Sax and Strings: The Heart and Soul of the Orchestra

Although Valentine’s Day will have passed, the San Bernardino Symphony will present a performance that is sure to touch the heart and excite the soul with “Sax and Strings,” March 1 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature talented saxophonist Matthew Ennis and include some of the most touching and recognizable music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, Samuel Barber, Alexander Glazunov, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Audiences have long loved Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major. Widely regarded as among the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era, it is one of a collection of six instrumental works composed circa 1711–20 and dedicated in 1721 to Christian Ludwig, the marquess of Brandenberg and the younger brother of King Frederick of Prussia. Considered a masterful example of balance between assorted groups of instrumental soloists, audiences will immediately recognize the bright and uplifting concerto which features three each of violins, violas, and cellos. Barber’s Adagio for Strings is considered one of the most important pieces of twentieth century music. Composed in 1936 and described as “full of pathos and cathartic passion,” this highly identifiable composition was played at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, at the funerals of Albert Einstein and Princess Grace of Monaco, at the radio announcements of the deaths of John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and is featured in the soundtracks of the films Amėlie, Lorenzo’s Oil, Platoon, and The Elephant Man. Composed in 1934, Glazunov’s romantic Concerto in E flat major for saxophone and string orchestra, Op. 109, represents one of the first inclusions of the saxophone in symphonic music. The San Bernardino Symphony will welcome noted southern Californian saxophonist Matthew Ennis as featured soloist for this piece. Praised for his ability to remain musical, poetic, and profound while navigating the challenges of contemporary music, Ennis is known for seamlessly blending programs of avant-garde contemporary saxophone works with re-interpreted Baroque and classical transcriptions. He has worked and recorded with a number of distinguished composers and conductors and regularly performs with other top orchestras, plays at studio recording sessions, and appears on popular television shows like The Voice. Closing the show will be Mozart’s beautiful Eine kleine Nachtmusic. Completed in Vienna in August of 1787, the title of this beloved piece translates simply to “a little serenade” and, in fact, it is not considered to have been an important piece in the composer’s estimation. Still, its bright, celebratory musicality and rhythmic although graceful construction has elevated this “small” piece to outstanding heights in the estimation of both everyday audiences and Classical music devotees. As with all San Bernardino Symphony concerts, “Sax and Strings” will be performed at the historic California Theatre, 562 W. 4th Street, San Bernardino. Tickets may be purchased by calling (909) 381-5388 or visiting the Symphony office at 198 N. Arrowhead Ave., San Bernardino. General admission tickets are also available on line at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org, and with limited availability at the theater box office the evening of the event. A special recital musicale by Matthew Ennis will be performed February 28 at 7 p.m. in Devore. For more information or to make reservations about this event, please call the Symphony Box Office.