IN CONCERT
What: Victoria Symphony Presents Magic of the Holidays
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Saturday, Dec. 14 (8 p.m.) and Sunday, Dec. 15 (2 p.m.)
Tickets: $35-$85 from the Royal McPherson box office, by phone at 250-386-6121, or rmts.bc.ca
Giuseppe Pietraroia has stacks of paper organized chronologically in his office, in order to avoid a costly mix-up.
At this time of year, careful planning is key for the Victoria Symphony’s extremely active associate conductor.
Thirteen performances over six consecutive weekends of activity — at a time of year when social engagements and family commitments also run at a steady clip — would be cause for concern for anyone else in the position.
But Pietraroia, with an even-keeled approach and get-the-job-done demeanour, is ready to embrace the coming weeks — even if those around him are concerned, given the amount of work ahead.
“Everything [at the Victoria Symphony] gets put into a schedule and they print that in a book for the entire season,” Pietraroia said. “Each page is a new week, and when our CEO, Kathryn Laurin, looked at it, she said: ‘Wait a minute — I started flipping through that book and your name is on every page. Are you going to be all right?’ ”
Pietraroia’s string of seasonal events with and apart from the Victoria Symphony began Nov. 29 with The Nutcracker, and continued Dec. 8 with The Snowman.
Days after his two concerts this weekend for the Victoria Symphony — pops concerts under the title of Magic of the Holidays — the Montreal native will be on stage for performances of Handel’s Messiah (Dec. 20 and 22).
It all comes to an end following a run of concerts with the Canadian Brass (Dec. 21), three performances for Ballet Victoria’s The Gift, and — finally — A Viennese New Year’s concert on Jan. 1.
Though he has led the orchestra through performances of Handel’s Messiah several times, handling a certified classic makes his schedule that much more complex. “It’s not like you say: ‘Oh well, I don’t need to look at it,’ and just go in. I have to plan my week and know where I’m supposed to be, but also what repertoire I’m supposed to have in my head and when.
“I’ve always had admiration for symphony musicians, but when you’re in it with them, you realize they do this every week. They switch gears from a Masterworks concert to a kids’ show to a pops show. When you’re in it with them, you realize how quick the turnaround is from week to week.”
You won’t hear any complaints from Pietraroia. Crowds at symphony concerts at this time of year light up when they hear popular carols and hymns, and the feeling is infectious for the musicians on stage.
The two Magic of the Holidays concerts set for the Royal Theatre on Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) will feature soprano Betty Waynne Allison and Victoria’s Vox Humana Chamber Choir, who will be performing songs that include Christmas staples such as O Holy Night and The Nutcracker Suite and music from the Harry Potter film franchise.
Everyone involved is excited for the season, Pietraroia said.
“It is a very uplifting, festive type of music that gets us out of the dark days of fall, when the days are shorter. There are people who really get into the whole holiday thing, and it makes them feel good. The music does the same.”
There is no shortage of options when it comes to Christmas concerts, with everything from churches to shopping malls getting in on the action.
While Pietraroia’s action-packed schedule through New Year’s demonstrates how musicians are run ragged at this time of year, it also shows the spirit of Christmas is alive and well.
“I’m one to complain when, on Nov. 1, you start to hear Christmas music,” he said. “The whole commercialization of Christmas and the holidays has been a little bit crazy.
“But maybe this is a way for people to get all of that frustration out of their system. When you can just come and sit and relax and listen to some great music for the holidays, maybe that’s why people still enjoy it and still get into the festive mood.”
