Edvard Grieg, Romance (Era) Man

The Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra always “tells” interesting stories. Its upcoming concert, “A Passionate Evening,” is no different. A Norwegian farm boy’s life as a metaphor for the Norwegian people’s identity, a swan that survives the threat of death, and a great serenade make up the program. Under the direction of Ivar Lunde Jr., the orchestra will perform the “Peer Gynt” Suite No. 1, Opus 46, by Edvard Grieg; “Lemminkainen: The Swan of Tuonela,” Opus 22, No. 3, by Jean Sibelius; and Serenade No. 1 in D Major, Opus 11, by Johannes Brahms. The popular “Peer Gynt” Suite is incidental music to Henrik Ibsen’s five-act play of the same name about Peer, a farm boy, who wastes a lot of time brawling, roaming, and boasting. Ultimately, Peer finds his identity by being true to himself. Grieg composed the music to create a national form of music for Norway. The second piece is based on Finland’s 19th century epic poem called the Kalevala. English horn soloist Steven Maijala will depict the swan who swims around the island of the dead called Tuonela. The hero Lemminkainen is asked to kill the swan, but gets killed first and is sent to Tuonela. The concert will end with Serenade No. 1 by Brahms. Tickets are available at the door, Mega Foods, Festival Foods, and Neff’s Piano Shop.

A Passionate Evening concert by the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra • Saturday, Mar. 7, 7:30pm (pre-concert talk by Dr. Douglas Pearson at 6:45pm) • at Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire • adults $23, seniors $20, students $8 • (715) 831-3331 • eauclairechamberorchestra.org