Shostakovich to Visit Pacific

Maxim Shostakovich, son of the great Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, will conduct the Pacific Symphony during its 1998-99 20th anniversary season, the orchestra announced Monday.

Shostakovich, 59, who defected in 1981 in West Germany before settling in New York, will conduct his father’s Tenth Symphony on a program Dec. 9-10 that also includes works by Beethoven and Weber at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa.

The younger Shostakovich was music director of the New Orleans Symphony from 1986-91 and subsequently guest-conducted many major orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The other guest conductors for the season are Vladimir Feltsman, who will also appear in his more familiar role as pianist on a Bach program, and Chilean conductor Maximiano Valdes, who led the Pacific in 1994. Music director Carl St.Clair will conduct all the other programs.

Guest artists include mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, violinist Kennedy (formerly known as Nigel Kennedy) and pianists Helene Grimaud, Alain Lefevre, Panayis Lyras and Marcus Roberts. The Eroica Trio will appear in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto.

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The season will be highlighted by two works from Richard Danielpour, recently selected the Pacific’s composer-in-residence: “Celestial Night” (Oct. 1-2) and Concerto for Orchestra (March 3-4).

The 1998-99 season:

* Oct. 1-2. Marcus Roberts, piano: Danielpour’s “Celestial Night,” Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”).

* Oct. 21-22. Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano: Ravel’s “Alborado del Gracioso” and “Sheherazade,” selections from Cantaloube’s “Songs of the Auvergne,” Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

* Nov. 18-19. Alain Lefevre, piano: Overture to Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio,” Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 (“Romantic”).

* Dec. 9-10. Maxim Shostakovich, conductor; Helene Grimaud, piano: Overture to Weber’s “Euryanthe,” Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10.

* Dec. 19. John Alexander, conductor; Pacific Chorale: Handel’s “Messiah.”

* Feb. 10-11. Pacific Chorale; soprano and baritone to be announced: Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 (“La Passione”), Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Faure’s Requiem.

* March 3-4. Violinist Kennedy (formerly known as Nigel Kennedy): Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (“Unfinished”), Danielpour’s Concerto for Orchestra, Brahms’ Violin Concerto.

* March 24-25. Vladimir Feltsman, conductor and pianist: Bach’s Keyboard Concertos in D minor and A, Orchestral Suites Nos. 2 and 3.

* April 14-15. Maximiano Valdes, conductor; Eroica Trio: Prelude to Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg,” Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto, Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7.

* May 5-6. Panayis Lyras, piano: Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 (“Haffner”), Strauss’ “Death and Transfiguration,” Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

* May 26-27. Mahler’s Symphony No. 9.

Carl St.Clair will conduct all concerts except as indicated. Series tickets (good for all concerts except Dec. 19) from $100 to $420 for 10 concerts; $50 to $240 for a five-concert series go on sale March 16. (714) 755-5799.