Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s lauded digital CLOSE QUARTERS series continues with a musically and visually rich take on Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat (“The Soldier’s Tale”), interpreted by the musicians of LACO for 2021 and conducted by Music Director Jaime Martín.
Thanks to the generosity of individual donors, the new episode is available to the public at no cost and can be streamed on demand following its premiere on Friday, March 12, 2021, at 6:30 pm (PT), at https://www.laco.org/close-quarters/, LACO’s YouTube and Facebook live channels. A digital pre-concert conversation begins at 5:30 pm (PT).
The highly theatrical musical tale composed at the end of WWI for three actors and septet is based on a Russian parable about a soldier who trades his magical violin in a dangerous bargain with the Devil. LACO’s new production of the work filters Stravinsky through the dream-like nostalgia of 1940s cinema with stunning cinematography from Michael Elias Thomas. The uniquely striking episode features the Robey Theatre Company’s Ben Guillory (Narrator), William Warren (Devil) and Julio Hanson (Soldier) as well as the unveiling of a new sculpture inspired by the music by Chinese artist HuiMeng Wang.
CLOSE QUARTERS’ “digitally native” programs, created specifically for streaming, have drawn nearly 1 million views since debuting in November 2020. Between 30 and 40 minutes in length, they are safely filmed at the Colburn School’s Olive Rehearsal Hall.
Subsequent CLOSE QUARTERS episodes premiere on Fridays, March 26, April 9 and 23, May 7 and 21, and June 4, 2021, at 6:30 pm (PT).
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
CLOSE QUARTERS Episode 8
“Stravinsky: The Soldier’s Tale”
Premieres Friday, March 12, 2021, 6:30 pm (PT) – subsequently available on demand
Pre-Concert Conversation, 5:30 pm (PT)
COST:
There is no cost to stream the programs
Donations requested: laco.org/donate
WHERE TO STREAM:
YouTube: youtube.com/user/lacorchestra
Facebook live: facebook.com/LAChamberOrchestra