Anthony Elliott, professor emeritus of the University of Michigan, picked the music for the opening concert of the Kalamazoo Philharmonia and will guest-conduct a performance at 3 pm on Sunday, Nov 13 at the Dalton Theatre at Kalamazoo College. His connection to Kalamazoo goes back to the mid-1980s, when he served as professor of cello at Western Michigan University. Elliott tells Cara Lieurance about his dual career as a cellist and conductor, saying each pursuit contributed to the other.
The program features four works: Michael Abels' Global Warming, Mozart's Symphony No. 29, Respighi's Fountains of Rome, and the Suite No. 2 from Bacchus and Ariane by Albert Roussel. The Roussel is a fascinating and under-recognized work, says Elliott, and the storyline upon which the ballet is based is vividly realized in the music. Using recorded excerpts, Elliott guides listeners through the scenes of Ariane's abandonment and rescue by Bacchus, their romance, and final coronation.