Concert Hall ATM, ART TOWER MITO

Mito Arts Foundation
1-6-8 Goken-cho, Mito-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 310-0063 Japan
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Mito Chamber Orchestra (MCO) 68th Regular Concert



MCO Races Through Two Centuries

One of the beautiful distinguishing characteristics of the Mito Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is the fact that it frequently plays without a conductor, thanks to the deep mutual sense of trust cultivated among the members. While the ensemble also performs jointly with a series of famous conductors and performers, including Musical Adviser Seiji Ozawa, the music of the "conductor-less" MCO keeps on soaring to new heights.

In its first conductor-less concert since the critically-acclaimed all-Mozart program presented in its 65th Regular Concert in 2006, the MCO takes you on a journey of music through two centuries, the 18th and the 19th, in its 68th Regular Concert.

The first half of the program comprises of three concertos stretching from the Baroque to the Classical: George Frideric Handelfs Concerto Grosso, giving us our fill of the beautiful resonance of MCOfs string section; C.P.E. Bachfs Flute Concerto in D minor, allowing us to hear the consummate art of Shigenori Kudofs dignified presence; and Luigi Rodolfo Boccherinifs Cello Concerto in D Major, putting on display the ethereal musicianship of Jing Zhao, a young cellist from China now capturing worldwide attention.

In complete contrast, the second half presents us with the string-orchestra arrangement of Ludwig van Beethovenfs String Quartet No. 1, an epic work that the composer wrote in his twilight years. As the 18th century shifted to the 19th, music came to take on ponderous weight, and MCOfs marvelous ensemble shows us just how that happened through its performance, particularly the acute, keenly-felt song in the workfs 5th movement, "Cavatina" (Adagio molto espressivo).



Mito Chamber Orchestra, 68th Regular Concert

June 9, 2007 (Sat), 6:30 p.m. (seating begins at 6:00 p.m.)
June 10, 2007 (Sun), 2:00 p.m. (seating begins at 1:30 p.m.)
Art Tower Mito (ATM) Concert Hall ATM
Admission (all seats reserved): S ¥5,000, A ¥4,000, B ¥3,000

Handel (1685-1759): Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 5 in D Major
-Violin soloists: Masuko Ushioda, Naoko Tanaka
-Cello soloist: Sadao Harada
C.P.E. Bach (1714-88): Flute Concerto in D minor, Wq.22
-Flute soloist: Shigenori Kudo
Boccherini (1743-1805): Cello Concerto in D Major, G.478
-Cello soloist: Jing Zhao
Beethoven (1770-1827): String Quartet No. 13 in B flat minor, Op. 130 (string-orchestra arrangement)




Mito Chamber Orchestra (MCO) 69th Regular Concert



Kussmaul Crosses the Alps

Having already performed with the MCO four times, the violinist Rainer Kussmaul cannot really be called a "guest" anymore, having moved beyond beyond that stage in developing a deep sense of trust with the ensemble members. He served in the 1990s as the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and brings to Mito a musical sense underscored by rich experience and knowledge, thereby continuing to infuse new breath into the MCO sound.

The program that Kussmaul has prepared for the 69th Regular Concert -- his fifth appearance with the MCO -- represents a musical journey through the Alps, from the south (Italy) to north (Germany), in the backdrop of the 18th century.

The first half of the program features works from Italy, which shone upon the rest of Europe in that era as the "sun of music." First we will hear the String Sonata No. 1 of Gioachino Antonio Rossini, a piece written in the composerfs early years, and which is an effusion of his fresh, youthful inspiration. Next, we will listen to Giovanni Battista Viottifs melancholy Violin Concerto No. 22, a piece beloved of Brahms.

The second half shows us the ways in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn gave the serenade and symphony ? both musical forms born in Italy ? new accoutrements. Mozartfs Serenata Notturna is brimming with wit and humor, while Haydnfs Symphony No. 44 "Trauer" (Mourning) is suffused with violent pathos. The perfect combination of Kussmaul and the MCO demonstrates for us how music radiated on both sides of the Alps .



Mito Chamber Orchestra 69th Regular Concert

June 23, 2007 (Sat) 6:30 p.m. (seating starts at 6:00 p.m.)
June 24, 2007 (Sun) 2:00 p.m. (seating starts at 1:30 p.m.)
Art Tower Mito (ATM) Concert Hall ATM
Admission (all seats reserved): S ¥7,000, A ¥5,500, B ¥4,000

Guest concertmaster and violin soloist: Rainer Kussmaul

Rossini (1792-1868): String Sonata #1 in G Major
Viotti (1755-1824): Violin Concerto No. 22 in A minor
W.A. Mozart (1756-91): Serenade No. 6 in D Major, K.239 "Serenata Notturna"
F.J. Haydn (1732-1809): Symphony No. 44 in E minor, Hob.I-44 "Trauer" (Mourning)


Rainer Kussmaul, Violin

Born in Mannheim, Germany, in 1946, Kussmaul first studied violin under his father, the chamber musician Wilhelm Kussmaul. After studying at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts, he moved to the State University of Music and Performing Arts, Stuttgart, where he took instruction from the exceptional Ricardo Odnoposoff, (1914-2004), disciple of the Hungarian violin virtuoso and pedagogue Carl (Karl) Flesch (1873-1944). In addition to his activities as a soloist, Kussmaul is actively involved in chamber music as well, having been the violinist of the Stuttgart Piano Trio and artistic director of the Berlin Baroque Soloists (Solisten). Also, having given in to the intense persuasion of Claudio Abbado and the other members of the ensemble, he served as the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) from 1993 to 1998. He is now enthusiastically involved with the training of future generations of musicians, taking charge of a violin class at the Karl Flesch Akademie in Baden-Baden, and serving as professor at the Freiburg University of Music. Before the upcoming June 2007 concerts, Kussmaul had already performed four times with the Mito Chamber Orchestra: the 36th Regular Concert in 1998, the 47th Regular Concert in 2001, the 56th Regular Concert in 2003, and the 64th Regular Concert in 2005, garnering favorable notices. He performs on a 1724 Stradivarius.


Supported by: DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED.

Point Inc.

Zaidanhojin Genden Fureai Ibaraki Zaidan (Japan Atomic Power Co. Ibaraki Foundation)

YOSHIDA OIL CO.,LTD.
Cooperation: All Nippon Airways (ANA)

Mito Chamber of Commerce & Industry



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Translated by Paul T. Narum
(official names of exhibitions and artworks are furnished by the artists and planners themselves)
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