Berkshire Symphony

Ronald Feldman, director

Pre-Concert Talk at 7:15pm in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall.

The Williams College Department of Music presents the Berkshire Symphony directed by Ronald Feldman on Friday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m. in Chapin Hall on the Williams College campus. There will also be a pre-concert talk with Mr. Feldman at 7:15 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall. These free events are open to the public.

Marking the passing of three great American composers who died in 2009, the Berkshire Symphony continues to commemorate their creative lives in this second concert of the season. Maestro Feldman and the Berkshire Orchestra demonstrate once again why they are considered one of the most entertaining and progressive regional orchestras on the scene today.

The orchestra features Adagio for Orchestra by George Perle, the composer whose life is remembered in the title of the concert. A musician and scholar who achieved much in his lifetime and left numerous works for orchestra, George Perle is notable for a number of works. Written in 1992, Adagio for Orchestra has won wide acclaim and remains one of his most popular pieces.  Its lush orchestration and organic flow disdain the constraints of traditional harmonic resolution. Perle’s unique stream of consciousness is very original and at the same time hauntingly familiar.

Opera fans are also in for a treat, without traveling miles to indulge a taste for live operatic drama, though it may be tainted with bitter-sweet regret. Bass-baritone Keith Kibler and soprano Kerry Ryer-Parke standing before a full sized orchestra, demonstrate why opera commands a large underground fan-base in the Berkshires. Both are instructors of voice at Williams College and frequent performers both on campus and off.  They present “Polonaise,” “Letter Scene,” “Waltz,” and “Final Duet” from Eugene Onegin by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which is based on Pushkin’s work. And why regret?  Because, unfortunately, the ensemble will only be doing these excerpts and not staging the whole glorious work!

The second half of the concert brings Symphony No. 4, D 417 in C Minor (“Tragic”) by Franz Schubert. This was written by a still teenage Schubert. As for understanding its tragic aspect, only a complete live hearing can offer music lovers a true insight into the soul of that remarkable genius.

The Berkshire Symphony bridges an expanse of musical eras and styles to present a performance that demonstrates their great versatility and vitality.

The Berkshire Symphony is conducted by Ronald Feldman and includes nearly 70 members, half of whom are students and half of whom are professional musicians. The ensemble presents four major concerts each season. In addition to performing the great standards of  orchestral repertoire a recurring theme each year is the performance of contemporary works. Championing the works of living American composers has been an integral part of the mission of the Berkshire Symphony.

The final program in the spring features the winners of the Berkshire Symphony Student Soloist Competition. This event is a great showcase for the extraordinary talent at Williams College and is always a highlight of the season.