Firelands show features 'The Four Seasons'

HURON TWP. — Firelands Symphony Orchestra will perform classical music's all-time biggest smash hit when the orchestra returns with a Feb. 4 concert. The show, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at Sawmill Creek Resort in Huron, is billed as "Across the Seasons," as orchestra officials hope local music fans notice the concert will feature Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," one of the most recorded pieces of music ever. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) cranked out the hits back in his day but was largely forgotten for a couple of centuries. His music was revived in the 20th century and "The Four Seasons," a collection of four violin concertos depicting spring, summer, fall and winter, led the way. "The Four Seasons" has appeared over and over again in TV commercials, movies, TV shows and other places and in literally hundreds of recordings. Presto Music, an internet site known for its wide selection of classical music for sale, currently lists 317 recordings of the work available for purchase. Firelands Symphony Orchestra's music director, Cleveland maestro Carl Topilow, figured out a unique way to present the familiar work. He's drafted four teenage violin prodigies from the local region, and each will be the violin soloist for one of the four concertos. The four are: • Freya Klaas from Ottawa Hills High School in Lucas County performing "Spring." • Yuki Nakamura from Lenawee Christian School in Adrian, Michigan, near the Ohio border, performing "Summer." • Elizabeth Huang from Shaker Heights High School near Cleveland performing "Autumn." • Anthony Yang from Cleveland Institute of Music Pre-College performing "Winter." The all-strings Firelands concert also features Pachelbel's "Canon in D," another deservedly famous Baroque staple. You may not recognize the name of the tune, but you've likely heard it; Presto Music currently lists 149 recordings for sale. The show will be rounded out with Biber's "Battalia à 10," depicting troops in battle, and Gustav Holst's "St. Paul Suite." General admission tickets are $25, available at firelandssymphony.com/tickets or phoning 419-621-4800, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. Students, including college students with a valid ID, can get free tickets. Call the orchestra's office or claim at the door the evening of the concert. If you go, follow the signs at Sawmill Creek Resort to the conference center's parking lot. Nike Mendenhall, president of the Firelands board, says the Feb. 4 concert is a can't-miss show for local residents who love music. "This will be a great opportunity for our audiences to experience an all-strings performance as part of our season, and we are so excited to feature some young up-and-coming talent as a showcase to the future of musicianship," she said. Mendenhall is serving as the orchestra's spokeswoman as the organization continues its search for a new executive director. The post became vacant after Tricia Applegate, now Tricia Smith Calver, left last year. "We're still in the process of reviewing candidates," said Brandon Wurgess, marketing director for the symphony.