BARBER Essay No. 2, Op. 17 MOZART Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425, "Linz" BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83
Get the most out of each concert by attending Ford ConcerTalks, one hour prior to performances (excluding Coffee Concerts). ConcerTalks are informal and may include special guests, lectures and music that reveal interesting facts about the program and provide a behind-the-scenes look at the art of making music. ###
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