WSO – Resilient and Strong!
Marlene’s Musings July 2021 After 17 months of unwelcome hiatus, we are thrilled to be back, stronger than ever, presenting a season of exciting programs. There is mounting pressure to […]
Entries by Melissa Kalal
COVID-19 Conundrum
Marlene’s Musings November 16, 2020 What an incredible challenge we musicians face in this year of Covid-19! Who would have predicted that a time would come when live music performances […]
Mahler #1 was Musician’s Choice
Marlene’s Musings April 26, 2020 Hello WSO Family! Today would have been our Mahler #1 performance – this season’s Musicians’ Choice concert. Of all the pieces we have performed over […]
Clowning Around
Marlene’s Musings February 16, 2020 Stravinsky is my favorite composer. We will be performing the music from Petrushka, one of three ballets he wrote for Serge Diaghilev and the Russian […]
The Golden Age
Marlene’s Musings October 7, 2019 What do all these pieces have in common? Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue Kurt Weill/Bertold Brecht: Threepenny Opera Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein: Showboat Copland: Symphony No. 1 […]
Tony Ross – Cellist Extraordinaire
Marlene’s Musings February 22, 2019 I have known about Tony Ross for years. When I played clarinet in the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, he substituted in the cello section a […]
Ralph Vaughan Williams – the People’s Composer
Marlene’s Musings January 31, 2019 On Feb. 24 (at Wayzata Community Church) and March 3 (at Orchestra Hall) we will be performing Ralph (pronounced “Rafe”) Vaughan Williams masterpiece, Dona Nobis […]
An Amazing Season To Come!
Marlene’s Musings September 12, 2018 I am studying like a fiend, preparing for the first concert of our 10th Anniversary Season. When I thought about repertoire to celebrate 10 years, […]
Composing To Save Your Life
Marlene’s Musings April 3, 2018 Shostakovich 1906-1975 Shostakovich was recognized from an early age as one of Russia’s great composers. He completed his first symphony at 19 and by 26, […]
I Adore Our Audience!
Marlene’s Musings January 1, 2018 I adore our audience! Late last year, Simon Sperl (our fabulous new executive director) and I met a few members of our loyal audience at […]