By Mary Barber, Jackson Citizen Patroit, Staff Writer
Sunday, February 1, 2004
 

The orchestra is promising "A Night in Vienna," with music by Beethoven, Strauss and Mozart. Danish pianist Katrine Gislinge will be the soloist for the Mozart concerto.

"It's the first time we've gone international," said Stephen Osmond, the orchestra's conductor and music director. He said he expects her performance to be "stunning."

Mozart's "Piano Concerto in A" is typical of the composer, Osmond said -- lyrical and sophisticated.

"It's one of the most elegant concertos he's ever written," the conductor said.

Gislinge has recorded a performance of the concerto, and it's available on her Web site, www.katrinegislinge.dk, Osmond said.

"I've never been able to do that before" with a guest soloist, he said. "It's mind-blowing."

Gislinge has performed with Jian Wang, Emmanuel Pahud and the Petersen String Quartet, and she has recorded on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. She studied in Copenhagen, New York and London.

She's appearing here at the suggestion of one of the orchestra's patrons, Osmond said.

Also on the bill is Beethoven's delightful "Symphony No. 8."

"It has incredible exuberance and energy," Osmond said, "and, some people say, humor. Maybe. ... There's a brightness to it."

The orchestra also will perform the overture to Strauss' "Die Fledermaus," which has "a lot of Jackson significance. It was the first fully staged opera we did, 20 years ago," Osmond said.

He said he and his wife, Melissa, also sang in a Saginaw production of the opera about 10 years ago, which used the more "accurate and witty" lyrics. So if you see Osmond chuckling throughout the performance, you'll know that he's hearing those words in his head as he conducts.

"It's got charm and wit," he said. "It's terrific doing the overture to an opera you've sung."

And as for the concert's title, "A Night in Vienna," well, Strauss and Mozart both have clear ties to the city; Beethoven, not so much. Osmond said the title reflects more of a mood than a theme. He said it's no accident that the orchestra is performing an evening of "uplifting" music in the dreariest month of the year.

"It's by design," he said. "If we did Bruckner ... people would be committing suicide in the aisles. ... It's definitely intended to lift our spirits, both the players and the audience."

-- Reach reporter Mary Barber at 768-4971 or mbarber@citpat.com.

© 2004 Jackson Citizen Patriot.
All rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission