Santa Barbara Symphony to perform ‘Plains, Trains and Violins’ concert
Guillermo Figueroa will be the violin soloist when the Santa Barbara Symphony performs Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” this weekend.
Fasten your seatbelts!
Nir Kabaretti is ready to take you on a musical journey.
There’s no doubt about that as the Santa Barbara Symphony’s music and artistic director leads the orchestra in a work that resulted from Antonin Dvorak’s journey from what’s now the Czech Republic, his homeland, to the U.S. The symphony will play the work for which Dvorak is arguably the most famous — Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) — during its “Plains, Train and Violins” concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada, 1214 State St.
The symphony will also perform former Ojai composer Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra —“The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa. And the musical propulsion will also include Peter Bernstein’s arrangement of his father Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toys Trains.”
It’s a variety of musical journeys that date back as far as Dvorak (1841-1904).
Nir Kabaretti, music and artistic director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, will lead the orchestra on a variety of musical journeys this weekend at The Granada.
“Dvorak wrote the ‘New World Symphony’ when America was the New World,” Maestro Kabaretti told the News-Press.
“When you hear the second movement, which is the most iconic, you feel the landscape of America,” he said.
Maestro Kabaretti noted Dvorak incorporated elements in his first movement that he heard from Native Americans.
“For Americans, it’s American music, but for Czech people, there’s a lot of Czech music there,” Maestro Kabaretti said about “The New World Symphony.” “It’s a mix of the old world (the Czech Republic) and the New World (‘America’).”
Maestro Kabaretti noted Dvorak’s symphony inspired American composers to use the sounds of their country in the music. Examples include Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Springs” and “Rodeo.”
In addition to “The New World Symphony,” Maestro Kabaretti is looking forward to conducting another kind of journey: Mr. del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra —“The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida).”
“This piece is really beautiful,” said Maestro Kabaretti, who met Mr. del Aguila in Vienna. “It’s a very rich piece that people would love.”
And the conductor emphasized that Mr. del Aguila’s music is truly a journey.
He said some parts of the music will remind people of European nations such as Spain. “In some parts, it sounds like you’re in a nightclub in Buenos Aires. Other parts will give you the feeling that you’re in Hollywood.”
Listeners will also get a sense of being in Uruguay, where Mr. del Aguilra was born, Maestro Kabaretti said. (Today the former Ojai composer lives in Seattle.)
As previously noted, “The Journey of a Lifetime” will feature Mr. Figueroa as the violin soloist.
“Guillermo is a very strong musician who plays solos and leads orchestra,” Maestro Kabaretti said. “This is a gentleman who knows the business in and out. He’s always a well-known music educator and teaches at the University of Florida.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
FYI
The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 and 3 p.m. Jan. 22 at The Granada, 1214 State St.
Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.
