"Symphonic Pictures III -- Once Upon a Time" is the third of four concerts this season performed by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. It will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 1 in the Elba Central School Auditorium, located at 57 S. Main St. in Elba.
The program will be:
- "Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
- "Ma Mere 'L'Oye" ("Mother Goose Suite") by Maurice Ravel
- "Romeo and Juliet" selections by Sergei Sergeyevich Prkofiev
GSO Conductor S. Shade Zajac says the concert is intended to evoke magical storytelling through beloved pieces of music and he promises it will be "spellbinding."
"Night on Bald Mountain" for example is from Disney's animated classic "Fantasia." It depicts the spirits of darkness in celebration of "Chernobog," a Slavic deity aka "The Black God," before the sound of church bells drives them back into darkness.
"Very dramatic and maybe still a bit scary," writes Zajac in his "Message from the Maestro" to the orchestra, its board members and supporters.
The suite by Ravel is based on classic children's stories: "Sleeping Beauty," "Tom Thumb" and "Beauty and the Beast."
"It is a tour-de-force for our wind players and features everyone from the stratospheric piccolo to the grumbling contrabassoon!" Zajac says.
In the timeless ballet based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," some of the most famous moments will be performed musically: "The Montegues and Capulets," the balcony scene, and the tragic scene of Romeo at Juliet's grave, and more.
Concert tickets are adults $15, seniors $10, and students with ID are free.
Note that there will be a GSO raffle for a chance to win a day and overnight stay in lovely Canandaigua.
The winning ticket will treat two to fine dining at the NYS culinary arts facility -- The Restaurant & Bar at New York Kitchen (NYKitchen), right on the waters edge of Canandaigua Lake, where New York foods and beverages and the freshest seasonal produce are showcased. Stay at the postcard-perfect Bella Rose Bed & Breakfast in a beautifully appointed suite with private bath. The B&B offers "the best breakfast in Canandaigua," a three-course meal in its Victorian dining room.
Have a look-see at The Restaurant & Bar at New York Kitchen here, and the Bella Rose here.
Raffle tickets are on sale at the GSO concerts -- including the season finale concert May 3 ("Symphonic Pictures IV -- Dance"), also at Elba Central School Auditorium -- and from any board member. Raffle tickets cost $5 for one ticket; $10 for three tickets. The drawing will be held at the May 3 concert. Proceeds benefit the GSO.
