By Laura Koenig | Echo
The intimate space of Taylor's recital hall will ring with the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Dvořák this weekend as the Marion Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) chamber winds perform "A Resonant Serenade." The concert features Leon Harshenin, Taylor professor of music and piano, who will play Beethoven's "Quintet in E flat Major for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon, Op. 16."
This concert will differ from the others in the 2015-16 series. Instead of using the whole orchestra, the concert features chamber pieces performed by the principal players of each instrument. These performers are professional freelance musicians from Grant and surrounding counties.
Even though they are performing chamber pieces, the group is still on the rehearsal schedule of an orchestra. The orchestra usually rehearses together two or three times before a concert. However, chamber pieces are usually rehearsed for a couple of months, once or twice a week, because of the smaller size of the group. Group size did not change their schedule for this concert, though. The chamber winds will practice only twice before the performance.
"I'm not apprehensive about (only practicing twice)," Harshenin said. "It will make it even more exciting because we will not have rehearsed the things to the point of predictability."
Because of this lack of rehearsal time as a group, Harshenin played along with recordings while visualizing the setting to determine how his part will interact with the rest of the group.
While working with the practice schedule, Harshenin also learned a lot from Beethoven's piece, which he describes as full of energy, vibrancy and rhythmic propulsion. Playing a crucial part in almost every bar of the piece, Harshenin had to learn how to play quick, new patterns and technical passages.
Beethoven wrote his 25 minute piece when he was 26 years old, about the time he began to grow deaf.
"This piece, in particular, being in the major key, is so full of joy, humor and even triumph in the face of this growing deafness," Harshenin said. "It's inspirational."
He enjoyed working on this piece and emphasized the fun of making music with other musicians in a live setting. He hopes the audience will enjoy the music and Beethoven's style.
"There's humor," Harshenin said. "A lot of humor as well, so I hope they smile at those moments and get it. It's music so full of life."
"A Resonant Serenade" will be on Saturday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Butz Carruth Recital Hall. Tickets can be ordered by calling MPO at (765) 662-0012 or Taylor's music department at (765) 998-5232. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students 13 and up, $5 for students 12 and under and $10 for adults with a Taylor ID. Because of the smaller setting, pre-purchased tickets are recommended.
