Music of the Masters / Britt Orchestra / Anton Nel

Saturday, August 1, 2009 • 8 p.m.

Photo by Christine Jones

Fingal’s Cave is a large sea cave on an uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. Mendelssohn’s visit there in 1829 inspired him to compose this tone-picture depicting the movement of the sea and the sounds of wind and seabirds. Close your eyes and be transported to this extraordinary place.
 
Next, the Britt Orchestra will be joined by pianist Anton Nel for Mozart’s C Major Concerto (K. 503), considered to be one of his greatest works. Nel, winner of the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall, enjoys a remarkable and multifaceted career that has taken him to all corners of the world. A native of Johannesburg, he captured first prizes in all major South African competitions while still in his teens. He was appointed to the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin in his early twenties, followed by professorships at the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Michigan. Nel became a U.S. citizen in 2003.
 
The program closes with Beethoven’s Second Symphony, one the composer spoke fondly of as, “one of my best works”. One reviewer wrote, “the final movement zips along at an irrepressible pace that threatens to sweep the entire orchestra off its feet and around the theater, caught up in the sheer joy of performing one of the most perfect symphonies ever written.”

For more information about the artist, visit www.antonnel.com

“Quartets on Every Corner” 
Special pre-concert activity: 5-6:30pm
Students from around the country have come to southern Oregon to study the art of string quartet playing at the Britt Institute String Quartet Academy with the Arianna String Quartet. These outstanding young musicians will perform on the street corners of Jacksonville prior to the evening’s Britt Classical Concert. Stroll through historic Jacksonville and let the music lead you up the hill to Britt.

Pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. by Jim Chubet, Principal Keyboard for the Britt Orchestra and Piano Faculty at Boston College.

LISTEN AND WATCH SAMPLES:

The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave) Overture (audio)
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K. 503 (audio)
Symphony No. 2 (audio)
Anton Nel Plays Mozart at Sea (video)