The Cal Poly symphony and featured soloists will take patrons on a journey through time at this Sunday’s Winter Concert, starting in the darkness of a Beethoven piano concerto and ending up somewhere in outer space for a performance of the film score from “E.T.”
The show, which begins at 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, features pieces from all different musical genres spanning across the 19th and 20th centuries, ranging from lovesick French operas to comedic American musical theater.
“It just feels natural to go forward in time instead of backward,” said symphony director David Ariv‚e, who chose the pieces for this year’s concert. “Every newer piece you play, you can here where it came from.”
Vocal performance sophomore Corrie Stallings will sing “Bill” from the Broadway musical, “Showboat,” a comedic song about a woman wondering why she is in love with a man even though he isn’t athletic or handsome. Stallings, who watched the musical as a child, said the she tried to take ownership of the character she plays.
“I like that my character is funny,” she said. “It makes it so I’m not just performing on a lovey-dovey level, but I have to draw in my own personality into the piece. It makes it more challenging to prepare for, but once you’re on stage, it makes it more interesting.”
Music junior Ram¢n Echevarr¡a will sing “Vainement ma bien Aim‚e” from the French opera, “Roi d’Ys.” In the piece, Echevarr¡a’s character, Mylio, stands outside the king’s palace singing to his love, princess Rozenn.
Performing with the support of a full symphony helps bring out the true meaning of the piece, Echevarr¡a said, especially when it’s played inside the Performing Arts Center.
“It’s an amazing space,” Echevarr¡a said of the Performing Arts Center. “It’s definitely comparable to many other of the great venues like Carnegie Hall and Chicago Symphony Hall. It’s a great sound and a top-of-the line professional arena.”
Before being chosen to play Beethoven’s Concerto No. 3 for the Winter Concert, music senior Alex Kato-Willis had never performed with a full orchestra.
“It changes the way you hear yourself and the atmosphere of the whole piece,” he said. “It’s so much more visceral. You can feel it in your gut.”
The pieces selected for this concert are more clearly and directly presented than in most other symphony concerts, Kato-Willis said, making them more accessible to the common person.
“I think sometimes without a lot of study, people can’t immediately take the music in,” he said. “This concert is a great starting place for someone who isn’t as educated in music.”
Besides the “E.T.” film score, the Cal Poly orchestra will perform the feature music from the film “Vertigo.” Ariv‚e said film scores give audiences something they can connect with.
“When we go to movies, we always hear the orchestra playing,” he said. “That’s kind of the sound we have in our ears.”
Soloists for the concert were chosen during an open tryout this fall. Ariv‚e said he enjoyed helping the soloists prepare for the concert.
“If you work with professional soloists, they really just come in and do it,” he said. “The fact that these are students who want to learn from the experience and learn how the dynamics work between soloists and the orchestra allows me to work with them. That’s more fun for me to actually spend time to listen and figure out a piece.”
Tickets for the concert are $6 for students and $8 to $12 for the public and may be purchased at the Performing Arts ticket office.