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| San Diego Symphony |
The concert Scheherazade is about the legendary Persian
queen who saved her life and the soul of the king in the story of One Thousand and One Nights. Every day the Shahryar (King) would marry a new virgin and every night he would
send the last virgin to be beheaded. Out
of anger at the unfaithfulness of his first wife the king sent a thousand women
to such a fate until he met Scheherazade. With her wit she would tell him a
thousand and one night’s worth of stories until the king fell in love with her
and made her his queen. Each night she ended the story half way through in
order to keep the kings interest in hearing the rest.
Perhaps some people may find a little wisdom in this performance.
The charm of a person is not in the trinkets they buy, the clothes they wear,
or how popular their Facebook page is. The true charm of a person is their
qualities as a human being. A thousand young ladies, following the same path, were sent to their demise
until a single one with the right personality and charm was able to win the
heart of the king. Scheherazade was known as a kind and soft-hearted lady that
listened as much as she spoke. The wisdom of yesteryear applies as much today for both genders
as it did in the past.
The conductor Mei-Ann Chen is a Taiwanese-American who
currently works for the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
She holds a double master’s degree and a doctorate of Musical Arts from
University of Michigan. Even though her parents discouraged her from taking
this route she self-taught herself music and earned a number of positions at
various symphonies. She has a promising career and is considered a talented and
young conductor with a strong future in the music industry.
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| San Diego Symphony |
The San Diego Copley Symphony Hall originally opened as the
Fox Theater in 1929 and didn’t have a home until the 1980’s. The San Diego
Symphony Society was developed in 1910 but soon came under hardship due to the financial
stress of WWI. In the 1920’s the San Diego director of music education in the
San Diego Public School system and the alumni members of his San Diego High
School Alumni began symphony concerts and received considerable fame. The San
Diego Orchestra Association was formed to support and encourage such concerts
and has been named ever since the San Diego Symphony.
The symphony orchestra started approximately 400 years ago
during the Renaissance. A small orchestra is called a chamber orchestra and
larger ones of with approximately a hundred pieces are called symphony
orchestras. Generally, such orchestras
have a four part combination of woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.
Modern orchestras may also include new electronic equipment to help complement
their sounds.
The orchestra is seen as a culmination of artistic musical
expression and high culture in society. The modern orchestra was modeled in
part after Beethoven’s platform. As a cultural expression typically only larger
communities can afford to maintain orchestras as many of the members are
full-time professional musicians with benefits. The orchestra hall is
specifically designed to offer the best surround sound and acoustic experience
that far outweighs recorded versions.
If you are seeking information on upcoming events and
tickets you may visit The San Diego Symphony Orchestra Hall
