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To celebrate the change of seasons, the SFVSO will present Cary Belling, violin, and David Weaver, guitar, in a concert from Cary's front porch in Pasadena, on Saturday, October 17, starting at 4:45 pm. The program will include a light-hearted mix of traditional and popular standards, as well as a few of Cary's own tunes. The concert will be live-streamed on Zoom as part of Pasadena's Washington Square Association virtual block party.
Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86816907001?pwd=MjMzWnFKU1Y2ZWdCQU1rc2xKMFExUT09
Meeting ID: 868 1690 7001
Passcode: 34130
WHO: The SFVSO presents The Screaming Clams, featuring James Domine, guitar and vocals; Larry Muradian, bass; Chuck Burkinshaw, drums; and the one and only Rebecca Ray, vocals
WHAT: Perform Classic Rock 'n Roll of the late '60s and early '70s
WHEN: Friday, September 25, 2020, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
WHERE: On the outdoor patio (social distancing observed) at VFW Post 2323, 17522 Chatsworth Street, Granada Hills. Please park in
the lot behind the Post and enter through the back door. Masks are not needed outdoors, but must be worn when entering the bar area and using the bathrooms.
WHY: Because those who attended the previous performance requested their return.
Food available from 5:00 pm at a cost of $5.00 to $8.00 per person, payable in CASH only; Credit Cards are okay at the bar.
WHO: James Domine, Host/Music Director of the SFV Symphony Orchestra
WHAT: "Music Matters," a diary of music compositions, topics and events, is a weekly discussion covering a wide range of controversial musical topics. Hosted as an open forum, the format is designed to accommodate the interests and issues relevant to music and the arts as they arise in contemporary discourse. Each class will be a comparative analytical examination focusing on specific generic musical examples from the repertoire. Selective repertoire will be examined in detail, providing the participants with a broad in-depth view of music from the prospective
of the conductor and composer.
The Syllabus for week 1: Emerging artists/Current Events/New Recordings made during the "Summer of Silence."
WHEN: Friday, July 31, 2020, 10:30 am - Noon
WHERE: Zoom (Link for access to meeting will follow)
To register, go to "Education Outreach" on our Website, sfvsymphony.com, and click on the Buy button to pay the
$15.00 course fee via Credit Card, or PayPal (+ $2 processing fee).
And the Premiere of James Domine's "Dies Irae Variations"
Where: YouTube
https://youtu.be/p8pDQulSVxg
When: Friday, July 31st at 12 Noon, immediately following *"Music Matters" (which is from 10:30-11:45 am).
Why: The Symphomaniax Silent Summer Serenade Series continues to resist the musical blackout with dogged perseverance and grim determination. Watch out for our upcoming Live Music as an Act of Civil Disobedience Flash Mob Public Demonstration Concert.
* For information on "Music Matters," go to
www.sfvsymphony.com
NON-ESSENTIAL
by Susan Craig Winsberg
A young man, young enough to be my son,
who lives in the Governor’s mansion,
a man I believed in,
at one time…
has deemed me “non-essential,”
my service to society
dispensable,
irrelevant.
His edict came down from on high
and my livelihood was gone
overnight.
With a stroke of his powerful pen,
my security, my future
discarded.
He picked and he chose,
eeny meeny miny mo,
some to thrive,
and some to go
broke.
San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, James Domine Music director, presents Symphomaniax Silent Spring Recital Program Notes:
The pandemic of 2020 has been an unmitigated disaster for music and musicians everywhere. This recital by the Symphomaniax is a musical onomatopoeia put together somewhat surreptitiously as an act of civil disobedience in the quarantined lock-down environs of Los Angeles beginning in March of 2020. With nothing to do, stranded in isolation, suffering from the solitary confinement imposed by local jurisdictions and despondency that cancellation of all our concerts and forced deprivation of the art we all love induces, this recital is the natural, even inevitable result of the viral pandemic that has seized the entire world in its grip. Our theme for this recital is "The Silent Spring," and we intend that it should be the first in a series of concerts that will continue at intervals on into the Silent Summer and beyond.
