Symphony season to open with trio of premieres

The Carson City Symphony kicks off its new season this weekend with three premieres - a recently discovered 19th century piano concerto, a piece incorporating the words of Henry David Thoreau by Vermont composer Gwyneth Walker and Swedish pianist Carl Petersson, who is making his U.S. debut.

Friedrich von Flotow's Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra was first performed earlier this month in Vancouver by Petersson, who was the first to record the piece two years ago. The Carson City concert on Oct. 25 marks its U.S. premiere.

"It's a piano concerto in four movements," said Petersson. "It was a student piece written in 1831. It was found by accident, a hand-written manuscript and I corrected a lot of mistakes when I recorded it."

"By Walden Pond," which is making its world premiere, includes text of works by nature writer Thoreau narrated by Lee Warner, drummer with the Mile High Jazz Band.

"It's 10 very short movements," said Elinor Bugli, president of the Carson City Symphony Association Inc. "There's a thunderstorm, for example, that features a lot of cymbal crashes. There's a cobweb."

The piece's composer wanted a musician to narrate it and Warner is a well-known voice in the area who has made recordings for local casinos and performed on radio shows as well as performing with the local jazz band, Bugli said.

"He also has something of a Thoreau outlook on life," she said.

Walker, the piece's composer, will be on hand, along with pianist Petersson, to participate in a pre-show interview conducted by David Bugli, the symphony's conductor, that concert goers can attend in the Sierra Room at the Carson City Community Center at 3:15 p.m.

The Youth Strings Jazz Ensemble, featuring local students on violins, viola, guitar and bass, will play in the center's lobby starting at 3 p.m.

The concert starts at 4 p.m. and will also feature "Tales from the Vienna Woods" by Johann Strauss Jr. and "The Beautiful Galatea" overture by Franz von Suppe. 

After the concert, at 6:15 p.m., a reception for the symphony guests will be held at B'Sghetti's Plan b: Microlounge. Tickets for the reception are $15.

The symphony's season lasts until June with four more concerts, including one in Fallon.