Herzliya Chamber Orchestra plays America

Harvey Bordowitz conducts a program of pieces reflecting America as seen through the eyes of three great composers.

By HANNAH BLACHMAN
For the opening concert of its 26th season, Harvey Bordowitz conducts the Herzliya Chamber Orchestra in a program of pieces reflecting America as seen through the eyes of three great composers. Charles Ives was born in the small manufacturing town of Danbury, Connecticut, on October 20, 1874, and died in 1954. He was something of a prodigy, and reached adulthood as one of the finest American organists of his generation. A mischievous cynic, he wrote a series of variations on the hymn "America" (the same melody known to the British as "God Save the King/Queen"), with ironic - even sarcastic - humor, but with a deep love of his country as well. The second composer on the program, Aaron Copland (1900-1990), the son of Lithuanian Jewish immigrants, become known as the authentic representative voice of American folklore, especially the Wild West with its endless plains. The ballet Rodeo uses his characteristic style of dazzling rhythms and perfect intervals to create a magical portrait of cowboys at work and at play. The concert concludes with one of the most beloved symphonies of all time - Symphony no. 9, "From the New World" by Anton Dvor k (1841-1904), written during the composer's extended stay in the United States at the end of the 19th century. Despite its nickname and its use of American folk melodies, the work gives full expression to the composer's longing for his Czech homeland. Herzliya Performing Arts Center twice: Tuesday November 14 and Saturday, November 18, at 8:30 p.m., with a pre-concert lecture by Harvey Bordowitz at 8 p.m. Details at (09) 950-0761.