Goodbyes are hard, even when they are musically beautiful.
With a fond farewell to one of its stalwart members, the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra will take the stage for its “Inspirations” Concert at 4 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Orlin D. Trapp Auditorium at Waukegan High School’s Brookside Campus.
“This concert celebrates the orchestra’s beloved, longtime concertmaster Michael Kleinerman, who is retiring from the group,” said Music Director Alexander Platt. “This being Michael’s final concert — and we are so grateful for his many years of service to us — we let him select the program.”
Kleinerman was happy to oblige.
“Our concert opens with the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian’s music from ‘Spartacus,’ a huge Soviet-era ballet from the 1950s that has some unforgettable melodies,” Platt said. “We felt that this Soviet Union relic would help pay tribute to Michael’s younger years growing up in Almaty.”
Following intermission is Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1869 “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.” The concert concludes, fittingly, with “Con Te Partiro” (“Time to Say Goodbye”) by Francesco Sartori, which was first performed by Andrea Bocelli in 1995.
“Basically, it’s a feast of romantic Russian repertoire from the old U.S.S.R., in celebration of the many years of artistry of a special friend of ours who grew up in that part of the world,” Platt said. “All of the pieces he chose really have uplifting moments for the listener: The Tchaikovsky ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is justly renowned for its soaring melodies, and moments from ‘Spartacus’ have been used countless times in movies and commercials, for good reason.”
Kleinerman is clearly the, well, inspiration behind this season opener’s title.
“Michael’s skill, humor, personality have been a wonderful asset to the WSO over the years,” Platt said. “I know that Michael has inspired so many other musicians in the group to follow his lead to play beautiful music.”
Speaking of playing music, the orchestra had not performed together since March 2020 when it had to pause for the pandemic.
“What I worried about at first was the group having some rust to shake off, but I was so pleasantly surprised that the group jumped right in at the first rehearsal, and the music was just beautiful,” Platt said. “For the WSO, what they have had to do, though, is build up their stamina. You think of that in sports, but stamina comes into play in music as well, especially when playing large-scale pieces like overtures and suites.
The “Spartacus” music in particular is a challenge, with its huge orchestration and emotional range, he said.
“You have to hear it to believe it,” Platt said. “Like the ultimate action-adventure film score to a movie you never saw.”
Of course, Platt is excited for the orchestra to finally be back in concert.
“It has been such a strange and long time for the group to not be playing,” Platt said. “In its nearly 50 years, the WSO never had to cancel a concert, let alone an entire season. We will never forget this concert and the joy of being back together again.”
Likewise, concertgoers should savor the reunion as well.
“Live music with friends, though still social distanced and wearing a mask, is something that I hope we never take for granted in the future,” Platt said. “I am excited for our audience to be back with us to enjoy these fantastic pieces.”
Waukegan Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Inspirations’ Concert
When: 4 p.m. Oct. 3
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Where: Orlin D. Trapp Auditorium at Waukegan High School’s Brookside Campus, 2325 Brookside Ave.
Tickets: $7-$20. Students 18 and under are free
Information: 847-360-4740; waukeganparks.org/wsocc/
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.