Society to Bring New Zealand, Bernstein to Town

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s fall festival series, “Eclectic Orange 1999,” will offer an enhanced revival of Leonard Bernstein’s last Harvard University lecture and an appearance by the New Zealand Symphony, with performances by Maori tribal members.

“We think we can do more creative work in the festival format than in just presenting concerts over the year, although we will continue to do that,” the society’s executive director, Dean Corey, said Monday. “We can offer a larger palette of exciting and contrasting events over a confined time period. It will be fun to see how this works out.”

The 1973 Bernstein lecture, “Poetry of Earth,” focuses upon trends in the 20th century and the music of Stravinsky. It will be screened in an edited 40-minute version with enhanced graphics and added visuals at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29-30 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. The second half of the program will include a performance of Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex” by the National Symphony and the Pacific Chorale led by Leonard Slatkin. A brief videotaped epilogue by Bernstein will close the program.

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Slatkin will also conduct the orchestra Oct. 31 in Anthony Payne’s controversial completion and extension of Elgar’s Third Symphony, which was left only in sketch form at the composer’s death in 1934. Slatkin and the National Symphony will perform the New York premiere of the work in March. The program will also include John Adams’ “Slonimsky’s Earbox” and Haydn’s Symphony No. 67.

Maori Queen Te Arikinui Te Atairangi Kahu will accompany the New Zealand orchestra and members of the Maori tribe led by James Judd as they present Gareth Farr’s new “Te Wairua O Te When ua” (The Spirit of the Land) for symphony orchestra and Maori percussionists.

That concert will also include Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, with Michael Houstoun, bronze-medal winner at the 1973 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.

Other festival events:

* Oct. 26: “Voices of Light: The Passion of Joan of Arc.” Screening of Carl Dreyer’s silent film, “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” accompanied by Richard Einhorn’s music performed by Anonymous 4 and the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, conducted by Lucinda Carver. 8 p.m., Performing Arts Center.

* Oct. 28-Nov. 3: Mikel Rouse’s “Dennis Cleveland.” These will be the first West Coast performances of Rouse’s multimedia opera that takes place on the set of a television talk show. Various times, Founders Hall, Performing Arts Center.

* Nov. 10: “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” a concert based on John Berendt’s bestselling book with music by Johnny Mercer. 8 p.m., Performing Arts Center.

* Nov. 16: Les Arts Florissants’ semi-staged production of Purcell’s “King Arthur” under the direction of group founder William Christie. Choreography and staging by Ana Yepes will be performed by Ensemble Choreographique Les Fragments Reunis. This exclusive concert is the Southern California debut of the Paris-based group. 8 p.m., Santa Ana High School auditorium.

Prices and other events will be announced later this month. For more information, call (949) 553-2422.