......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