Bolero! Chabrier, Edwards & Ravel

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Music Director Andrew Grams along with violinist Adele Anthony and the ESO are excited to perform Bolero! Chabrier, Edwards, & Ravel. With hearts and ears open to life’s dance, these composers found inspiration from other countries, nature, and even children’s bedtime stories. This remarkable journey of music, culture, and fantasy will leave you with a deeper appreciation of the world around you.

DATES, TIMES & LOCATION

November 2 at 7:30 pm
November 3 at 2:30 pm
Hemmens Cultural Center – Elgin, IL

November 4 at 7:30 pm
Harris Theater for Music & Dance – Chicago, IL

CONCERT PROGRAM

Andrew Grams, conductor
Adele Anthony, violin

Adele Anthony was born in Singapore as the daughter of Alphonse Jivaras Anthony, the founding concertmaster of the SSO. She began to play the violin at the age of two and a half when the family settled in Tasmania. At age 13, in 1984, Anthony was the youngest winner of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition, (now known as the ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards), performing the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She was later the winner of the 1996 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition. She subsequently studied with Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School in New York for eight years.
She is married to violinist Gil Shaham. They have three children.

Chabrier España
Edwards Maninyas Violin Concerto
Ravel Mother Goose ballet
Ravel Bolero

Prices: Gold $85 / Red $65 / Green $35 – CLICK HERE to view the Hemmens Classics Series Seat Map
*Discount Pricing available for Groups of 10 or more! CLICK HERE for details.

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Inside the music of Bolero: Chabrier, Edwards & Ravel

Ravel was born on March 7, 1875, in Ciboure, France. At 14 years old he entered the Paris Conservatoire where he repeatedly failed to win the coveted Prix de Rome for composition. He was a “rule-breaker” musically speaking, and many of the works he submitted were judged too “advanced” by ultraconservative members of the jury. After many liberal-minded musicians and composers spoke up for Ravel a scandal ensued and the director of the Conservatoire, Théodore Dubois, was forced to resign.
Ravel’s Bolero was commissioned by Russian dancer & actress Ida Rubinstein. It debuted on November 20, 1928, to a shocked audience. A woman was overheard yelling “Au fou, au fou!” (“The madman! The madman!”). When Ravel was told of this, he reportedly replied: “That lady… she understood.”This piece was different than others. In fact, Ravel admitted that Bolero was an “experiment” of using only one theme throughout. It took him 5 months to write the piece and he never considered it one of his important works.
Maurice Ravel was considered a “Dandy” – meaning he was all about “Keep Up Appearances”. He was very meticulous about his attire and appearance. Once he delayed a concert over an hour because he didn’t want to appear on stage without his proper dress shoes! Ravel also enjoyed the finer things in life – wine, food, and conversation.
Ravel’s Mother Goose Ballet was originally written for Jean and Mimi Godebski the children of Ravel’s friends. It was a piano piece for four hands so the children could play together. Each movement represents a character for the Mother Goose fairytales. Ravel said, “My intention of awaking the poetry of childhood in these pieces naturally led me to simplify my style and thin out my writing.”