HUDDERSFIELD Philharmonic Orchestra has a musical connection with the work of Walt Disney in tomorrow night’s concert of Russian Music.
The performance at Huddersfield Town Hall will feature a piece of music made famous in Disney’s 1940 film Fantasia, but was once described as ‘an orgy of ugliness and an abomination’.
This was The Musical Times of 1898’s review of Mussorgsky’s Night on a Bald (or Bare) Mountain, inspired by Gogol’s story St John’s Eve.
Since then the work has become an audience favourite, largely due to its memorable film appearance.
The theme upon which Rachmaninov’s variations are based is also well-known, having been the subject of several sets of variations over the years composed by Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Lutoslawski and Andrew Lloyd Webber as well as Rachmaninov.
The Philharmonic has welcomed Yorkshire pianist William Green to join it in this performance of another well-loved work, with a range of musical styles from the minimal variation 1 to the luscious variation 18.
To conclude will be Shostakovich’s Symphony no 5 which was described by a journalist as ‘a Soviet artist’s practical creative reply to just criticism’.
It seems that Shostakovich was content to let this description stand. Later in life, he said: “I think it is clear to everyone what happens in my Fifth. It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying ‘your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing’ and you rise, shakily, and go off muttering ‘our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.’”
Keep up to date with orchestral developments via the website at www.huddersfield-phil.org.uk
Conductor Nicholas Smith was music director of the South Carolina Philharmonic from 1993 to 2007.
His vision, energy and commitment made his tenure there a golden period for the orchestra, marked by increased audiences, more concerts, and co-operation with many other organisations in the state.
His concerts inspired the very best from the musicians and engaged his audience on every level.
Nicholas studied the oboe with Leon Goossens in England and later conducted with Franco Ferrara in Italy. He became principal conductor of the Northern Chamber Orchestra at the age of 22 and continues to conduct occasional concerts with them 35 years later.
In 1983 he was appointed music director of the Kuopio Symphony Orchestra in Finland. His seven years in Kuopio included the move into a new concert hall, the expansion of the orchestra and a huge increase in audiences, making it one of the most successful orchestras in Finland.
During this time he conducted nearly 100 opera performances and was a frequent guest conductor with almost all Finnish orchestras and the Finnish National Ballet.
During the 1990s Nicholas was for 10 years both artistic and executive director of performing arts management, producing over 300 major outdoor concerts in Britain. The Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra recorded several popular CDs and was contracted to broadcast nationally on Classic FM.
Since 1993 and his appointment in South Carolina, Nicholas has also conducted a large number of performances for Newberry Opera and most recently for the Palmetto Opera. He has conducted many productions at the Buxton Opera Festival in England.
Throughout his career, Nicholas has had great success conducting ballet including Ballet du Nord in France, Aurinko Dance and the Finnish National Ballet in Finland, London City Ballet and Northern Ballet Theatre in England and Columbia City Ballet and Columbia Classical Ballet in the United States.
Nicholas lives in Macclesfield where he directs an occasional festival. He began to work with Huddersfield Philharmonic Orchestra in November 2010.
Soloist William Green is a first year music student at Christ Church, Oxford. He studied the piano with Mark Fitton from the age of 11 until 18.
From September 2008 to July 2010 he was a student of the Junior Royal Northern College Of Music and studied piano with John Gough and conducted with Dane Lam and Ewa Strusinska.
William has performed a number of concertos with amateur and semi-professional orchestras, including Rachmaninov’s 2nd piano concerto and Ravel’s G major concerto.
He also enjoys playing as a soloist in recitals and playing chamber music. He was part of the Becker Piano Quintet at the JRNCM.
He has a strong interest in conducting and currently conducts the Oxford University String Ensemble. He currently has conducting lessons with Peter Stark.