In deciding on the music for Symphony of the Lakes’ concert Nov. 16 titled “Classical Passions,” conductor Jason Luke Thompson looked back into musical history from over 200 years ago.
And the music from that period is not as “stiff” as some might think.
“‘Classical’ comes from what we in the music community talk about as the Classical Period, which is the latter half of the 18th century and a little bit into the 19th century, so the really famous composers like Mozart, and Haydn and Beethoven lived then,” he said in a telephone interview Friday. “And, sometimes we think about the Classical Period as being kind of button-upped and people wearing their powdered wigs, and we think of it as being a bit stiff, but actually a lot of this music is incredibly passionate, like filled with emotional contrasts - very quickly going back and forth from one emotion or effect to another. This music is just filled with that.”
Thompson said the music is filled with energy and enthusiasm, running the whole gamut of human expression and experience.
As the orchestra for the Nov. 16 performance will be a little smaller than the classical orchestra, he said he was looking for music that would fit the ensemble that was needed for the concert.
“From there, I just picked music that I was enthusiastic about, music that has really spoken to me,” he said.
The concert starts with a piece of music by a composer that might not be quite as familiar to some - Carl Phillip Emanuel (C.P.E.) Bach, the son of the more famous Johann Sebastian Bach.
“Right from the get-go, it just has all of the exuberance and energy. It was written for a number of really amazing virtuosic players from the time, so it’s actually really challenging for - especially the string parts - everybody involved. It’s a real orchestra feature, and I knew I wanted to include that piece,” Thompson said of Bach’s “Symphony in D Major, Wq. 183/1.”
The piece goes back to a little past the middle of the 18th century.
Next, the Symphony of the Lakes will be presenting W.A. Mozart’s “Divertimento in D Major, K.251, which is a somewhat earlier piece of Mozart’s.
“It’s a collection of really all different kinds of movements. It has lots of different dance movements and these pieces are called ‘Divertimenties,’ Divertimento plural, and they’re just kind of pieces that would be performed at a party. But, again, it’s just filled with fun corners to turn in these pieces and lots of variety,” he stated.
The last piece in the concert is L.V. Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21.”
Thompson said, “I think Beethoven’s probably the composer we would consider to be the most passionate, just in general, by reputation.”
The piece was first performed in 1800.
“It’s a young, excited Beethoven, bursting with energy,” he said.
While a lot of the movements in the pieces are energetic and enthusiastic, Thompson said each piece has multiple movements “and everything from those fast movements to more stately dance movements, and then slower movements as well, have the more tender, passionate side.”
Each of the three pieces in the 1-1/2-hour concert, which includes an intermission, has a number of movements.
“The Bach is a three-movement symphony, the Beethoven is four movements and then the Mozart has six movements,” he said. “... You could almost think of them as a set of songs. If you go to see a pop artist or a jazz artist or something, they’re going to play a set of between four to six songs and then they all kind of get grouped together, but in this case the composer has put together a set for us.”
During the Classical Period, he said they tended to get grouped in a very intentional way.
“It’s kind of like a three-course meal or a four-course or a six-course meal that you get to enjoy,” he explained.
The “Classical Passions” Concert is in the round at the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts Theatre, which Thompson said is a very different experience than having the orchestra perform on a traditional stage.
“I think we’re more connected to the audience. It’s a much more intimate experience because, for one thing, sometimes audience members will sit in a place where I, as a conductor, can see them. They’re sitting in a place where they’re just right up there, close, and it almost feels like they’re part of the experience, even more so than having that line at the front of the stage ... that makes it feel a little less connected,” he explained.
When the symphony performed their concert at the Wagon Wheel in the round back in April, Thompson said it seemed like the audience walked away much more enthusiastic about that experience than when the symphony performed on a traditional stage further away.
Thompson is in his fourth full season with the Symphony of the Lakes, but has been conducting the Patriotic Pops Concert, also known as the Salute to America Concert, for a number of seasons.
Saturday’s concert is for anybody and everybody, he said. “I think it’ll be an engaging experience for really anybody.”
Thompson said nothing in the concert will be drawn out or uninteresting, and it’ll all be engaging.
“Really, the players in the orchestra here are phenomenal. We have some of the best musicians from the region. Many of them live right here in the Warsaw-Winona Lake community. And then other people who have auditioned for this group from surrounding communities are just top notch. So, really getting the opportunity to hear professional music, live at this level, in our community, is an amazing experience and I’m glad that we have that. Hopefully, people won’t miss out on that great opportunity,” he stated.
In the spring, the symphony will be having more concerts, including a string quartet concert and the usual Salute to America Concert at the end of June. Thompson said people can visit the Wagon Wheel website at wagonwheelcenter.org and the SOTL’s social media pages for more information about future concerts.
“We would love for anybody and everybody to come to the concert. We’re always looking for donors because this kind of music is not something that can really be covered by ticket sales. And we do our best to make sure that our top-notch performers are paid, and so if there’s anybody who is interested in sponsoring or donating to Symphony of the Lakes, they can reach out to us as well at the Wagon Wheel,” he said.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. Nov. 16 concert are $25 and can be purchased at the box office or online.