The Quincy Symphony Orchestra presents Beyond The Score®: Sheherazade Family Concert at 3 p.m. Sat. Nov. 16 in Quincy Junior High’s Morrison Theater. The highly acclaimed Beyond The Score® program is dissected into two parts: exploration and performance. Designed not only for classical music lovers, but also for newcomers, this concert provides an opportunity to learn and be entertained. The Quincy Symphony Orchestra, under the director of Dr. Bruce Briney, will collaborate with actors Terrell Dempsey and Ann Pfaffe of the Quincy Community Theatre for the first portion of the concert, using theatrical and big screen projections to explain the many period influences on Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov.
The second half will be a performance of “Sheherazade” in its entirety, with the listener’s newfound knowledge greatly enhancing the music experience. Rimsky-Korsakov completed the symphony in 1888 after reading “The Arabian Nights.” Conceived as an orchestral suite, “Sheherazade” represents a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale images. The composer explained the title “Sheherazade” in a brief introduction he had printed in the score:
“The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely.”
The music is broken into four sections (movements): I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship; II. The Kalendar Prince; III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess; IV. Festival at Baghdad, The Sea, The Ship Breaks Against a Cliff and Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman. The character of the Sultan is completely transformed by the end of the work, from the unyielding ruler to a warm companion born of the thousand and one nights with his incomparable story-teller.
A Thanksgiving food drive to benefit Horizons Social Services of Adams County will be held at the concert and attendees are encouraged to bring donations of non-perishable items.
This concert is made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Quincy Area’s Jayne & Leroy Boeckelman Fund for Young Musicians, the Paul H. and Anne B. Gardner Memorial Fund and the Arthur O. & Lela B. Lindsay Fund, as well as the Tracy Family Foundation.
The QSOA is grateful for the support from the corporate community including our season sponsors, Blessing Health System and the Knapheide Manufacturing Company. The Silver Baton Concert Sponsor is Advance Physical Therapy, Maestro Music Sponsor is Stevenson Paxton Wealth Management, and KHQA is the media sponsor. All concerts are partially supported by the Marion Gardner Jackson Charitable Trust, The Illinois Arts Council Agency and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Beyond the Score®: Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade program is produced by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gerard McBurney, Creative Director; Martha Gilmer, Executive Producer.
Tickets will be available at the door or in advance at Sturhahn Jewelers, Quincy Hy-Vee stores, the QSOA office and website, www.qsoa.org. Adult tickets are $15, seniors are $12. Children 18 and younger are admitted free to all concerts. Call 222-2856 for more information.
