South Florida Symphony Orchestra will perform “Don Juan” by Richard Strauss as the featured attraction in addition to three other compositions for their upcoming Valentine’s Day 7:30 p.m. concerts on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at The Parker in Ft. Lauderdale and Saturday, Feb. 15 at New World Center in Miami Beach.
“What is so appealing about performing ‘Don Juan’ is our exploration of the many facets of love in our Valentine’s Day concerts. The longing of Don Juan to find the perfect woman and to eventually accept his own mortality and death is a very moving composition by Strauss,” said Sebrina Maria Alfonso, Artistic Director and Conductor of the SFSO.
“Don Juan” has been a Spanish folk legend as both a hero and a villain, especially in 17th century Europe. In the legend, “Don Juan” is a famous lover and scoundrel who has made more than a thousand sexual conquests. He is also a swashbuckler who has fought off many jealous men and husbands, but eventually wills himself to death as a result of not finding the ideal woman.
German composer Richard Strauss(1864-1949) was a young 25- year-old when he composed the 18 minute “Don Juan” that made him famous as a modernist composer. He recorded “Don Juan” in 1917 and featured “Don Juan” as a staple of his many concerts. Strauss last performed the composition in 1947 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
SFSO will perform the majesty of Strauss’s “Don Juan” with an orchestra blend of woodwinds (three flutes, two bassoons, two clarinets, a contrabassoon and an English horn), brass (four horns, three trombones, three trumpets, a tuba), percussion (cymbals, glockenspiel,timpani and triangle) and strings (celli, double basses, harp, violins and violas).
SFSO guest artist soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra will sing “Four Last Songs.”, composed by Richard Strauss in 1948 when he was 84. The songs, translated from German to English, are: “At Sunset”, “Spring”, “September” and “When Falling Asleep”. Strauss composed the songs, except for “Spring” with the theme of calmness and acceptance of death, as he was to die one year after composing “Four Last Songs.”
“‘Four Last Songs’ is a serene farewell to Richard Strauss and is another exploration of love that will be beautifully sung by Amy Shoremount-Obra,” said Alfonso.
Shoremount-Obra will sing “Four Last Songs” accompanied with the following instruments: four horns, three bassoons, three flutes, three trombones, three trumpets, two clarinets, two oboes, bass clarinet, celesta, harp, picillo, strings, timpani, tuba of the South Florida Symphony Orchestra.
Shoremount-Obra achieved critical acclaim for her work on both the concert stage and in opera. She was the top prize winner in the 2018 Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition and had her Carnegie Hall debut in 2005. Shoremount-Obra has performed around the world with many prestigious orchestras and opera companies.
SFSO will perform Austrian composer Johann Strauss’s (no relation to Richard Stauss) famed waltz “The Blue Danube” that he composed in 1866. The famed waltz will be performed with brass (four horns, two trumpets, bass trombone and tuba), woodwinds (two bassoons, two clarinets, two flutes, two oboes), percussion (bass drum, snare drum, timpani, triangle) and strings (double basses, harp, violas, violins, violoncellos
“The ‘Blue Danube is so romantic and fitting for the Valentine’s Day concert because this waltz adds a touch of romantic nostalgia to the concert,” said Alfonso.
SFSO will also perform nineteenth century French composer Hector Berlioz’s “King Lear’s Overture”, based on Berlioz’s fondness of author Wiliam Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. The composition will be performed with four horns, three trombones, two clarinets, two flutes, two oboes,timpani and strings.
“This composition deals with the complexity of love with the madness of King Lear and adds another dimension to understanding the complexities of love,” said Alfonso.
South Florida Symphony Orchestra will perform “Don Juan” by Richard Strauss, with soprano Amy Shoremount-Obra singing Strauss’s “Four Last Songs” along with two more compositions in two Valentine’s Day week 7:30 pm 100 minute concerts (approximately) taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at The Parker, 707 NE 8th Street in Ft. Lauderdale and on Saturday, Feb. 15 at New World Center, 500 17th Street in Miami Beach Music professor Dr. Alan Mason will give a talk about the concert program at 7 pm only at The Parker.. Tickets range from $25-115. For tickets and more information go to southfloridasymphony.org or call 954-522-8445.
