The sounds of ringing chimes, triumphant brass, and booming drums will fill Jack Poole Plaza on Thursday (August 13). That’s because the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra will perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s thundering 1812 Overture, Op. 49 16’ as part of its annual free symphony concert in the square.
VMO music director Ken Hsieh tells Pancouver over Zoom that most people view 1812 Overture as Tchaikovsky’s celebration of Russia’s defeat of Napoleon’s invading army. But Hsieh points to another motivating factor.
“1812 was really written by Tchaikovsky to commemorate the opening of a cathedral that was planned for many hundred years and finally was built,” Hsieh says. “He wrote this piece specifically for the opening of the church.”
The congenial maestro is referring to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which stands on the northern bank of the Moskva River.
“I feel that sometimes people do have the tendency to misinterpret the piece or the intentions that we have behind it,” Hsieh adds.
The VMO’s 10th annual free outdoor symphony concert at Jack Poole Plaza will feature Jiayu Li as the violin soloist. The Port Coquitlam high school student has won many honours, including Grand Prize at the Canada Virtuoso Young Artists Competition.
“I thought it would be great to get a young violinist to play ‘Cinema Paradiso’,” Hsieh says.
He likens Ennio Morricone’s composition to “melting chocolate” because it’s so sweet to the ears. Also known as “Remember” or “Love Theme”, this memorable song undoubtedly helped the movie Cinema Paradiso win Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards.
The annual free concert attracts a large crowd.
Orchestra invites suggestions from the public
In his interview with Pancouver, Hsieh expresses his appreciation for the two major sponsors, PCI Developments and Ledcor, who make this beloved event possible. Each year, it attracts 7,000 to 10,000 music lovers to the giant square overlooking Coal Harbour.
Hsieh says that this year, the VMO sought a great deal of public input before selecting the music.
“We received a lot of suggestions,” the conductor acknowledges. “And one of the suggestions that kept coming up—and I’ve decided finally to program it—was Boléro.”
French composer Marice Ravel wrote this Spanish-flavoured ballet score in 1928 for Russian dancer Ida Rubinstein.
“It’s a little tricky because we do have to deal with the saxophone, which is not very common in the orchestra,” Hsieh reveals. “So, we did get that problem solved.”
Boléro is not the only ballet piece that people will hear at Jack Poole Plaza. The VMO will also perform The Triumphal March and Ballet from Guiseppe Verdi’s opera Aida. In addition, the audience will hear Danse Bacchanale from Camille Saint-Saëns’s opera Samson and Delilah.
This programming reflects Hsieh’s love for ballet music, even though it is not always associated with symphonic concerts. In fact, part of his conducting practice includes leading orchestra ballets. Hsieh has conducted for the Boston Ballet and later this year, he will do the same for the Philadelphia Ballet.
“I just find ballet music to be very intriguing,” Hsieh says.
He also isn’t afraid to venture into crowd-pleasing themes from hit films or TV shows. As a result of suggestions submitted through social media, this year’s free summer concert will include music from Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones, and Titanic.
“I like to say to the audience: ‘We’re listening to what you guys want to hear,’ ” Hsieh emphasizes. “We’re hoping that this will be something that will be enjoyable for all of you.”
The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra will present the VMO Free Outdoor Concert at Jack Poole Plaza on Thursday (August 13).
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