Published: November 10, 2009 08:44 am      

The good and the bad | Symphony orchestra's theme is 'Heroes, Villains and Witches'

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

Reality intertwined with imagination will be told through music.

“Heroes, Villains and Witches” will be presented by the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Richland Township.

The selections will be familiar to the audience, said music director Maestro Istvan Jaray.

Music will include stories of heroism from the “William Tell Overture” and “Superman” and mythology and fairy tales from “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”

“Generally, an orchestra plays what is called absolute music,” Jaray explained. “Composers wrote it without explanation or title. It was up to the audience to receive it in any way they chose. It could make them happy or sad. The audience received it without explanation.”

The evening’s selections will be program music, written for a specific reason.

“The composer wrote a story, and it has a title,” Jaray said.

“All the music has a theme and description. The concert will be a mixture of reality, magic and imagination.”

Jaray tried to collect pieces that were at least loosely related to the title of the concert.

“The pieces have a real hero like ‘Rocky,’ ” Jaray said. “In our hearts, we want to be like him and to succeed.

“The story of William Tell is he was punished by having to shoot an apple from his son’s head with an arrow when he didn’t accept a ruling.”

Other selections will be “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,”

“Witches’ Sabbath,” “Ride of the Valkyries” and “Star Wars.”

“If you saw Disney’s ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice,’ you know what it’s all about,” Jaray said. “This is a family concert for all ages.

“The music is well known or familiar, and it will be fun all around. It will be fun for the orchestra and the audience.”

Season tickets are available at the symphony office. Prices are $140 or $110 for adults, depending on seat location, $85 for senior citizens and $55 for students.

A Flex-Six pass for $135 permits six admissions to any concert in any combination. Re-strictions apply to December concert requests.



Concert

What: “Heroes, Villains and Witches” presented by Johnstown Symphony Orchestra.

Where: Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Richland Township.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $26 and $22 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and $10 for students. A service fee of $4 applies to all nonstudent orders.

Information: 269-7200 or (800) 846-2787.