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 Eight Years Out, The Catalina Chamber Orchestra Is Still Going Strong. By Emil Franzi ENRIQUE LASANSKY, THE Catalina Chamber Orchestra's founder and director, calls his group "Tucson's other professional orchestra." When Argentine-born Lasansky formed the CCO eight years ago, he thought Tucson was big enough for another group and tried to fill that niche. "The niche was for good players beyond those in the TSO," he says. "As yet, they're still mostly volunteers but they act like--and are treated like--professionals." The role of the CCO differs from Tucson's other fine groups such as the Southern Arizona Symphony and the Civic Orchestra of Tucson in scope and purpose. During his tenure, Lasansky has directed the world premieres of nine new works, eight by Arizona composers such as James DeMars, Richard Faith, Pete Fine and Camil Van Hulse.
There are other Tucson composers Lasansky hopes to feature in the future, such as Robert Mucynski and the late Ulysses Kay. Hopefully he'll also include the venerable Robert McBride. Arizonans have produced many fine works over the years, and their output equals the better-known batch currently coming from Minnesota. TSO audiences discovered that Minnesota's Stephen Paulus, serving as composer-in-residence, has written much worthy music. CCO devotees have discovered that Arizonans are equally talented. Lasansky came to Tucson in the late '80s from Maryland. "The University of Arizona was one of the few schools offering an advanced degree in orchestral conducting," he explains. He got his Ph.D. in 1991, and launched the CCO that same year. That it's still around, with a growing audience, and is sounding better each year is a tribute to its founder's dedication and skill. The new music has been balanced by other works playable by a chamber orchestra. Don't just think Mozart and Haydn for an ensemble this size. The CCO has brought us admirable performances of complex scores by such orchestral masters as Ravel and Respighi. Le Tombeau de Couperin and Trittico Botticelliano were highlights of past seasons. The orchestra has a base of about 35 players, and begins weekly rehearsals long before each of the four concert programs presented annually. The CCO budget is a mere $60,000 this year--nothing compared to the TSO's $3 million, or the Chicago Symphony's $50 million. But the point Lasansky stresses is the quality of the playing. "This is not just an amateur group having fun. We take what we do very seriously, and believe the orchestra sounds very good." Considering the large pool of instrumental talent throughout America and the Tucson area, assembling a fine group of players for an orchestra of chamber size is the easy part. Holding them together and having enough rehearsal time is what's difficult. You can check that out on the CD they produced featuring music of Shostakovich and Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, as well as that of Richard Faith and Paul Richards. (It's available at Border's Books and Hear's Music.) The last two tracks are world-premiere recordings; and they're planning a second CD containing three more--Estampes Mexicanas, by Jose Luis Aelizondo; DeMars' Big Two-Headed River; a flute concerto with Lasanksy's talented wife Linda (who received recent raves for her performance, during "Lucia's Mad Scene," as principle flute opposite the soprano vocalist with the Arizona Opera); and Fine's Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra. The latter kicks off the CCO's season with the balance of the program devoted to the works of Antonio Vivaldi. According to Lasansky, "It's a good piece and fits well with a Vivaldi program because it's written in the language of Vivaldi. Unlike some modern works, it shouldn't scare anybody off." It's "genuine cross-over music, bridging the gap between the classical tradition and contemporary rock," he says. The Vivaldi will include the Stabat Mater, with long-time local favorite Korby Myrick; In Furore, with Soprano Elena Todd; Concerto for Flute in D, with Paula Karrer; and the Concerto for Two Horns, with Keith Johnson and Matt Zimmerman. Mr. Fine will play in his own concerto.
The season closes May 1 and 3 with a pairing of two of the greatest pieces in the clarinet repertory: the concertos of Mozart and Carl Nielsen. One of Tucson's outstanding instrumentalists, John Denman, is expected to handle them with first-class verve. Those who regularly attend TSO concerts--and particularly the chamber series--but who've never been to a CCO concert, owe it to their ears to discover what a superb group this is. If you like Vivaldi--I mean really like Vivaldi--there's no better time than this weekend to make your introductions. The CCO's done more than earn community support. As their director says, "It's about making music"--which these folks do, and do well.
The Catalina Chamber Orchestra performs at
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Lasansky operates the CCO out of the late Van Hulse's home on
Euclid Avenue, by special arrangement with his family. Van Hulse
was the first conductor of the Tucson Symphony and spent 70 years
here as a composer and organist after leaving his native Belgium
following W.W.I. Since his death he's become, shamefully, one
of our best-kept artistic secrets.
The December Christmas Program will feature the CCO's annual
staging of Handel's Messiah, with the addition this year
of the Catalina Chamber Chorus. On February 26 and 28, the CCO
will present an all-American program with the DeMars flute piece
with Linda Lasansky, Barber's Adagio, and the Charles Ives
Third Symphony. The latter, unlike later Ives, is one of
his mellowest works.
