MusicaNova Orchestra

Repetoire Michael Daugherty, Dead Elvis Kristilyn Woods, bassoon Peggy Glanville-Hicks, Three Gymnopédies Franz Krommer, Concerto no. 2 for Two Clarinets and Orchestra, op. 91 Kristin Fray and Anthony Masiello, clarinet Franz Joseph Haydn, Symphony no. 98 in B-flat Major Michael Daugherty’s Dead Elvis is a tour de force in which the MusicaNova Orchestra’s principal bassoon, Kristilyn Woods, dons the sequined jumpsuit and plays the Dies Irae, the medieval Latin chant for the day of judgment, while a small ensemble riffs on rock and roll motifs. The piece contemplates the price of fame, the myth of Elvis, and how the dead rock star exemplifies American culture, history, and mythology. The concert also features the orchestra’s Kristin Fray and Anthony Masiello in a rare double concerto for clarinets, the Three Gymnopedies that helped establish Glanville-Hicks as a leading 20th century composer; and the sixth of Haydn’s 12 London symphonies, which ends with a pleasant surprise.