On Sunday, September 21, the USM School of Music will host the Portland Chamber Orchestra’s performance of “Eight Seasons.” This musical showcase features Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzola’s “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires”. USM music director Robert Lehmann will conduct the concert and share soloing duties with Nikola Takov of the Portland Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Lehmann, director of string studies at USM, spoke of the preparation for this concert. “As I will be playing alongside the rest of the players, we must all become a super-sensitive, intuitive, large-scale chamber group, knowing when to follow the soloist’s lead, and when to step up and lead of our own accord,” Lehmann said.
The orchestra has only two rehearsals, which means each member learns their part beforehand. Additionally, Lehamnn himself will be performing, leaving the concert without a conductor to beat time and use words and gestures to keep the music together.
“It is a tricky balance, especially on only two rehearsals, but the Portland Chamber Orchestra is made up of fantastic musicians who are talented and experienced enough to make it work.”
Among the other performers in the orchestra are USM’s double bass instructor Bronek Suchanek and harpsichord instructor Ray Cornilis.
Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” was published in 1725 and remains one of the most performed and recorded pieces of program music from the Baroque period. Each concerto is named after a season-La Primavera, L’Estate, L’Autunno and L’Invernoand-and is accompanied by a sonnet written by Vivaldi. Northeastern opera singer Lisa Saffer will narrate these poems.
Lehmann said of the Four Seasons, “I fell in love with them as a kid, and can count them as one of the main influences that led me to become a violinist. Playing them is always a pleasure.”
Astor Piazzolla’s “The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” is comprised of four tango compositions meant to evoke the four seasons in the Argentinean capital Buenos Aires.
Lehmann says that despite the genre differences of Vivaldi and Piazzolla’s music, the two compositions share musical and thematic similarities.
“Piazzolla takes both direct quotes from the Vivaldi original as well as using the Baroque master’s music as a springboard for his own style,” he said.
“He takes the essence of Vivaldi’s music and makes it sexy.”
Lehmann is currently the music director of the Portland Chamber Orchestra; conductor of the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra and the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra; on the Artist Faculty in Violin, Viola and Chamber Music; in his tenth season as Music Director of the North Shore Philharmonic; and is first violinist of the Meliora Quartet.
Dr. Lehmann has studied, taught and conducted string music all over the world. He thrives in what he refers to as the greater Portland area’s incredibly vibrant and exciting arts scene.
“I consider myself very lucky to live in this area where I can practice my art, fulfill my artistic goals and nourish my soul.”
Eight Seasons will take place at 3 p.m. in Hannaford Hall of the Abromson Center on the USM Portland campus. The concert is presented by the Evenings at Abromson series of the Center for Continuing Education, and the Spotlight Series of the School of Music. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for staff and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members. Call 780-5900 or visit www.usm.maine.edu.cce. The evening’s sponsors are Head and Associates; MacDonald Page & Co LLC; and Murray, Plumb & Murray.