WSO up to ‘Something Wicked’
The Washington Symphony Orchestra will be up to “Something Wicked” when it opens its 13th season Saturday at Trinity High School.
The concert, said WSO principal conductor and music director Yugo Ikach, will be “truly terrifying and terribly fun” as the WSO explores temptation and seduction, the Day of Judgment, evil monsters and a pact with the devil.
The repertoire will include music from stage and screen, as well as classical music and original compositions, including a commissioned piece from Derek Pegritz, a recent graduate of California University of Pennsylvania’s commercial music technology program.
Pegritz is intrigued by the movie, “Hellraiser,” which was directed by Clive Barker and based on his horror novella, “The Hellbound Heart.” The original novella was published in 1986 as the third volume of an anthology series known as “Night Visions,” and it became the basis for the movie. The story focuses on a mystical puzzle box that is believed to serve as a portal to a parallel realm and the horror it wreaks on the people who are unfortunate enough to open it.
Writing the piece, Pegritz said, “did not come easy.”
“I must have tried 15 or 16 different melodies or ideas out before I found something that stuck,” Pegritz said. “Since this is the overture, I didn’t want it to be too overly large, but I wanted to capture the basic ideas. Each of the characters in the full piece has a different characteristic motif.
“What I ended up doing was instead of picking individual melodies, I used different instruments for different characters.”
The main characters – Frank Cotton, his brother, Rory, and his sister-in-law, Julia – will be portrayed by the string section, and the Cenobites,
members of a religious order who inflict torture in all of its extremes, will be represented by the whirwinds.
However, Pegritz hasn’t decided yet how he wants to handle Kristy, the hero of this novella who eventually solves the puzzle box. He’s considering the brass section for her role.
Pegritz, whose passion for music began at a young age when he would listen to eight-track tapes of Blondie on his mom’s stereo, has initiated discussions with Barker to write an opera based on the book and movie. The WSO will play a piece of the sample of work he plans to submit to Barker.
In addition to “The Hellbound Heart,” the WSO will perform another commissioned piece, “Cthulhu Tising,” by Graham Plowman. At the request of the WSO, Plowman adapted the electronic piece based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “The Call of Cthulhu,” for full orchestra and chorus. In Lovecraft’s story, Cthulhu is a gigantic, wholly evil water god, part man, part dragon and part octopus, who requires human sacrifice in order to satiate his evil appetites.
On a lighter note, Johann Strauss’s “Vienna Blood Waltz” and music from the Broadway musical “Wicked” also are on the program.
The orchestra will be joined by the California University of Pennsylvania choir, and students and faculty from Tom Savini’s special make-up effects program at the Douglas Education Center in Monessen will use their artistic skills to create a cast of the “undead,” who will appear among the audience when least expected.
The concert is being supported by a grant from the Heinz Endowments.
“Our fan base has continued to grow, and with support from a regional foundation like Heinz, our artistic committee can continue to develop and present creative and innovative concerts that attract even more new patrons,” said Monica Merrell, WSO vice president and development director.
”Something Wicked” will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday at Trinity High School. Tickets are available online at www.washsym.org or by calling 888-71-TICKETS. Advance tickets also are available at Washington Financial bank branches, Citizens Library and Peters Township Public Library. Season tickets are on sale at a significant discount by going visiting the website or calling 888-71-TICKETS.