Movie music, a rare violin concerto, and an old favorite.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 by David Glover

Sergei Prokofiev

As I was looking over Prokofiev's Lt. Kijé Suite for this weekend's performances, I began to wonder about the place of movie music in our concert halls.  I was struck by the fact that after a century of great cinematic achievements, very little of the often equally as great music has made its way onto our classical concerts.  Outside of some of the earliest scores by the Russian greats, Prokofiev and Shostakovich, it is rare to see any film music on our so-called "serious" concerts. 

What is the...

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But are you *sure* it's off? The Buddy System.

Friday, January 13, 2012 by Jessica Di Santo
My mom is, and always has been, my concert buddy. We're really the only two in our family who makes a habit of subscribing to the Broadway series in Indy; attending our coffee pops and classical performances here with the Indianapolis Symphony; and going nuts for any live musical performance when we occasionally visit the Big Apple. 

And the ritual is the same:  we nestle into our seats, read the program notes, and right before curtain, I lean over and say to mom: "Did you remember to turn off...Read More »

Devouring Downtown - morsels and music

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 by Jessica Di Santo
Devour Downtown

Indianapolis is in the midst of its wildly successful, biannual food extravaganza: otherwise known as Devour Downtown. From now until January 22, you can go to any participating Devour Downtown restaurant, choose from a special menu, and get one heck of a deal (2 for $30, in most cases).

But food isn't the only deal this time around. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is now in on the deal:  buy 2 tickets to Hello, Dolly! (second mezz) or Mozart's Symphony No. 40 (main floor) and get 'em for $...
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New Year's Eve with the ISO - a must for any audience!

Friday, December 30, 2011 by Paul Berns
 
Hi Everyone:

Sorry I have not written since the very successful premier of the Schwantner Concerto for Section Percussion, Timpani and Orchestra in November.  We are still hearing from audience members and musicians how exciting these performances were - thanks to all!

While visiting my 94 year old Mom in Toledo she asked about my next concert and I told her about our exciting New Year's Eve performance followed by my BAND playing 'all styles of music' in the lobby and our 'official countdown'...
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Farewell from the Clarinerd!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

ClarinerdNow that I’ve sappily snapped photos of the Hilbert Circle Theatre marquee, the Symphony Centre entrance, the Marketing and Communications Department sign, and my desk…I feel it is time to pen one final blog post.

As this is my last day at the ISO, my sentimental mood has led me to reflect back on the amazing opportunities this internship has afforded me – meeting and interacting with a group of wonderful co-workers, taking private lessons from the ISO’s principal clarinetist, hearing some of my...

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A Stand-Up Performance?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

Audience members standing at Carnegie Hall
Audience members standing during the "Hallelujah" chorus at Carnegie Hall


Don’t be surprised if you see a few of your fellow audience members standing up during the ISO’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah” oratorio this weekend.

No, they are not spontaneously stretching or preparing to make a quick exit, but rather participating in a longstanding tradition of rising during the “Hallelujah” chorus.

The origins of this custom – often considered one of the most bizarre concert rituals – are unclear....

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The ISO - A Great Night Out, Easy on the College Kid's Wallet

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

College girls at the ISO!
Me and my friend Gwen at the ISO in October!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my transition to downtown Indy from the hills of rural New Hampshire, it’s that city living is alarmingly pricey.  Marsh groceries, City Market lunches and (a few too many) trips to the Fashion Mall add up at an alarming rate, leaving scant any funds for recreational pursuits. However, while swanky clubs and fancy restaurants might be out of the monetary question, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has taken...

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A Requiem at Christmastime

Tuesday, December 6, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

“My Requiem was composed for nothing…for fun, if I may be permitted to say so!”
-Gabriel Fauré


Gabriel Fauré


I must admit that I was a bit confused when I learned that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Classical Christmas concert would feature Fauré’s Requiem.  Although I was unfamiliar with this particular piece, I thought back to my music history class, in which I learned that a “requiem” refers to a mass for the dead – a somber tribute to the departure of souls.  Images of the...

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It's a tradition!

Thursday, December 1, 2011 by Everyone's a Critic
Since purchasing discount Yuletide tickets through Franklin College in the middle 90s, I have made it a tradition to attend Yuletide to get into the Christmas spirit. It is always such a wonderful show. Of course, as soon as my daughter was old enough, I had to share Yuletide with her. In 2007, she was four at Christmastime. It had been a particularly difficult year for our family, including my father's death. The holidays were going to be hard for us. A friend who new how much I have always...Read More »

25 Days of ISO!

Thursday, December 1, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
Happy December!
Maestro Man Santa

This month, we're amping up our social media sites to celebrate the most festive season of the year! Maestro Man has already donned a Santa hat, and we've posted an album full of images of our Yuletide preparations. And from today through Christmas, look for a special ISO "treat" (pictures, blog posts, Yuletide scoop, etc.) every day on our social media sites! 

