In Sunday’s (1/22) Lancaster News (Pennsylvania), Jo-Ann Greene writes, “Once upon a time, symphony-goers expected to see nothing more than staidly attired musicians and their instruments on stage. Lately, though, the visual elements at Lancaster Symphony Orchestra performances almost rival the audio. On the heels of its sold-out New Year’s Cirque de la Symphonie concerts that had scantily clad acrobats twirling above the stage, LSO will offer the U.S. premiere of a new version of the classic Disney animated film ‘Fantasia’ in concert April 4 at the American Music Theatre. The film will appear on a large HD screen above the stage during the live performance of music by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Respighi, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky and Gershwin and others. … For LSO maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser, the event has personal significance, as well. Many years ago he worked with the late Leopold Stokowski, who conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in its home city to produce the original film score. … This latest version is an amalgam of the original and a 2000 reissue, with some previously edited clips restored, Gunzenhauser explained via telephone. The film’s scores, recorded by the respective Philadelphia and Chicago orchestras, will be replaced by LSO’s live music, with narration expected to be supplied by the local maestro.”
Posted January 23, 2012