The Symphomaniax are the flagship standard-bearing chamber music ensemble representing the SFVSO in absentia. In its present configuration, the instrumental deployment consists of Ruth Bruegger, violin, Susan Winsberg, flute, James Domine, guitar & continuo and Larry “El Marauder” Muradian on bass. All the members are principal players with the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra. The program features music by Vivaldi, excerpts from the operatic repertoire, a medley of Beatles songs, and a Romanian folk-dance.
This program also features the inaugural performance of "China Replications: Viral Variations," a piece composed specifically for the Symphomaniax by James Domine. The music is conceived as a metaphorical representation of the entire experience of the pandemic from its origins in a Chinese laboratory through the social upheaval and dislocation it has caused. The main theme is based on a pentatonic Chinese-sounding melody that creates the atmosphere of a folk song. This melodic motive undergoes a sequence of progressive transformations that replicate the melody at successive pitch levels and are re-harmonized accordingly. In this way, the music manifests an onomotopaeic representation of the cyclical physical mutations a corona virus undergoes. This opening section is juxtaposed in sharp contrast against a harmonic kaleidoscope representing the harsh social, economic and political turmoil of events that have recently transpired. "China Replications" is an anthem that serves as a musical testament chronicling the severity
and solitude of the Silent Spring and Summer of 2020.
Video link
https://youtu.be/99nPXJJc3G0
The San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra will present its third concert of the 2019-2020 season on Saturday,
January 18, 2020, at 8:00 pm, in the Tutor Family Center at Chaminade, 7500 Chaminade Way, West Hills.
The evening’s program is:
Dvorak Slavonic Dance #2 in E minor
Mozart Clarinet Concerto Steve Piazza, clarinetist
Beethoven Violin Concerto Gallia Kastner, violinist
Domine: Vanilla Variations Benjamin Rosen, trombonist
Tickets are $45.00, and can be purchased online at
www.sfvsymphony.com;
or at the Box Office the Evening of the concert.
On Saturday evening, November 30, 2019, Maestro James Domine came onstage, as always, to speak briefly to the audience, after which the orchestra played our National Anthem.
In keeping with the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra’s mission to provide young people with classical music performance opportunities, 10 year old Benjamin Hsu opened the concert with a wonderful performance of the third movement of Concertino for Piano by James Domine. The next piece was John Williams’ Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Suite for Orchestra. The first movement, Hedwig’s Theme, was conducted by 10 year old Echo Hexum. Needless to say, the audience showed their delight with these two young performers. Hopefully they will have a very bright future ahead of them, aided through their exposure by Maestro Domine to performing with this Orchestra.
Jacques Offenbach’s Overture to Orpheus in the Underworld, a great and much loved piece, was next on the program. The orchestra, and especially the soloists, Geoff Nudell on clarinet and Ruth Bruegger on violin, were outstanding! In keeping with the theme of the program, Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens, with Ruth Bruegger as soloist, followed. The audience applauded and cheered in appreciation.
After intermission, the orchestra and James Domine returned to the stage to tie-up the threads of the program with the Maestro’s composition, Frankenstein Fantasy, once again with Ruth Bruegger as soloist. This piece depicts the monster awakening in the laboratory of Dr. Frankenstein and beginning to walk. The second part is a romantic theme depiction from Frankenstein’s Bride, and the piece concludes with a section subtitled Saving Peter that portrays a frantic attempt to rescue a child from the monster. At the end of this final scene, the boy is saved as the monster falls to his final doom into the churning, murky depths below. Without a doubt this is a highly dramatic and fascinating piece of music which the orchestra performed wonderfully!
Concluding this great program was Franz Liszt’s pyrotechnically challenging piece, Totentanz, which pianist David Pinto performed so brilliantly and with such fire that it brought down the house. The audience stood as one, applauding, cheering and whistling through several well-deserved curtain calls. What a perfect way to end a perfect night of, “… great music close to home.”
If you were unable to attend this performance, please check out our website for the next wonderful concert on January 18, 2020. We will be pleased to see you there.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year! SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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