Symphony orchestra strikes up French Connections

THE Ballarat Symphony Orchestra’s final concert for the year, French Connections, will surely delight Francophiles whose love of all things French extends from the language, the culture, food and wine to the very essence of France – its music.

The three-part exploration begins with music by Gabriel Fauré, including his most popular work Pavane, followed by the dramatic cello piece Elegie played by guest soloist Elena Polevaya and finally Masques et Bergamasques.

Fauré was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century creators.

Charles Gounod is perhaps best known for his lyric opera Faust.

The orchestra’s woodwind section features in his Petite Symphonie, which Gounod wrote in 1885 following advancements to woodwind instruments which brought them up to a standard of consistency that string instruments had achieved centuries prior.

The concert ends with the monumental Fanfares Liturgiques by Henri Tomasi for brass and percussion, with a dramatic soprano solo in the final movement, to be sung by Elena Polevaya.

Polevaya commenced her music education on cello and piano at the age of seven in Ukraine.

Since 1992 she has been in Australia and is active as a multi profile musician having performed, amongst others, with Melbourne City Opera, lead cellist with the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra and as a music teacher.

In 2021 she debuted as a symphonic composer, which was written for, dedicated to and recorded by Ballarat Symphony Orchestra.

Polevaya is a great enthusiast of singing in the language of composers and apart from her native Russian and Ukrainian, she will sing the Tomasi opus in French.

French Connections is set for Saturday, 26 November at 7.30pm at the Mary’s Mount Centre in Loreto College, 1600 Sturt Street. Enter via Gate A.

For tickets visit trybooking.com/CDZDW.