Natasha and the Romantics

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February 9, 2019 at 7:30 pm
February 10, 2019 at 2:30 pm
Hemmens Cultural Center

Andrew Grams, conductor
Natasha Paremski, piano

Brahms Academic Festival Overture
Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2
Schumann Symphony No. 4

Adult Price: $30/$55/$75
Youth Price: $10
*Discount Pricing available for Groups of 10 or more! Please call the Box Office at 847-888-4000 for details.
**Build Your Own Series by purchasing 4 or more Classics or Pops concerts and receive 20% off the single ticket price!

NOTEworthy Concert Facts

Perfect for a date with that special someone, this program highlights the music of Romantic Era composers.

Johannes Brahms composed Academic Festival Overture as an irreverent thank-you for an honorary degree. Dignitaries at the premiere didn’t quite know what to think. A lighthearted, boisterous piece, he used melodies from student drinking songs throughout. Fans of the movie Animal House will recognize its familiar closing tune.

Frederic Chopin epitomizes the Romantic era composer. His music pushed the boundaries of rhythm and harmony. He was a political exile from Poland, and a musical superstar of his time with a high-profile love life. A musical prodigy declared “the second Mozart”, Chopin died an early death, penniless. He wrote his Piano Concerto No. 2 when he was only 20 years old, and the final movement features the dance rhythms of a Polish mazurka.

Natasha Paremski, guest pianist, reveals astounding virtuosity and voracious interpretive abilities. She continues to generate excitement from all corners as she wins over audiences with her musical sensibility and flawless technique.

Robert Schumann was a close friend of Johannes Brahms. He had a great love affair with Clara Wieck, forbidden by her father, which led to his outpouring of beautiful Lieder (vocal songs with piano). They eventually married, but happiness eluded him due to mental illness, and he died in an asylum. Schumann composed piano music exclusively for years and wrote only four symphonies. His Symphony No. 4 is his most innovative. All the movements are played without a break.