To say that UCSB Arts & Lectures is bringing the phenomenal violinist Joshua Bell to town for a concert is to generate in itself a considerable amount of excited anticipation. To then add that Bell will appear in the capacity of soloist and newly appointed music director of the legendary ensemble the Academy of St Martin in the Fields is to set the stage for a musical event of a very high order indeed.
If one should complete this announcement with the information that this star and his stellar band will perform an “all-Beethoven” program, well, this is tantamount for most music lovers, to a genie granting one’s fondest three wishes. And it will all come to pass, as prophesied, at 8 p.m. this Friday, April 27, in the Granada Theatre.
The program will consist of three works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): the Overture to Heinrich Joseph von Collin’s 1804 tragedy “Coriolan,” Opus 62, the Concerto in D-Major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 61 and the Symphony No. 7 in A-Major, Opus 92.
In America, the first chair violinist is known as the “concertmaster.” In England, he or she is known as the “leader.” Bell will be the soloist and conductor in the concerto, of course, and will conduct the orchestra from the leader position in the other two pieces.
Tickets to this concert are $48 to $153 for the general public, $20 for UCSB students. For tickets or more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805.893.3535 or click here to order online. Tickets are also available through the Granada by clicking here or calling 805.899.2222.
— Gerald Carpenter covers the arts as a Noozhawk contributor. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.









