Page 9 - The Islander - February '24

The Islander, Page 9
County and the National New Play Network (NNPN). See Review Of Palm
thEatrE haPPEnings from page 8 Theatres Association, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach

languages. Demos-Brown wrote and coproduced a Netflix www.palmbeachdramaworks.com.
original movie based on the play that received an Emmy at 7:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Matinee Beach Symphony
Evening performances are Wednesday and Thursday
nomination for best TV movie (currently running on
Netflix). He is also a practicing lawyer and a founding performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and
member of Zoetic Stage in Miami, where he lives with his Sunday at 2 p.m. Post-performance discussions follow Pinchas Zukerman And The
wife, Stephanie, and their daughters, Kate and Jilly. He is weekday matinees. Tickets for all performances are $89,
grateful to Sue Ellen, Bill and the whole PBD organization except for opening night ($104) and previews ($69). Palm Beach Symphony
for their courage in and commitment to producing The Student tickets are available for $15 with valid K-12 or
Cancellation of Lauren Fein. university/college identification, and anyone under 40 By Rex A. Hearn
Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo identification
theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the card. Tickets for educators are half price with proper Monday, Jan. 15 at the
heart of downtown West Palm Beach. Each season, the identification (other restrictions apply). Group rates for 10 Kravis Center was a night to
award-winning company produces five mainstage shows or more and subscription packages are available. Tickets remember. So many artistic
and offers a wide variety of programs for students at can be purchased through the box office, in person or by forces came together to
the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the phone at (561) 514-4042, Ext. 2, and online 24 hours a make it an evening of
future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights day at www.palmbeachdramaworks.org. sweet memories. First came
in Florida and around the country to nurture their work The Don and Ann Brown Theatre is located in the Adolphus Hailstork’s Four
through initiatives including The Dramaworkshop and heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Hymns Without Words a
the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member St. For ticket information contact the box office at (561) delightful, tuneful work for
of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional 514-4042, or visit www.palmbeachdramaworks.org. solo trumpet, masterfully
played by world renowned
Craig Morris, who now
holds the chair of trumpet professor in Miami’s Frost
School of Music. Hailstork’s Four Hymns reminds one
of America’s wide open spaces, its lovely original tunes
and style surely influenced by that other great American
composer, Aaron Copland. Originally written for organ
accompaniment, this inspired orchestration begins
brightly continuing with touches of swing and jazz
rhythms, spirituals and “western music” reminiscent of
Ferde Grofe. The trumpet sounds out some very catchy
tunes in each of the four movements. It reassures the
listener the “school of cacophony” has been overcome
by this wonderful composer, now in his 80s teaching at
Old Dominion University. The Palm Beach Symphony
accompanied trumpeter Morris with delicacy throughout
except for a couple of French horn fluffs in their entrances.
They redeemed themselves in the Sibelius Second
Symphony later.
The incomparable Pinchas Zukerman appeared next to
play two pieces for violin and orchestra. His services to
music are legendary beginning as a solo violist moving
on to form his own chamber groups: an orchestra, quartet
and trio and now as an accomplished solo violinist with
the most refined sound you ever heard. He began with
Tchaikovsky’s Memory of a Dear Place. It’s a slow
movement originally written for his magnificent violin
concerto. But, for reasons unknown he put it to one side.
At the time he was recovering from a nervous breakdown.
Published posthumously in 1896 and orchestrated by the
young composer Alexander Glazunov, it is dedicated to
the Ukrainian village of Brailove, where Tchaikovsky
recovered. Dear Place is a somewhat romantic piece
in which the violinist seems to sing over the orchestral
accompaniment, and sing Zukerman did with such an
exquisite sweet tone. Tchaikovsky referred to its closing
as “a song without words.” Indeed it was a delight.
The Mozart violin concerto followed, No. 3 (of 5)
Kochel Listing No. 216, same solo violinist, Pinchas
Zukerman in fine form. Mozart’s father was a violinist,
author of the seminal book on violin technique of 1756.
Mozart was a good violinist, but as a teenager moved to
the forte piano, preferring the new musical improvement
of the harpsichord.
This violin concerto with its gossamer light tunes and
folksy fiddling pleased the huge audience greatly, you
10 And now for the Sibelius Second Symphony. During
could have heard a pin drop their interest was so focused.
%
the Second World War I lived in Manchester, England.
Incendiary bombs destroyed my father’s manicured lawns
in 1941, but did not go off! My introduction to Sibelius
10 OFF
was twofold. The BBC constantly played Finlandia by
Sibelius to raise morale. Churches even put words to its
magnificent ending.
OFFER EXPIRES MAR 16TH
OFFER EXPIRES MAR 16TH
At 16, the war over, a colorful conductor from
America took the podium of my local orchestra, The
Halle, founded in 1848. It was Sir John Barbirolli who
had succeeded Arturo Toscanini as conductor of the New
York Philharmonic in 1937. He made demands of the city
alderman and they let him rebuild The Halle, decimated
by the war, to 95 players.
A young 16-year-old, Oliver Bannister, became lead
flutist; a woman from the Salvation Army Band led the
trombone section, the highly esteemed, Maisie Ringham.
And Joyce Aldous was the timpanist. And so on. A year
into his tenure they tackled Sibelius’s Second. It turned
me into a believer. And it’s on an early L.P. recording
dr. elixir's drink-ory garden which I still have. Maestro Gerard Schwarz and his Palm
opens 1 hour prior to showtime Beach Symphony Orchestra gave the performance of their
lives last night. It was a brilliant interpretation. Kudos to
all and especially conductor Schwarz for rebuilding this
wonderful orchestra which now surely stands equal to
and along with America’s big five.