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LIVE MUSIC Rogue Valley Symphony and 3 Leg Torso mingle classical with modern chamber music The groups mingle classical with modern chamber music Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 9:00 AM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Social News Gypsy, klezmer and world music influences — along with smart, funny unconventional themes — are the impetus behind composers Bela Balogh and Courtney Von Drehle of Portland quintet 3 Leg Torso. Violin and trumpet player Balogh and accordion player Von Drehle share a strong calling for modern chamber music with unparalleled instrumentation, and they round out their sound with percussionists and mallet players Brett Paschal and T.J. Arko, and acoustic bassist Mike Murphy. Balogh and Von Drehle also have a full set of arrangements for symphony orchestra, and Rogue Valley Symphony is joining the ranks of others such as Pacific Crest Wind Symphony, Portland Festival Symphony and Metropolitan Youth Symphony by collaborating in concert. "So, yeah, this is not our first rodeo," Balogh says during a telephone interview. "The collaboration with Rogue Valley Symphony is going to be fun. We'll perform seven pieces with the orchestra, kicking off the show with a solo piece called 'Moroccan Jig.' It's a piece that Courtney wrote, and it's one of my favorites. It's got Middle Eastern influences, along with an odd meter. It makes you want to get up and dance, but you can't because the beat is so unpredictable." Shows are set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 17, in the Music Recital Hall on the Southern Oregon University campus, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford; and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, in the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center, 830 N.E. Ninth St. Tickets cost $33, $38, $44 or $50 for the Ashland show; $28, $33, $38 or $44 for the Medford show; and $20, $28 or $34 for the Grants Pass show. Student tickets cost $5 for all shows. Tickets can be purchased online at rvsymphony.org or by calling 541-552-6398. Tickets for the Medford show also can be purchased at the Craterian box office, 16 S. Bartlett St., online at craterian.org or by calling 541-779-3000. Conductor Martin Majkut of the Rogue Valley Symphony will pair Igor Stravinsky's "Pulcinella Suite" with 3 Leg Torso's original orchestrations. "3 Leg Torso's music is witty and inventive," Majkut says. "When I was looking for a piece from the classical canon to match with the group, I thought of the clever interplay of double bass and trombone in a passage of 'Pulcinella.' I think it will pair well with 3 Leg Torso." Balogh's and Von Drehle's symphony material will include a piece called "Astor in Paris" — influenced by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla's neuvo tango, which is drawn from elements of jazz and classical music. "Some say Piazzolla adds extra blood and guts to tango," Von Drehle says. "I imagined when I wrote the piece that Piazzolla was perhaps born in France and his music was affected by a diet of baguettes and chocolate croissants. The resulting music still has a tango flavor, but also is affected by the charm of a French musette cafe style." "Frog: Secret Agent," composed by Balogh, holds elements of a Henry Mancini-style soundtrack for a spy movie. While on a mission, the frog is captured by the enemy and given a truth serum that puts him under a psychedelic trance. There are a lot of sound effects in it. "Another great one is called 'The Life and Times and Good Deeds of St. Penguin,' largely written by Balogh," Von Drehle says. "It's a fabulous orchestration that creates a whirlwind of orchestral colors. None of our music has vocals, so we approach our pieces as musical storytelling that takes listeners on a multicolored journey." "There is a story to it," Balogh adds. "It's mostly true." "All the parts that are fact are mostly true," Von Drehle says. A bit of a historian, Balogh's interest led him to Ernest Shackleton's disastrous expedition to the Antarctic on the ship Endurance, which became trapped in ice. "I wanted to experience the way Shackleton lived during the disaster," Balogh says. "So I took my 12-foot sailboat out on Lake Oswego during a flash freeze and got myself stuck in the ice. At one point, a giant penguin brought me sardines, Doritos and Twinkies. I dedicated the song to that penguin." "Although Bela's and Shackleton's circumstances were similar, it would be fair to say there were a few marked differences," Von Drehle says. Among Balogh's and Von Drehle's nobler achievements is a piece titled "Sinfonia Misterioso," commissioned by the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in celebration of its 35th anniversary. "It differs from our other work in that it was composed only to be played with symphony," Von Drehle says. "Most of our music is performed for quintet. 'Sinfonia Misterioso' is very energetic, with a lot of Eastern European influences, and powered by bold and compelling brass figures. It also has a section where one could imagine Hannibal marching elephants over the Italian Alps. "It's atypical of symphonic repertoire, but we're always excited when we get to play it because the symphonic musicians get on board and really enjoy the energy of it." Balogh always has an eye out for symphonies with which to perform. When he contacted Majkut, he discovered that the RVS conductor was eager to collaborate. "Some symphonies can be conservative with their repertoire," Balogh says. "Martin is willing to step outside of the box and try something new." By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 9:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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