CSO Presents: Serenade!
Friday, February 4th, 2022
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will perform a Romantic evening of music on February 12th with “Serenade!”. The concert will begin at 7:30 PM and will be performed in Legacy Hall at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. This concert is the perfect evening for your Valentine's weekend.
Music Director and Conductor, George Del Gobbo commented, “The string section is the heart, maybe even the soul, of any orchestra. Consequently, there is a large repertoire of pieces for strings alone. In this concert we will present three of the best examples of string music, one very familiar, two a little less well-known but wonderfully lyrical and beautiful nevertheless.”
The concert begins with Vasily Kalinnikov’s short and lyrical Serenade for Strings in G Minor. Kalinnikov drew much of his musical inspiration from Russian folk songs deriving themes and rhythms from these tunes. The piece opens with a beautiful introduction in the cellos expanding into a singing melodic passage throughout the orchestra.
Czech composer Josef Suk wrote his Serenade for Strings in E-flat Major, Op. 6 as a challenge to write something different than his usual gloomy character. When asked by his teacher, Antonín Dvorák to compose something “...lively for a change,” Suk composed the substantially cheerful piece with four contrasting movements. The piece ranges from charming and cheerful to tender and passionate.
The concert ends with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48. The piece is an imitation of one of his idols, Mozart, imitating his classical sonatina form. The first movement begins with a slow and beautiful introduction scored for the whole orchestra with flowing, moving lines and cascading voices in the strings. The second movement is a gracious waltz reminiscent of his traditional balletic dances with complex harmonic shifts. The third movement showcases emotional and lyrical passages tugging at the heartstrings as they float above the lower strings and eventually fade away. The final movement opens with reminiscences of a slow and subdued Russian folk tune that transitions into a rollicking and fast-paced dance tune giving the orchestra a strenuous workout and the audience a surprising ending.
To enhance the concert experience, the CSO offers an accompanying video series that gives insight into the composers and works being performed called Know the Score featuring Del Gobbo. Know the Score will be available online at csoga.org and on social media one week prior to the concert.
Tickets can be purchased online at csoga.org/tickets or in-person at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts located at 900 Broadway, Columbus, Ga. Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM (Broadway entrance). Single ticket price is $35. Subscribers save up to 20% off the adult single ticket price, get first pick of the best seats, can purchase additional tickets at a discount, and avoid any online ticketing fees.
The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts requires all staff, visitors and patrons to wear a mask at all times regardless of vaccination status with no exceptions. The theater and all public areas are sanitized after each performance. Persons experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive within the past 15 days are discouraged from entering the facility.
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1855, is the second orchestra founded in the nation and the first founded in Georgia. The CSO, under the direction of George Del Gobbo, has long been considered one of the Southeast’s premier musical ensembles. The CSO’s performance venue at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, Legacy Hall, seats 424 patrons and provides a state-of-the-art visual and acoustic experience. For more information about the CSO visit our website at csoga.org.
