......t.p,
•
The iikilleriCall
Mendelssohn's
Moment
46,
•
A
Composer of Jewish heritage gains
new respect on 200th "birthday."
-,.
.
Suzanne Chessler
, -
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
T
he Ann Arbor Symphony
Orchestra is about to cel-
ebrate the 200th birthday
of a Romantic composer whose work
has enhanced wedding celebrations
around the world.
Felix Mendelssohn, born into
a wealthy German-Jewish family
and converted to Christianity as a
young child, will be at the center of
"Midsummer in March': the concert
beginning 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21,
at the Michigan Theater in downtown
Ann Arbor. The concert comes a bit
later than the composer's actual birth
date, Feb. 3.
The main piece in the Ann Arbor
program, which will include three
selections from Mendelssohn's A
Midsummer Night's Dream, includes
"The Wedding March," the recessional
music that often accompanies new-
lyweds as they walk up the aisle after
marriage vows have been spoken. The
concert also features Mendelssohn's
Symphony No. 5 ("The Reformation").
Israeli-born conductor Arie Lipsky
will lead a pre-concert discussion of
Mendelssohn and include some music.
"Mendelssohn became the music
director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus
Orchestra and was responsible for
reintroducing pieces by Johann
Sebastian Bach," Lipsky says. "Because
of that, we're also going to celebrate
Bach. The day of the concert happens
to be the actual birthday of Bach, who
was born in 1685, and that makes the
concert a double-birthday event."
Pianist Joel Hastings, who recently
recorded works by Liszt and Chopin,
will perform Bach's Piano Concerto No.
1 in D Minor. Hastings, who has per-
formed across the United States and
Canada, is enthusiastic about playing
the Bach piano concerto because of its
intricate melody lines. "In this piece,
the keyboard player, once relegated
to the back of the ensemble, breaks
the wainab
mcni 04
1 atm, found
the perfect
n .
N
ATIONAL Tau
SPECIAL FAMILY FOUR-PACK*
4 Tickets as Low as $76!
'nh and
tetvsaim
d - and
v.
aba at O.
•taaa
:barn ass.
and debonair.
!lately won the
Bar t;nglish.
not onfy
•
Fisher Theatre • May 5-10. Special Wed. Matinee 5/6, 1PM
*Use code word ANNIE when ordering; available only at Fisher Theatre
box office, ticketmaster.com & 800-982-2787.
Info: BroadwaylnDetroit.com & 313-872-1000. Discount not good on
b .
LINCOLN
REACH HIGHER
-BROADWAY . DETROIT
Sponsored by
your Metro Detroi
Lincoln Dealers.
t
Sat. & Sun. matinees and not avail. on premium seating. Tickets subject to availablity.
Not good on previously purchased tickets or with any other offer. No refunds or
exchanges. AnnieOnTour.com . Scout Troop Specials & other group discounts (12+) at
Group Sales: 313-871-1132 or groupsales@nederlanderdetroit.com
1491390
" Grape Leaves have brought much neighborhood satisfaction"
- Danny Raskin
Composer Felix Mendelssohn at age 20
forth with energy and courage to sing
to the glory of his Creator,' the pianist
explains.
The orchestra also will present
William Walton's suite from The Wise
Virgins, a ballet rendition of Bach's
greatest themes. The Walton suite,
written in 1940, ranges from the som-
ber and rich sounds of the horns to
the cheerful and innocent melodies
of the woodwinds. Walton did not
embellish much of the original music
but revised the sounds with a sense of
dance and movement.
Historic Take
The overture to A Midsummer
Night's Dream was composed when
Mendelssohn was 16, and "it shows his
musical maturity," Lipsky says. "Later
in life, Mendelssohn composed the
rest of the music after being asked to
score a complete German production
of Shakespeare's play.
"'The Wedding March' demonstrates
how talented Mendelssohn was in
introducing a very captivating tune.
Probably among the 10 best-known
classical pieces ever performed, it is
Mendelssohn's on page C30
MIDDLE-EASTERN CUISINE & RAW JUICES-
r
Exquisite Lebanese Cuisine
..---------
10
A) OFF Total Food Bill
MIN
With coupon only. Not valid with any other offers.
Dine-in only. Expires 3/31/09.
Southfield location only
1/441111-110,41111-1/11.14411-211M-N114.011--PIN-Imp-Ali.",nv
Southfield
Troy
29181 Northwestern Hwy.
2850 West Maple
248-816-2000
at 12 Mile in Franklin Plaza
Carry Out/Catering
Open Doily for Lunch & Dinner!
248-359-0000
1495920
All you can eat
Pasta Station
5:30P.M-8:00P.M.
SUNDAY BRUNCH
10A.M.- 2P.M.
5 made to order styles of pasta,
salad and garlic bread Great for
the whole family!!
Made to order Omelettes,
breakfast items, salads soups,
chicken and fish entrée's
$9.95 per adult
$5.95 children 5-10 years old
Free for children under 5
Adults $9.95
$5.95 children 5-10 years old
Free for children under 5
Il mi TREE
33080 Northwestern Highway
West Bloomfield, MI
Phone: 248-539-8300 • Fax: 248-539-8303
Hours: Mon-Fri 10-9 • Sat & Sun 9-9
www.georgeshoneytree.com
March 19
2009
C29