Two of New Brunswick’s largest Arts Organizations collaborate this March
UPSTAIRS- DOWNSTAIRS/ ICEMAN
Please note that our regular concert dates do not apply. The concert dates are:
March 19, 2016: Imperial Theatre, Saint John;
March 21, 2016: Capitol Theatre, Moncton;
March 23, 2016: The Playhouse, Fredericton
(all shows at 7:30)
Symphony NB’s orchestral group Camerata NB beguiles on both the stage and in the orchestra pit, while the Atlantic Ballet Theatre Company of Canada, under the artistic direction of Igor Dobrovolskiy, gives new and exciting insight into Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
Live Music and live original ballet on a stage near you! Ballet and music belong together. Music makes the body sway and dance brings exquisite melodies into the eyes. These two art forms belong together. Although it may be a bit more demanding to dance to live music or to adapt a musical performance to the necessities of dance, the reward is an art form that is greater than the sum of its parts.
In March 2016, two of New Brunswick’s top professional performing arts groups combine forces to present a unique production in Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton. Symphony New Brunswick and the Atlantic Ballet Theatre will co-produce a presentation of Antonio Vivaldi’s popular and celebrated Four Seasons. SNB’s professional chamber ensemble Camerata New Brunswick will be in the pit under the direction of Maestro Michael Newnham while the dancers of the Atlantic Ballet will dazzle the audience on stage. Choreography will be by the Ballet’s Artistic Director, Igor Dobrovolskiy. Solo violinist in the four concerti will be SNB’s Concertmaster, David Adams.
The nickname “Upstairs-Downstairs” was coined because the program will feature a first-half “upstairs” onstage performance by Camerata New Brunswick of two twentieth century masterpieces: Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite” and the lyrical and demanding Classical Symphony by Serge Prokofiev. Both Stravinsky and Prokofiev were brilliant writers for film, concert, ballet and stage and both traversed the continents and used influences from America, France and of course, Russia. Both also worked with Diaghilev of the Ballet Russe and the comfort that each had with enthusiastic movement and playful use of conventions is evident in both of the pieces you will hear. In the second half, the orchestra moves to the pit “downstairs” to accompany the Ballet with a piece that begs the use of dance but was not written with movement of more than the seasons in mind. The brilliant irony of the cross use of the music and dance just deepens the connection between these two wonderful art forms