2010-11 Landmark Classic Masters

2010-11 Landmark Classic Masters

The music at the foundation of the orchestral repertoire, the music of the titans, the heart and soul of classical tradition.

Arrive early for our Symphony Preludes, an in-depth presentation about musical works to help make the most of your concert experience, starting at 7:15 pm in the Upper Circle lobby, free to all ticket holders.

Subscriptions are no longer available to the Landmark Classic Masters. If you are interested in attending several performances, check out our Sampler Pass.

Thank you to our series sponsor, Landmark Classic Homes.landmark classic homes
  • September 25, 2010, 8:00 pm
  • Mozart's Turkish Concerto
  • Encore Series
    Ever the crowd-pleaser, Mozart infused his Fifth Violin Concerto with an exotic touch from Eastern Europe. One of Canada’s most gifted violinists, Corey Cerovsek, will bring the “Turkish” Concerto to life. Bill Eddins conducts the powerful and intricate Fifth Symphony of Sibelius, as well as a deliciously sensual tone poem by one of Canada’s most popular composers, Winnipeg’s Randolph Peters.
  • October 16, 2010, 8:00 pm
  • Fialkowska plays Chopin
  • Applause Series
    Estonian conductor Anu Tali conducts Arvo Pärt’s shimmering and contemplative Fourth Symphony. Janina Fialkowska, one of Canada’s most revered pianists, performs Chopin’s First Piano Concerto in celebration of the 200th anniversary of his birth. The light-hearted overture to Hector Berlioz’ comic opera based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is pure musical delight.
  • November 13, 2010, 8:00 pm
  • Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto
  • Applause Series
    A feast of music spanning four centuries, from Handel’s regal suite celebrating the end of war, to Malcolm Forsyth’s moving musical response to 9/11, and John Estacio’s evocative and colorful musical depiction of Alberta’s northern lights. Violin virtuoso Elmar Oliveira, winner of the Tchaikovsky International Competition in 1978, performs two masterworks – one baroque and one romantic – in this, his long-overdue ESO debut.
  • November 27, 2010, 8:00 pm
  • Rolston and Fewer play Brahms
  • Encore Series
    Brahms’ final concerto, a warm and affectionate work of rekindled friendship, will be performed by two of Canada’s most accomplished young string players. Schumann’s sunny “Spring” Symphony, written by a composer intoxicated with love, is complemented by Vaughan Williams’ mystical meld of old and new.
  • January 8, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto
  • Applause Series
    Pianist Katherine Chi joins Gregory Vajda for the glittering Second Piano Concerto of Camille Saint-Saëns. Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony, a pivotal work of the composer’s emerging maturity, is alive with Czech dance rhythms, and Jean Coulthard’s lush Canadian Fantasy transforms three folk tunes into symphonic splendour.
    *Due to a family emergency, pianist Dubravka Tomšič is unable to perform as scheduled. The concert repertoire remains the same.
  • January 22, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Concerto for Percussion
  • Encore Series
    Sensational Scottish percussionist Colin Currie joins Bill Eddins for a magical night on the Masters. Of H.K. Gruber’s percussion concerto, Gramophone magazine wrote: “it is surprising Rough Music has not achieved greater prominence, as it has few equals for subtlety and resourcefulness.” Stravinsky’s ballet based on the music of Tchaikovsky is both delicate and wistful. And if it is possible that Beethoven also had an underestimated work, it is likely his surprisingly deep and rich Fourth Symphony.
  • February 26, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony
  • Encore Series
    This evening of orchestral masterworks brings together titans from the 17th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Henry Purcell’s Funeral Music for Queen Mary II is one of the most influential scores of its kind, and inspired generations of composers with its bold innovations. Originally dedicated to Napoleon, Beethoven’s great Third Symphony is one of the towering masterpieces of music, breathtaking even today for its breadth and power. Bill Eddins plays the notoriously challenging featured piano part in Leonard Bernstein’s fiery and dramatic Second Symphony “Age of Anxiety”.

    Limited seating available. Please call the box office at 780-428-1414 for tickets.
  • March 26, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Duruflé’s Requiem
  • Applause Series
    The magic of the human voice is highlighted as one of the greatest French choral works. Duruflé’s tender and poignant Requiem, is brought to life in the rarely-heard version for full orchestra, organ, choir, and soloist. Mezzo-soprano Anita Krause is featured in Lili Boulanger’s moving setting of Psaume 130. Tenor Bonaventura Bottone performs Britten’s haunting setting of French texts.
  • April 30, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto
  • Encore Series
    He’s been astounding audiences since his 1995 win at the All Japan Blind Students Music Competition – at the age of seven. Nobuyuki Tsujii makes his Canadian debut with Rachmaninoff’s beloved Second Piano Concerto. Popular guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni leads the orchestra through Shostakovich’s triumphant Fifth Symphony, and a riveting new work by the young Canadian composer Nicolas Gilbert.
  • May 14, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Tchaikovsky’s Polish Symphony
  • Applause Series
    Rarely has a non-standard orchestral instrument been combined so successfully with a symphony orchestra than in R. Murray Schafer’s acclaimed Accordion Concerto. Virtuoso Joseph Macerollo, who premiered the concerto, is the work’s greatest champion. Montréal conductor Jean-François Rivest, in his ESO debut, conducts Grieg’s popular suite from Peer Gynt and Tchaikovsky’s tuneful, folk-inspired Third Symphony.
  • June 4, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony
  • Encore Series
    One of the finest cellists of his generation, Pieter Wispelwey plays Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto, a remarkable work which grants the soloist “self determination,” according to its composer. Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, written in the final year of World War II, is modeled on classical lines, borrowing some of its melodies from his ballet Cinderella. Arthur Honegger’s Pacific 231 caused a sensation at its 1924 premiere – a work inspired by the power, raw energy, and mechanical marvel of a train engine.
  • June 18, 2011, 8:00 pm
  • Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé
  • Applause Series
    The Masters series closes with Maurice Ravel’s vivacious Rapsodie espagnole and his rapturous ballet Daphnis et Chloé, music that is unparalleled in orchestral wizardry and brilliance. Falla’s fragrant and sensuous work for piano and orchestra is highlighted by Bill Eddins performing as piano soloist.