Sunday, October 12, 2008, 7 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Russian-Themed Post-Concert Gala in BP Hall Caps Season Opener

The Los Angeles Master Chorale launches its 2008|09 season with the grandeur of Rachmaninoff’s rarely heard a cappella masterpiece The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Op. 31 and Haydn’s Harmonie Mass, considered a veritable summation of the great composer’s body of work, on Sunday, October 12, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Haydn work is the fifth to be presented in the Chorale’s multi-year “Homage to Haydn” project showcasing all six of the composer’s final Masses over three seasons and culminating in 2009, the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death. Music Director Grant Gershon conducts, and a Russian-themed, post-concert black-tie gala in Disney’s BP Hall caps the evening.

“Listen Up!,” the Chorale’s lively pre-concert conversation with KUSC’s Alan Chapman and Gershon, is open to ticket holders at no charge at 6 p.m., inside Disney Hall.

The post-concert opening night gala, incorporating the concert’s decidedly Russian flavor, features supper and dancing as well as the Chorale’s signature Surround-Sing, in which singers encircle guests and perform selected works, creating a powerful and moving musical experience. Long-time Chorale supporter The Bank of New York Mellon is generously sponsoring the gala for the 16th consecutive year.

Concert Details
Commenting on the concert’s musical pairing, Gershon says, “Both pieces are masterworks that convey an overwhelming larger than life choral experience, and both swap musical clothes to some degree. People who know Haydn’s work think of him as being very straight laced and Rachmaninoff as being hyper Romantic and sensual and over the top.”

Composed in 1910, the Rachmaninoff piece, one of only two major unaccompanied choral works by the composer, is, according to Gershon, “rife with big lush harmonies and a Russian soul but also has an austerity, a directness and simplicity to it that is surprising from this great Romantic composer.” A cosmopolitan man who traveled extensively and immigrated to the United States at the height of his career, Rachmaninoff seems to reconnect with his Russian roots and spirituality in this piece. Originally intended as part of a long service in the Orthodox Church, the Chorale presents a 40-minute segment, sung in Russian, from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, as is typical when it is performed in concert.

When Haydn wrote Harmonie Mass, he knew it would be one of his last great masterworks and spent far more time composing it – over a year – than he did on any of his other masses. It is considered his most romantic and extroverted piece, which Gershon states, “definitely has a valedictory feeling to it, a summation of everything he explored.” It features a solo vocal quartet and is the only one of Haydn’s late Masses written for a full contingent of woodwinds, brass, strings and organ.

Tickets to the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s concert range from $19 to $124. Student Rush seats are $10 and are available at the box office two hours before the performance. Gala tickets are $600 per person (includes concert seating) or $1,200 for gala patron tickets (includes preferred concert seating and additional benefits). For tickets and information, please call (800) 787-5262 (outside California call 213-972-7282), or visit www.lamc.org. (Tickets can no longer be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.) The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in downtown Los Angeles.

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Grammy-nominated LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE, currently celebrating its 45th Season, has been cited as a national leader for its innovative and dynamic programming. Los Angeles Times states the Chorale “has become the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon.” Since its founding in 1964, LAMC has presented more than 450 concerts, including choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions. In 2003 the Chorale became one of two resident companies in Walt Disney Concert Hall, launching a period of incredible artistic and organizational growth. The Chorale has commissioned 21 and premiered 51 new works, and has recorded 6 CD's. The Chorale’s most recent recording with Gershon, Daniel Variations, was released on Nonesuch in spring 2008. LAMC performs a season of eight concerts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, plus two performances of the Messiah Sing-Along; family-friendly Holiday Wonders concerts in December; and performs regularly with the L.A. Philharmonic. The Los Angeles Master Chorale has more than 1,000 subscribers, serves over 40,000 audience members of all ages, and provides education outreach to approximately 13,000 children each year. In 2008, one of the Chorale’s highly successful outreach programs, “Voices Within,” earned the coveted Chorus America Education Outreach Award.

Los Angeles Master Chorale Music Director GRANT GERSHON is equally at home with symphonic and choral music, opera, and musical theater. He was named Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2001, and was recently appointed LA Opera Associate Conductor/Chorus Master. During his tenure with the Chorale, he has expanded the choir’s repertoire considerably, conducting dozens of world, U.S., West Coast and Los Angeles premieres. His Nonesuch recording with the Chorale of Steve Reich’s You Are (Variations) was honored with the WQXR Gramophone America Award in 2006. The New York Times, Washington Post and Newsday, among others, selected it as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2005. In 2002 he made his first CD with the Master Chorale, featuring the world premiere recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s first choral work as well as Philip Glass’s Itaipú (RCM 12004). Gershon has also served as chorus master on two Grammy Award-nominated CD’s, Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) and Ligeti’s Grand Macabre (Sony Classical). He recently appeared on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center leading the LA Master Chorale, and on the Making Music Series at Zankel Hall. He received his bachelor of music degree cum laude in piano performance from USC, and currently serves on the USC Thornton School of Music Board of Councilors.

Artists, program and ticket prices subject to change.

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07/22/08