So this holiday season, visit us at Hilbert Circle Theatre for Yuletide Celebration, Scottish Rite Cathedral for Classic... Read More »

Relive Your College Years with the ISO

Monday, November 28, 2011 by Deirdre O'Brien

College

It's been six months since I graduated from college and what do I miss the most? Well, that might be a trick question. But one thing I do miss A LOT is student ticket prices. Gone are the days when I can attend world class arts events on the cheap. Or are they?

With Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Cyber Monday special, all (well, most) tickets to Classical, Pops, Symphonic Hits and Happy Hour performances are priced at the student rate of $12. Now, I don't mean to get preachy, but this is a...

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Indy Loves Lang Lang!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
Although it is nearing my bedtime (significantly earlier since I shifted gears from being a college student to a "working girl"), I feel compelled to quickly blog about tonight's incredible Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concert. 

While I have been blown away by every ISO concert this season, tonight's was particularly spectacular. Not only did I relish every moment of Beethoven 7 (see my previous blog post for my musings on this underrated symphony), but more importantly, Lang...Read More »

Beethoven 7 is Underrated.

Friday, November 18, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

Beethoven


While classical music lovers have long cherished the classic opening motif of Beethoven’s Fifth, the pastoral-sounding wind solos in Beethoven 6 and, of course, the “Ode to Joy” melody in Beethoven’s Ninth, Beethoven’s Seventh often lies under the radar.

Yet, upon its premiere in 1812, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 was strikingly well-received. Not only did Beethoven assert that his Seventh Symphony was one of his best works, but critics and fellow musicians also celebrated the piece. Richard...

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The Splendor of Strauss

Thursday, November 10, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

The first orchestral piece with which I truly fell in love was a Richard Strauss tone poem.

While I have studied clarinet for over 10 years and have always relished the passion and power of orchestral music, it was not until my youth orchestra performed Strauss’s “Don Juan” in May 2009 that I realized just how obsessed I could become with particular pieces.

It was during our first rehearsal of “Don Juan” that I realized the magic of a tone poem. (Just a note: a tone poem is an orchestral work...

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A Percussion Concerto World Premiere!

Sunday, November 6, 2011 by Paul Berns
Paul Berns
I urge you to purchase tickets now for the Nov. 11-12 Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra premiere of Joseph Schwantner's Concerto for Section Percussion and Timpani and Orchestra!

Joe is a Pulitizer Prize winning composer.  He was commissioned by the Percussive Arts Society (an International organization) to write this composition.  We met with Joe about three years ago and have been practicing since July 1.  As a group of 4 timpani/percussionists I believe we have put in more than 50 hours. The...Read More »

This Weekend: "Some Enchanted Evening[s]" at the ISO!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
What little girl didn't prance around her living room belting "Sixteen Going on Seventeen?" What teenager didn't experience some kind of adolescent romantic longing as the stars of the high school musical crooned "Some Enchanted Evening?" What music appreciation teacher didn't at least reference "Do-Re-Mi" in a lesson on Solfege syllables? 

Although I am a self-proclaimed "orchestra dork" and will exalt the unparalleled power of classical music until my dying day, I cannot deny that the works of...Read More »

Pumpkins, Phantoms and...Prokofiev? ISO Musicians Weigh in on their Favorite Spooky Symphonies!

Monday, October 31, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

This Halloween, forget "Scream" costumes, zombie flicks and vampire novels and let orchestra music scare your socks off!

In the spirit of the approaching weekend of witchery, I chatted with a few ISO musicians about their favorite creepy concertos, haunting hymns and ominous overtures. Play some of these pieces as you're doling out candy or slathering carmel onto your apples!

"Berlioz’s "Symphonie Fantastique" features the Dies Irae tune, a hymn to the 
dead. We’ve played Paul Dukas’s...

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Fate, Providence and a Rockin' Clarinet Duet

Thursday, October 27, 2011 by Shannon Draucker

The oboe exudes a smooth A. The hall is silent. The conductor strolls to the podium, shakes the concertmaster’s hand, and raises his baton. Suddenly, the sounds of two unison clarinets, against the soft, eerie backdrop of low strings, emanate from the woodwind section. For the first minute or so of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, the audience focuses only on the rich sounds of the clarinet.

In my completely biased opinion, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony has one of the most powerful openings of any...

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A Fast Ball, Right Down the Middle

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 by David Glover

Maybe I've been watching the World Series too much, but I see this weekend's Symphonic Hits Concert as a fast ball, right down the middle.  It's strong, it's exciting, and it doesn't pull any punches - no contemporary works, no difficult to understand rarity, just three masterworks from the heart of the ever popular Romantic repertoire.   We have an overture by Bellini inspired by Romeo and Juliet, THE quintessential Romantic piano concerto by Robert Schumann, and a fatalistic symphony...

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Bringing Brahms to Life

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 by Shannon Draucker
Me and BrahmsIn an effort to avoid a reputation as the intern who creepily writes about composers' graves, I will refrain from discussing what a transcendent experience I had visiting the resting place of Johannes Brahms at the Zentralfriedhof ("Central Cemetery") in Vienna. I will simply post a picture instead (see left).  In my excitement about the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's performance of Brahms' Third Symphony this weekend, I will however write a bit about the fascinating man that was Johannes...
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