The Mukilteo Community Orchestra will present the second concert of the season on Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo. This free concert, “Tranquil Landscapes” features Alphorn Magic by Lothar Pelz, arranged for orchestra by Gary Martin; In the Steppes of Central Asia by Alexander Borodin, D’un matin de printemps by Lili Boulanger; and Symphony no. 8 in G major, op. 88 by Antonín Dvořák. The concert is part of the orchestra’s season theme, “Music in Motion.”
The concert will open with an alphorn performance by a group of six alphorn players, led by orchestra member Gary Martin. Gary says that when he returned from a 2023 trip to Switzerland with a Swiss alphorn, two members of the Edmonds Senior Orchestra became interested in performing an alphorn trio with him at their Holiday Concert. In the following few months, a number of musicians in the Puget Sound area contacted Gary and purchased their own alphorns. About a dozen alphorn players in the area are now part of the Puget Sound Alphorns.
Six alphorn players will perform two pieces at the concert. Players include Amie Stewart, Ryan Stewart, and Gordon Ullmann from the alphorn group, as well as Terry Preshaw, Mark Thornley and Gary Martin who are members of the Mukilteo Community Orchestra. The first piece will feature the six playing Uf de Bänklialp (On the Bänklialp) by Johann Aregger. Then, the full orchestra will accompany the group in playing Alphorn Magic by Lothar Pelz, arranged by Gary Martin. The piece evokes the magical landscapes of Switzerland accompanied by the natural sound of the wooden Swiss alphorn.
MCO will then perform In the Steppes of Central Asia by Alexander Borodin. Through hauntingly beautiful melodies and rich harmonies, this tone poem depicts the journey of a caravan across the steppes of central Asia. Accompanied by Russian and Eastern themes that intertwine and coexist peacefully, there is a feeling of the vast, open landscapes of Central Asia.
D’un matin de printemps was the last composition by Lili Boulanger, completed before her death at age 24. She was the first woman to win the Prix de Rome, a prestigious French art scholarship. While the name conjures images of fresh blooms, gentle breezes, and the awakening of nature, the impressionistic tone poem also portrays the sudden and drastic changes of spring.
Following intermission, the orchestra will conclude with Symphony no. 8 in G major, op. 88 by Antonín Dvořák. This exuberant and melodic composition captures the joy and vitality of the Czech countryside
through its lyrical themes and folk-like elements, signature aspects of much of the composer’s work. Like Jean Sibelius of Finland, Dvořák became the noted composer of his country. But the Czech also applied his interpretative talents abroad. He was commissioned to write Symphony No. 9: From the New World, and was employed for three years as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York.
More information about the concert can be found at www.mukilteoorchestra.org.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
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