Carmina Burana

April 21, 8:00 pm

Hill Auditorium

Kernis: New Era Dance
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, Op. 56a
Orff: Carmina Burana

Our 2011–2012 season finale opens with New Era Dance, a work by contemporary American composer Aaron Jay Kernis. The Philadelphia native wrote this collage of modern sounds for the New York Philharmonic, “in anticipation of the new millennium to come in the Year 2000, in hope for a time of imperative political and social change.” Come experience what The Times described as “a six-minute explosion of New York exuberance” in the middle of Ann Arbor.

From the turn of the 21st century, we go back in time to 1873 with Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, the paragon of symphonic-variation form.Tipping his hat to “Papa” Haydn, Brahms takes the listener on a harmonious voyage exploring the theme in a variety of contexts before arriving at the triumphant finale.

Carl Orff’s monumental cantata, Carmina Burana, combines medieval sounds and poetry with the maximum orchestral power of the modern era, creating an epic masterpiece that remains one of the most popular symphonic works of all time. We celebrate community with the musical forces of Huron, Pioneer and Skyline High Schools, along with singers from Measure for Measure, the Boychoir of Ann Arbor, and the Ann Arbor Youth Chorale. 

Mary Wilson, back for a 2^nd performance with the A²SO, has an enchanting voice and mesmerizing stage presence. Tim Culver dazzles with his rich and penetrating tenor voice. Paul Grizzell, heard most recently performing with the Berlin Philharmonic and at Carnegie Hall with Daniel Barenboim, makes his first appearance with the A²SO.