Classical sound

MOSES LAKE — The Central Basin Community Concert Association will present “Classical Sounds of the Season” on Dec. 4. 

The concert replaced the one originally planned by pianist and Moses Lake native Collin Hansen, who was unexpectedly unable to come from Finland to perform. “Classical Sounds of the Season” will feature Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra cellist Kevin Hekmatpanah and pianist Yoon-Wha Roh. 

“They played (in Moses Lake) with the whole symphony orchestra in the spring,” said CBCCA Board Member Carla McKean. “He’s going to do a cello solo and she’s the accompanist.” 

The music wasn’t specifically selected to pertain to the holiday season, Hekmatpanah said, but because it showcases the cello and piano and covers a wide range of styles and eras. 

“I thought … let's not just play light bon-bon (fare),” he said. “Let's really have some meat and potatoes on the program, something that really has substance to it. We wanted to kind of cover different time periods: classical, romantic, impressionist, and 20th-century American, French, German, Italian, (and) South American music. So it really is kind of from around the globe. It's from around the centuries.” 

The pieces are also ones Hekmatpanah and Roh have performed together before, he said, so they’re well familiar with them at short notice. 

The first part of the concert will include Luigi Boccherini’s Sonata in A Major, Brahms' Sonata No. 2 in F Major and Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise Brillante. 

“Boccherini was one of the most famous cellists of the 18th century,” Hekmatpanah said. “So … even though the piece is from the time of Haydn and Mozart, it really is a feat of athleticism for the cellist. The Brahms sonata is one of the masterpieces that great composer and of the cello repertoire. Brahms’ … chamber music is symphonic in scope, and his symphonies are of a chamber nature.” 

The Chopin piece was originally written more for piano than cello,  Hekmatpanah said, but the 20th-century cellist Emmanuel Feuermann adapted it to level the playing field between the two instruments. 

After a short intermission, the show will resume with Debussy’s Sonata in D Major, Gershwin’s Three Preludes and Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango. 

The sonata was one of Claude Debussy’s last works, Hekmatpanah said. 

“It's not too long, but it really is a colors piece,” he said. “It has a lot of special effects with cello pizzicato and harmonics and creates a mood.” 

The Gershwin selection is sort of a bridge between classical and jazz,  Hekmatpanah said, written originally for piano and adapted for violin and then cello. 

Le grand Tango, by the Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, will round out the second part of the show with a South American vibe. 

The show will end with some traditional holiday songs, with music by Hekmatpanah and Roh and singing by the audience. 

“It gives the community a sense of the holidays,” Hekmatpanah said. “It gives a sense of inclusion and involvement, and I think that's a nice way to end the program.” 

Collin Hansen’s concert will be rescheduled for the next concert season, McKean said. 

Tickets purchased for the Hansen concert will be valid for “Classical Sounds of the Season,” McKean said, but anyone who prefers can have a refund instead. Because the Central Basin Community Concert Association has a reciprocity agreement with similar organizations in other cities, those tickets can also be exchanged for admission to a concert in Wenatchee, the Tri-Cities or several venues on the west side. More information is available at communityconcertsml.com. 

‘Classical Sounds of the Season’ 

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 

Wallenstien Theater 

6989 College Parkway NE, Moses Lake 

Tickets:  communityconcertsml.com 

    Piano virtuosa Yoon-Wha Roh will perform in “Classical Sounds of the Season,” Dec. 4.