February 3, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Oregon Public Broadcasting will air an Oregon Symphony Classical concert featuring Music Director Carlos Kalmar leading the orchestra in Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “The Great,” on Friday, March 3, from 9 to 11 p.m. This broadcast is the third of nine OPB broadcasts of classical Oregon Symphony concerts from the 2005-06 season, which will air on OPB Radio the first Friday of each month through September 2006.
Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, known as “The Great” because of its extraordinary length, is one of the 19th century’s most significant orchestral works. With its seemingly endless supply of exquisite melodies and its grand overall design, Schubert achieved his goal of writing a symphony worthy of the legacy of Beethoven.
Austrian composer Kurt Schwertsik’s “Shrunken Symphony” embodies the essence of symphonic writing while showcasing the vibrant textures and colors of the orchestra. At just over five minutes in length, Artistic Administrator Charles Calmar describes this four-movement work as “the haiku of symphonies.” “Schwertsik’s music maintains a high artistic standard while acknowledging the influences of popular music,” Calmer adds.
In addition to the Schubert and Schwertsik symphonies, this concert also features the Symphony’s premiere of Stravinsky’s “Symphony in Three Movements,” the most played and most popular of Stravinsky’s symphonies. This jazzy, rhythmic work is a musical summation of Stravinsky’s response to events of WWII.
In addition to the concerts, OPB and KBPS are collaborating to bring listeners interviews with musicians and conductors during the performance intermission. All broadcasts will repeat on KBPS in a nine-week series beginning July 23, 2006. KBPS programs classical music all day, every day at 89.9 FM in the Portland region and 90.1 in the Columbia Gorge.
Jefferson Public Radio, serving southwest Oregon and northern California, will also air the broadcasts in a nine-week series beginning June 2.
Oregon Public Broadcasting is a statewide network of community-supported learning resources, including OPB Television, an affiliate of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and OPB Radio, presenting local news coverage and the programs of National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Radio International (PRI). For a list of OPB Radio frequencies, log on to www.opb.org.
For more information, please contact Carol Howard at (503) 977-7751 or carol_howard@opb.org, or visit the Symphony's website at www.orsymphony.org.
