Sure, everyone remembers Falco's Rock Me, Amadeus. And if you're are under 50 and deny it, you're lying. What they may not recall, however, is the follow-up single that prevented the German crooner from being a one-hit wonder in the United States.
The song Vienna Calling hit #18 on the U.S. Pop charts in 1985. When the Louisville Orchestra presents NightLites in Vienna this Thursday November 4 at 6:30 P.M. at the Brown Theatre and Saturday November 6 at 7:30 P.M. at the Indiana University Southeast Ogle Center, chances are they will bypass the Falco hit for more traditional European classical faire.
With its fast tempo, the pace of the Viennese Waltz lends itself well to orchestral music. Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt, who has been with the Louisville Orchestra for 27 years, leads concert goers through the waltz's beginnings as a dance of great controversy to its elegant reputation in the storied palaces of Europe. The work of composers Haydn, Brahms, and Strauss will be featured.
Celia Zhang, a 2009 Association of the Louisville Orchestra Young Artist Competition Winner, will be a guest artist for the show. The young violinist is currently a freshman in the Juilliard School in New York City. Before going to Julliard, she attended the Preparatory Department of the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and also was a student at Louisville's Youth Performing Art School.
The NightLites series visits well known places for and pieces of classical music in crisp 90-minute concerts (without an intermission). The shows serve as tours through cities that have influenced classical, operatic, and popular music. The series resumes Thursday January 20, 2011, at 6:30 at the Brown Theatre and Saturday January 22 at 7:30 at the Ogle Center with selections themed around New Orleans and Mardi Gras. The series concludes Thursday March 10, 2011, at 6:30 at the Brown Theatre and Friday March, 11 at 7:30 at the Ogle Center. The theme will be the music of Seville, Spain.
The Vienna concerts also include works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Mozart's Overture to The Magic Flute. It is not known if Maestro Bernhardt will preface this selection with the words, "Rock me, Amadeus" or not.
Subscriptions to the NightLites series range from $59-$74 and are available by calling 502.587.8681. Single tickets range from $20-$26. Single tickets to the Ogle Center at IUS are available by calling 800.745.3000. For more information see LouisvilleOrchestra.org.
