January 27 2005
"Venerable Symphony Performs Saturday"
Culver City News, Culver City, CA
Frank Fetta directs the Culver City Marina Westchester Symphony on Saturday in its annual midwinter concert at Veterans Memorial Auditorium at 8P.M.
This concert titled, “Double Basses, “ features two exceptional bass performers. Danielle Jones, an amazing young contrabass player from Melbourne, Australia, performs the “Concerto no. 2 for string bass and orchestra in B Minor” by Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889).
The Symphony is one of our area’s most important cultural pleasures, and one of the few fully professional orchestras on the Westside. Fetta, the musical director, is a phenomenon in the area, directing the Marina del Rey Summer Symphony, the Redlands Bowl Music Festival, the Torrance Symphony and other orchestras in the western U.S.
The orchestra was founded by local studio violinist George Berres, a friend and colleague of legendary Los Angeles violinist Louis Kaufman.
Berres organizes a 20-member string orchestra in Westchester in 1963. With strong community and city support, sound leadership, and a devoted board of directors, the group grew into a full-fledged orchestra. It receives sponsorship from the Westchester Symphony Society, the Music Performance Trust Fund of the American Federation of Musicians (Local 477), and various business and commercial organizations.
Today, under the guidance of Maestro Fetta, the orchestra presents concerts associated with special themes such as: women composers, African-American composers, Latin American music, etc. Last year, the orchestra’s exultant “Bella Divas” concert featured music from favorite operas, performed by splendid local singers.
The orchestra also sponsors, through the Paula and Maurice K. Parness Young Artist Fund, a concerto competition for young musicians. The event, held every fall at the music facilities of west L.A. College, offers opportunities for young musicians from 14 to 25 years to compete and potentially perform with the orchestra in public concerts.
With Louis Lebherz, principal bass singer wit the Los Angeles Opera and local recitalist, Jones will also perform Mozart’s concert aria “per Questa Bella Mano” (“By this beautiful hand”) for basso profundo with contrabass obligato, K.612. Mozart originally composed this work in 1791 to feature Franz Gerl, the original Sarastro in his opera “Die Zauberfloete,” and Friedrich Pichelberger, principal bass player in the Theater auf der Wieden orchestra.
In addition to accompanying these solos, the orchestra will perform a suite of excerpts from Stravinsky’s ballet “Pulcinella,” based on works by the18th century composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Plus Mozart’s Symphony Society no. 38 in D major, K 504 (the “Prague”). Members of the Westchester Symphony Society are invited to attend a pre-concert lecture by Fetta at 7:20PM Free. 4117 Overland Avenue (Overland at Culver Boulevard), Culver City. (310) 837-5757.