Although Hurricane Helene caused the cancellation of Augusta Symphony’s opening night, the music continues with two concerts in close proximity.
Soar with the Augusta Symphony on Nov. 1 as the orchestra presents “Sounds of the Sky” at the Miller Theater.
“The thing that holds these three pieces together is they all imitate the sounds of birds, which is why It’s called ‘Sounds of the Sky,”’ said Dirk Meyer, Augusta Symphony music director and conductor.
Throughout the 70th anniversary season, Meyer is blending works from more well-known composers with those audiences might not be familiar with.
Friday’s concert opens with Tchaikovsky’s “Suite from Swan Lake.”
It was the first of Tchaikovsky’s ballets and was composed from 1875 to 1876. The ballet was first performed in March 1877.
The concert also includes works by two Finnish composers.
Einojuhani Rautavaara’s “Cantus Arcticus” is a “very unusual piece, very serene, very beautiful piece,” said Meyer.
It’s based on a trip Rautavaara took to the Arctic Circle in the early 1970s.
“He recorded the singing of Arctic birds,” said Meyer. “He wrote an orchestral work around these recordings. When you perform that piece, you run that tape that he recorded back then and hear the birds through the speaker system of the house. The orchestra plays with the birds.”
Other instruments imitate the sounds of birds.
The final piece is Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5.
Like Rautavaara, Sibelius was inspired by birds to compose this piece.
“He was out on a walk and saw a flock of swans. They were singing as they were flying in the air. He went home and tried to write down the song he heard from these birds,” said Meyer.
Meyer said he tries to engage the audience by playing excerpts from the piece and telling them the story. It helps people imagine what Sibelius might have heard.
“It has such a beautiful melody,” he said.
On the heels of Friday’s concert is another event Nov. 7 with the Mariachi Cobre at the Miller Theater.
Celebrating its 51st anniversary as a musical ensemble, Mariachi Cobre has been the mariachi ambassador to the world performing for millions of visitors at Epcot in Orlando, Florida since 1982, according to its band’s website.
“They are fantastic musicians,” said Meyer.
For ticket information, go here.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
