The Santa Barbara Symphony will join forces this Saturday and Sunday with the State Street Ballet, under Artistic Director Rodney Gustafson, for the first time ever to present Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, a piece originally choreographed by former Santa Barbara resident Martha Graham.
The State Street Ballet will take the stage in a refreshing, new interpretation of the work by choreographer William Soleau.
The program will open with Igor Stravinsky’s first neo-classical work, the Pulcinella Suite, featuring extensive solos within the woodwind and brass sections of the orchestra and will end with Franz Schubert’s buoyant Fifth Symphony.
“Our Appalachian Spring ballet will feature a wonderful spring wedding that embodies the frontier spirit and values of America, which are so beautifully represented in this masterpiece of music by Copland,” Soleau said.
The symphony’s October Beethoven’s Ninth collaboration with the Santa Barbara Choral Society, SBCC’s Quire of Voyces and the Westmont College Choir sold out for both performances to rave reviews.
Symphony Conductor Nir Kabaretti reaches for new collaborative heights with this combination of on-stage dance with full classical orchestra.
“I think it will be fascinating for people to experience both music and dance in one amazing evening,” Kabaretti said. “This inaugural collaboration between State Street Ballet and our extraordinary musicians is a milestone in our commitment to excellence.”
Like Appalachian Spring, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella is an ingenious 20th century “reinvention” of a quintessential neo-classical work. Pulcinella was originally performed with choreography. The concerts conclude with one of Kabaretti’s favorite classical period works, Schubert’s harmonious Symphony No. 5 in B-Flat.
In all, this program presents a gorgeous adventure through three centuries with an exemplary classical symphony, a neo-classical treasure and a 20th century masterpiece.
Saturday’s performance will begin at 8 p.m. followed by a matinee at 3 p.m. Sunday at The Granada, 1214 State St. in Santa Barbara. Click here to purchase tickets.
— Marjorie Wass is a publicist.