A Fresh Season Rich in Premieres

The West Coast premiere of Philip Glass’ “Choral Symphony No. 5 in 12 Parts,” the first-ever tour of the Shaolin order of Buddhist monks from China, and the Southern California recital debut of tenor Ian Bostridge will highlight the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s 2000-01 season.

The Glass symphony, which received its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in August, attempts to chronicle the spiritual history of the world, from chaos to creation to death, through final judgment, to a future fully enlightened existence.

The society will be presenting the West Coast premiere by special arrangement with the Salzburg Festival.

“We were able to secure the rights to the performance of the piece and invited the Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale to participate,” Philharmonic Society Executive Director Dean Corey said Monday. “The concert symbolizes the arts working together in the county, bringing together the best assets they have.”

The society plans to offer about 36 events in the coming season, compared with last season’s 26. The remainder will be announced in April, Corey said.

Other firsts will include the North American premiere of Anonymous 4 and the Chilingirian String Quartet’s program of early 20th century music, and the West Coast premieres of “Keyboard Eclectic” (pianists Ursula Oppens and Aki Takahashi and composer Richard Teitelbaum), and Mikel Rouses’ “Failing Kansas” (the first of his trilogy of operas based on Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood”).

The Philharmonic Society will present its programs in Segerstrom and Founders halls at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, the Irvine Barclay Theatre and a new venue for the organization: St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine.

The church will be the site for the Anonymous 4 and Chilingirian String Quartet program.

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The Philharmonic Society’s 2000-01 Concert Season

AT THE ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

* Sept. 28, 8 p.m.: Evgeny Kissin, piano: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 17 (“Tempest”); Schumann’s ‘Carnaval”; Brahms’ Sonata No. 3. (Masterwork series; also Series B)

* Oct. 13, 8 p.m.: Philip Glass’ “Choral Symphony No. 5 in 12 Parts”: Pacific Symphony, Carl St.Clair, conductor; Pacific Chorale; Pacific Chorale Children’s Chorus. (Series A; M)

* Oct. 14, 8 p.m.: Shaolin Warriors: Martial and meditative arts.

(Series C)

* Oct. 15, 3 p.m.: Iceland Symphony; Rico Saccani, conductor; Judith Ingolfsson, violin: Jon Leifs’ “Galdra Loftur”; Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto; Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1. (B; M)

* Oct. 21, 8 p.m.: NDR Symphony Hamburg; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor: Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola; Mahler’s Symphony No. 1. (A; M)

* Oct. 26, 8 p.m.: Ian Bostridge, tenor: Lieder by Schubert and Wolf. (Series E)

* Dec. 1, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, conductor: Program to be announced. (A; M)

* Dec. 12, 8 p.m.: “Fiesta Navidad”: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano and Ballet Folkorico Ollin. (Special Event)

* Jan. 17, 2001, 8 p.m.: Dresden Staatskapelle; Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8; Strauss’ “Ein Heldenleben.” (B; M)

* Feb. 3, 8 p.m.: Russian National Orchestra; Vladimir Spivakov, conductor; Mihkail Pletnev, piano: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. (A; M)

* March 10, 8 p.m.: Bolshoi Symphony; Mark Ermler, conductor; Elena Zelenskaya, soprano: Arias from Russian operas; Polonaise from Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”; Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” Overture-Fantasy; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. (A)

* March 11, 3 p.m.: Bolshoi Symphony; Ermler, conductor; Denis Matsuev, piano: Prelude from Mussorgsky’s “Khovanshchina”; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2; Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

(B; M)

* March 24, 8 p.m.: National Orchestra of Spain; Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, conductor; Pepe Romero, guitar; Lionel Morales, piano: Albeniz’s “Suite Espanola”; Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranguez”; Falla’s “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” and Suites Nos. 1 and 2 from “The Three-Cornered Hat.” (B; M)

AT FOUNDERS HALL, O.C. PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

* Oct. 19, 8 p.m.: “Keyboard Eclectic”: Ursula Oppens and Aki Takahashi, pianos; Richard Teitelbaum, composer: Music by Schubert, Debussy, Lutoslawski, Ligeti, Teitelbaum. (Series E)

* Nov. 10 and 11, 8 p.m.: Mikel Rouse’s “Failing Kansas.” (E)

* Nov. 13, 8 p.m.: Andras Schiff, piano: Bach’s “Goldberg”

Variations. (C)

AT THE IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

4242 Campus Drive

* Oct. 17, 8 p.m.: “English Baroque Treasures”; Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Charles Sherman, harpsichord: Music by Purcell, Handel, Arne, Locatelli; others. (Series F)

* Nov. 30, 8 p.m.: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; McGegan, conductor; Christine Brandes, soprano; John Thiessen and Fred Holmgren, trumpets; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin: Music by Bach, Vivaldi, Torelli, Corelli. (F)

* March 8, 8 p.m.: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Andrew Manze, conductor and violin: Mozart program, including the Violin Concerto No. 4; “Jupiter” Symphony; Adagio and Fugue in C minor; March in D. (F)

AT ST. PAUL’S GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH

4949 Alton Parkway, Irvine

* Nov. 3-4; 8 p.m.: Anonymous 4; Chilingirian String Quartet: Music by Tavener, Britten, Purcell, Tippett and Steve Reich. (C; E)

DETAILS

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Series Prices A Great Orchestras $75-$260 B Great Orchestras $80-$248 C Festival $99 E Eclectic $89 F Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra $86-$99 M Masterworks $135-$458 Special Event: Fiesta Navidad $18-$38

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Prices of single tickets will vary according to the event and will be available in the summer. Information: (949) 553-2422.

Los Angeles Times