“The gentlest and most kindly of men has unleashed a fearful tempest, and has had no more pity for his performers and listeners than Satan for the damned.”
– Saint-Saens on Tchaikovsky, as taken from Tchaikovsky: The Man and his Music by David Brown
Tchaikovsky was interrupted.
Recently arrived in Moscow, the young composer was crafting his first symphony. But before he could finish what would become “Winter Daydreams,” the son of the Tsar got married.
As an instructor in musical theory who had ambitions to no longer be an instructor in musical theory, Tchaikovsky accepted a commission to write an overture for the Tsar’s eldest son and his Danish fiancée.
The result was the “Festival Overture on the Danish National Anthem,” a rousing piece that combined the Danish and Russian anthems.
It was meant to symbolize the bond between the countries, but as David Brown writes in his book, Tchaikovsky: The Man and his Music, not everyone appreciated the fledgling work. One writer ruminated on why the composer “took it into his head” to change the character of the Russian anthem by putting it in a minor key.
The son of the Tsar was less critical, awarding the 26-year-old future national treasure with gold cuff links, “which the indigent Tchaikovsky promptly sold,” Brown adds.
With the interruption complete, Tchaikovsky returned to “Winter Daydreams” and his first opera.
But long years later, Tchaikovsky remembered that piece fondly, describing it as “far better as music,” than the “1812 Overture.”
It’s that interruption the Ambleside Orchestra is preparing to focus on in a Highlands United Church concert that marks the community orchestra’s 25th anniversary.
The Oct. 27 concert is set to include Tchaikovsky’s piece as well as music by Dvorak and Mussorgsky.
While the orchestra’s mandate is about giving music back to the community the concerts can also serve as voyages into history, explains the orchestra’s manager and bassoonist Dorothy Fairholm.
Part of the draw for many audience members are the introductory remarks from conductor Nicolas Krusek, according to Fairholm.
“A lot of our audience tell us that they come for his introductions as well as the music,” she says.
When it comes to Tchaikovsky, there’s a trove of fascinating tidbits ranging from his time as a critic when he likened one singer’s voice to “the cry of some great owl,” to the time he exhorted the Philharmonic Society of London by shouting: “Vodka – more vodka!” Brown writes.
But as a musician, Fairholm also faces more concrete concerns, she explains.
“Of course it’s always a challenge to get the right notes in the right place, too,” Fairholm says.
That challenge is exemplified with Dvorak’s “Slavonic Dances.”
“It’s quite a challenge to take on all eight of the Slavonic Dances at once,” she says.
In describing the piece’s high passages and rapid tempo, Fairholm sounds like she’s describing a sprinter approaching a mountain peak.
The more challenging material can be attributed to Krusek, Fairholm says.
“He has brought the orchestra tremendously along into a more difficult repertoire,” she says.
Along with expanding musical horizons, the orchestra has also expanded in terms of geography, performing Christmas concerts at Lonsdale Quay as well as shows at the Carnegie Centre on the Downtown Eastside.
“They’re a tremendously appreciative audience. Really enthusiastic and it’s a real honour to be able to share music with a population that doesn’t usually have classical orchestral music available to them,” Fairholm says.
Admission for the Highlands concert is by donation, with suggested amounts of $20 for adults and $15 for youth between 13 and 21. There’s no suggested donation for children 12 and younger.
“Ticket revenue is certainly a big part of our revenue stream,” Fairholm says.
There’s a special feeling in being there for the 25th anniversary, according to Fairholm.
While she’s played in ensembles in Edmonton, Alta., Vancouver, and in New Westminster; Ambleside distinguishes itself with its diversity and its friendliness.
“It’s always amazing to play with a group of people of diverse backgrounds and ages. That’s part of the joy of a community orchestra.”
The concert is set to begin at 8 p.m. with complimentary refreshments provided at 7:30 p.m.
