UW Symphony Orchestra to Perform ‘Feste Romane’ May 7

What better way to end the school year than with an exuberant, powerful festival? That's what the University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra (UWSO) has planned Thursday, May 7.

"Feste Romane" will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts concert hall. Tickets are available at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/uwyo/6984/event/1438357, by phone at (307) 766-6666, or at the Performing Arts box office, Monday through Friday, noon-6 p.m., and one hour before performances.

"The UWSO's last concert came within a few seats of selling out, so don't wait to get your 'Feste Romane' tickets,'" says UWSO Conductor Michael Griffith.

Each movement of Ottorino Respighi's "Roman Festivals" ("Feste Romane") depicts a scene of celebration or battle in ancient Rome. Audience members will hear pilgrims approaching Rome and seeing the city from Mount Mario as church bells ring; the chant of early Christian martyrs and the snarl of wild beasts; gladiators battling to the death; and, among other things, a jubilee harvest and hunt festival complete with barrel organ and rustic, drunken revelers.

"It's all incredibly exciting and powerful, and a perfect, exuberant climax to the season's music," Griffith says.

Respighi commented that, in Roman Festivals, he'd used the "maximum orchestral sonority and color" that was possible. In addition to large woodwind and brass sections, a huge percussion section, two pianists and a prominent organ part, there are even large mandolin solo and parts for three ancient Roman Buccina, Griffith says. "Feste Romane" (1928) is the third set of tone poems Respighi wrote depicting ancient Rome, following "Fountains of Rome" (1916) and "Pines of Rome" (1924).

Also on the program is "Light," by Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer Jennifer Higdon, which premiered in 2008. "Light" is a short, bright, spirited work, full of surprising orchestral splashes, Griffith says.

The concert will open with five short works by Gustav Mahler: the adagietto from his Symphony No. 5 and the four beautiful "Songs of a Wayfarer," with Magdalena Wór as mezzo-soprano soloist. Wór has sung with the National Symphony Orchestra; the Washington National Opera; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Atlanta Opera; the National Philharmonic; Palm Beach Opera; Baltic Opera; Virginia Opera; Washington Concert Opera; Birmingham Opera; Seattle Symphony Orchestra; Alabama Symphony Orchestra; Memphis Symphony Orchestra; Richmond Symphony Orchestra; and New Trinity Baroque.

"So, join us as we end the school year with this exciting, varied concert," Griffith says. "See you May 7."