Try A Little Night Romance With Allegro

Thu., Nov. 7, 1996

William Berry Correspondent

Songs with and without words comprise the better part of Allegro’s concert on Tuesday. The words will be sung by guest soprano Darnell Preston. Allegro will also be joined by pianist Glenn Jacobson, who will accompany David Dutton in songs transcribed for oboe and piano from Spain, Norway and Czechoslovakia. The Romantic Period is the theme for the evening, with works by Chopin, Grieg, de Falla, Dvorak and Canteloube on the bill. With these composers’ songs, the enchantment factor ought to be running pretty high.

“Songs of the Auvergne” is really the only well-known work of Joseph Canteloube. An Auvergnois by birth who spent his life collecting French folk songs, Canteloube set these selections between the years 1923 and 1930. The songs are a challenging and chillingly effective vehicle for displaying the soprano voice. Preston, a top local artist, will be performing bourrees from the 15-song cycle.

Jacobson hails from New York, where he is on the faculty of Princeton and Long Island universities. His roots are local, though, having been graduated from Rogers High. While in Spokane, he will return to Rogers for a special program. Jacobson was a founding member of the New York Camarata and has performed and recorded extensively, including tours to Europe and South America.

Jacobson will join Dutton for a couple of geographically rooted selections: Antonin Dvorak’s seven “Gypsy Songs” from 1880 and Manuel de Falla’s 1914-15 “Seven Popular Spanish Songs.” Jacobson and Dutton have just finished recording these two sets, and were hoping to have the CD available for this performance. The CD is not quite ready, but Allegro will be taking orders Tuesday night.

Dutton and Jacobson will also perform “Haugtussa” (The Mountain Maid) by Edvard Grieg. This transcribed set of eight songs also evokes the landscape where it was written - in this case, Norway.

Jacobson, known for his dazzling technique, will also take a solo turn on some Chopin, including a couple of waltzes and mazurkas along with the Ballade in A-flat, written in 1841 during Chopin’s calm George Sand years in Paris.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT Allegro will perform at The Met at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets range from $8 to $17 and are available from Allegro at 455-6865, at G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT. A pre-concert talk by Margaret Saunders Ott begins at 7:15.

This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT Allegro will perform at The Met at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets range from $8 to $17 and are available from Allegro at 455-6865, at G&B; Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT. A pre-concert talk by Margaret Saunders Ott begins at 7:15.