Sex, intrigue, love, violence; the essence of mankind laid bare on stage

When a 70-member student orchestra takes the stage at the Winspear Centre for the Arts on Monday, they will put on a show for Edmonton like none other, says the conductor to the university's inaugural Making Music: A Gala Fundraiser. Petar Dundjerski, U of A music professor, says the concert will connect dots between humanity and classical music that have remained unconnected for much too long.

Michael Davies-Venn - 21 January 2011

(Edmonton) When a 70-member student orchestra takes the stage at the Winspear Centre for the Arts on Monday, they will put on a show for Edmonton like none other, says the conductor to the university's inaugural Making Music: A Gala Fundraiser. Petar Dundjerski, U of A music professor, says the concert will connect dots between humanity and classical music that have remained unconnected for much too long.

"Sex, intrigue, violence, love, betrayal and loyalty remain very much relevant in today's world, whether they are woven through the fabric of business or everyday existence. We see these themes in the news or on television shows," Dundjerski said. "And many times we're told that composers addressed those themes centuries ago and that they are still relevant, yet somehow the music never connects with people. What we want to do is make the themes relevant through this concert."

Take for example, he says, "The Marriage of Figaroa," a five-minute opera buffa by Mozart, which the orchestra will perform. During that short time, Mozart found a way to dramatize the plot of the opera, which is filled with schemes, sexual tensions, naiveté and exuberance into this music.

He says there are obvious demands to see those themes addressed over and again. "And they're being delivered with various degrees of quality and sophistication," said Dundjerski. "And it is logical to say that those themes or issues have existed throughout humanity, so when these great men (the composers featured in the program) addressed these issues they did so with great depth and incisiveness."

And deep in the consciousness of an increasing number of people is the conviction that classical music has little relevance in their lives. A view, Dundjerski says, the concert will help correct. He says the students who make up the orchestra have worked extremely hard at ensuring that the audience connects with the music.

"We believe there's a message to be given to the people of Edmonton. When they come to the concert and submit themselves completely to the experience, they will realize that they're not alone, at least for the duration of the concert, because each audience member will be connected to a fellow audience member."

And once that connection is made, the orchestra will take the audience on a journey, via the music Dundjerski says that was written by great minds centuries ago. "In addition to all these timeless themes we will explore, we're becoming more and more alienated, through worries about our economical existence for example, while becoming colder and colder towards each other and ourselves. Once people tap into this music they will all be taken to a place where they're not alone anymore. And that's the biggest contribution that we can offer today."

To provide this transcendental experience, which Dundjerski says includes a virtual journey through Spain, the U of A music department is, in a nutshell, offering many of the great things it has, he says. It has assembled some of its areas concentrations including composition, opera and its West African ensemble to produce a concert that has an operatic thread throughout, he said. "Everything seems to take place in Spain. A hot country with high tempers, hopefully that would translate in the music," said Dundjersk. "We will feature an electro-acoustic piece which would be a stark contrast to classical music, and that will give a sense of heat to Edmonton?which we probably need right now?and we also have an African drum ensemble, which will give the audience rumble in their belly.

"When you have a bunch of young people on stage giving it their all, you do not get that experience from listening to a CD or radio."

This is not the first such concert that the department is offering but its chair, David Gramit, says this one is quite different.

"Music needs people at all ends of it. So people work together to make it but without people to listen to it, it's a dead end, it's just sound vibrations with no purpose," said Gramit. "So we need to connect with the community to make music. We try to do that at every concert but what's different about this concert is that we're showcasing what we do, asking people to think about it and how they could support it."

"The university recognizes the importance of the music program and supports it to the extent that it can, what we're asking people to do is take the extra step and recognize that the university supports education in a whole host of fields, to give us the opportunity to build that next step of excellence. We're asking for their support to move further."

And by way of thanking patrons for their support, Dundjerski says they will come away from the concert different than they had entered.

"This I can state as a matter of fact," he said. "People will walk away from the concert with tickling tummies, renewed energy and a sense that they've participated in something that's not easily encountered anywhere else."

"And the tickle they will get from their bellies is somewhat conducive to this kind of music. What I can guarantee is that they will not sit there bored to death, regretting their decision.

"Come and you will not be disappointed."