Spring Into Summer with The Missippi Valley Philharmonic

For a while Thursday, it looked like another Thursday night concert at Eagle Point Park in DBQ would be cancelled due to rain. Fortunately, it wasn't.

This week it was The Mississippi Valley Philharmonic's (MVP) turn to entertain those who came for an evening of music in the park. Like the Tri-State Wind Symphony, The MVP is under the able direction of Brian Hughes. The theme for the concert was Spring Into Summer.

The opening piece was Richard Hayman's "Pops" Hoe-Down. This is a medley of songs that are popular at hoe-downs. The heart of the piece was a Spike Jonesish version of Pop Goes the Weasel. It also includes Turkey in the Straw. I have to confess that I think I've watched Animaniacs way too much. During Turkey in my mind I started running through Wakko's State Capitals bit from the series.

Next up was the 1st movement, Allegro ma non troppo from Beethoven's Symphony # 6 in F major, Op. 68, Pastorale. The description given to this movement by Beethoven was "Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country". & that accurately descibes what this piece makes you feel. As I was listenning to this piece being performed, I thought to myself, this sounds as good as any recording of it I have heard.

The same feeling is true of the next piece. This piece is very well known. It was the 1st movement (Allegro) of Vivaldi's violin concerto La Primavera from The Four Seasons. [This is part of a larger set of 12 violin concerti entitled Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest between Harmony and Invention).] Ann Duchow was the violin soloist for the piece. It was a great pleasure to watch as well as listen while the performed. I am sure that "The Red Priest" would have been well pleased with how they handled it.

1 of the things I enjoy about these perfomances is to be able to discover works that are new to me. This next piece is 1 of those. It was Cecile Chaminade's Concerto for Flute, Op 107. The flute soloist was Margaret Cornils. & just so you know that my praise of the quality of this group isn't exagerated, Ms. Cornils performed at Carnegie Hall 6 weeks ago.

The next piece had an Iowa connection. The composer, Josef Suk, was a student & the son-in-law of Antonín Dvořák who spent some time in Spillville, IA. The MVP performed his Serenade for Strings, Op. 6, 1st movement, Adante con moto.

The weather in the DBQ area was the inspiration for Brian Hughes to choose this next piece. As he put it, he wasn't sure if performing it was to tempt fate. It was Johann Strauss, Jr.'s Thunder and Lightening Polka. Fate ignored it & allowed us to enjoy the piece as well as the rest of the program.

Next up was 2 movements from Benjamin Britten's Soirees Musicales, after Rossini. They did the 1st movement, March, & the 4th, Tarantella. (For those of you who don't know what a tarantella is, it is an Italiano dance. The name comes from the Italiano word for tarantula.)

The final piece was a medley of music from The Lord of the Rongs, Fellowship of the Ring. Nyssa Duchow was the soloist for In Dreams.

The MVP will perform the same program at the DBQ Arboretum this Sunday nite at 6:30 PM CDT. If you are in the area & are free, it is well worth going to hear.