August 21, 2018 | UHCL Staff
With almost twice as many outstanding performances to offer Clear Lake theater lovers this season than last, the Bayou Theater at University of Houston-Clear Lake opens the 2018-19 season on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. with an orchestral “battle of the bands” as interpreted by Clear Lake fan-favorite Mercury.
Featuring the virtuosic violin compositions of Antonio Vivaldi and Niccolo Paganini with Mercury’s twist of signature exuberance and humor, Mercury Artistic Director Antoine Plante says the performance will showcase violin soloists Jonathan Godfrey and Anabel Detrick in a “back and forth” competition including some variations and surprises for the audience.
“We are very excited to open the season at the Bayou Theater,” Plante said. “We are presenting this concert featuring two of the greatest violin composers and putting them side by side so the audience can experience their different style, enjoy their expression and the virtuosic composing they did for the violin.”
These two masters of the baroque and romantic eras are regular elements in Mercury’s performance repertoire. “They lived about 100 years apart, but both pushed and brought violin composing to a new level, technically and expressively,” Plante said. “The audience will first hear a piece by one composer, then the other. They’ll go back and forth, and the two soloists will share in a little competition in the first half of the show.”
The second half, Plante said, Mercury will present an arrangement of Vivaldi’s “La Folia,” with variations that bring the audience into many different musical landscapes from the baroque era. “There will be a few surprises, all the way to some pop music,” he said. “At first, the two composers are set against each other, but in the end, they’ll be merged together in one arranged composition. For the finish, we present ‘Carnival of Venice’ by Paganini.”
The approach, he explained, “is a bit like a rock concert. There will also be visual experiences projected reflected on the stage with light effects. It’s really fun,” he said.
Mercury will perform four concerts during the 2018-19 season, including a special February presentation of “An Evening of Mozart Symphonies,” as well as classics from Brahms and Tchaikovsky. To purchase season tickets, call 281-283-2065, email bayoutheater@uhcl.edu or visit www.uhcl.edu/bayou-theater.
