By Simone Harshaw
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Chicago Sinfonietta will transform the Wentz Concert Hall stage into a journey that shows both the sorrow and the joy of mortality through their performance, “Dia de los Muertos.”
The Chicago Sinfonietta strives to break away from the traditional definitions of an orchestra and give audience members an entirely new experience.
Conducted by the award-wining maestro Mei-Ann Chen, the Chicago Sinfonietta will provide an experience inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, in which family and friends that have passed on are celebrated rather than mourned.
“Dia de los Muertos” will guide the audience through the different ways that mortality is viewed. In the beginning, audience members will be surrounded by a more solemn and dark atmosphere that takes from the traditional response to death, that of mourning. Many visual and sound elements come together to create this atmosphere, including costumes, dramatic lighting and a rendition of Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor that Jim Hirsch, executive director of the Chicago Sinfonietta, says will be performed in a way that people have never heard before.
As the show transitions into the second half, audience members will be wrapped into an entirely different atmosphere – one that transforms into the Day of the Dead, a time filled with joyous celebration.
Not only will the audience get to see and hear this innovative performance, but taste it as well. During the show audience members will get to partake in a wine tasting (must be 21 years or older). Three selections were hand picked to match the different atmospheres of the show.
Guest appearances include violinist Adé Williams, soprano Elizabeth Norman, and the DePaul University Singers.
The show will take place on Saturday, November 9 from 8-10 p.m. at the Wentz Concert Hall. For ticket information please visit the fine arts page on the North Central website or, www.chicagosinfoinetta.org
