Markel Auditorium has already hosted world famous pianist Andreas Klein and the celebrated folk band Rani Arbo & daisy mahem this semester. This weekend, the Hillsdale College Orchestra performs, adding their presence to the stage.
The Symphony Orchestra will perform three intensive movements Saturday at 9 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets for Sunday’s concert are still available through the Sage Box Office, and there is a waitlist for tickets made available by no-shows for the Saturday performance.
The concert will begin with Beethoven’s “Fidelio Overture,” followed by Brahms’s “Variations on a Theme by Haydn.” Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” will conclude the performance.
Orchestra Director James Holleman, considers “Pictures at an Exhibition” to be most exciting because of its familiarity to audience members. The composition has the largest collection of winds, brass and percussion among the three. It also includes auxiliary and bass clarinet, contra bassoon, piccolo, English horn, E-flat tuba, saxophone, alto saxophone, harp, and many other instruments.
“It’s probably the most shiny, glitzy piece.” Holleman said. “People know it and it’s exciting. I think that’s probably the headline, the longest piece.”
Student performers are equally excited about the piece. Senior Hannah Taylor has played oboe in the orchestra for four years.
“It’s very colorful, and there’s a lot of potential for energy,” Taylor said.
Conor Woodfin, a sophomore trumpet player, also finds this piece to be most exciting and different.
“It features a lot of brass and woodwinds.” Woodfin said. In the earlier years of composition, trumpets did not have all of the capabilities they have now, Woodfin explained. Because Mussorgsky lived in the 19th century, he was able to write compositions for trumpets with higher capabilities. This, in combination with the large amount of exposed parts and solos, leads Woodfin to believe it is the most challenging song.
While “Pictures at an Exhibition” may be the most exhilarating piece, Holleman believes that the Brahms composition is more musically challenging. While “Pictures at an Exhibition” is very romantic in nature, allowing for obvious contrasts and big effects, the Brahms has provided an opportunity to grow as an ensemble.
“That’s been a real nice piece for the strings, the woodwinds, and the horns to really focus on some really subtle expressive techniques.” Holleman said.
Taylor plays first oboe in this piece, and she agrees that the subtleness increases difficulty.
“A lot of musicality goes into it. Part of the job of playing first is listening well and leading,” Taylor said.
Though the Beethoven overture may be the simplest piece, Holleman said that it will prepare the orchestra to play a more challenging Beethoven piece in the spring concert: “Leonore Three.” The piece, an additional overture to the same “Fidelio” Opera, is over twice as long as the first overture and significantly more challenging.
“When we do ‘Leonore Three,’ a lot of the same melodies, a lot of the same motives are going to come back and it’s going to be recognizable to us,” Holleman said.
The Saturday night performance was sold out several weeks before the show, Ruth Sanders said. Sanders is in charge of Sage Center for the Arts box office ticket distribution. The Sunday performance still has available seats, but they may also sell out.
Sanders asks that people remember the limited capacity of the auditorium, and consider calling or emailing to cancel their reservation if they can no longer attend a performance so that others can attend.