Symphony tours Dante’s ‘Inferno’

Marco Parisotto’s nearly 35-year career as a conductor has taken him all over the world – to Paris, Shanghai, Korea, Poland. This weekend brings him to Washington for the first time, where he’ll be conducting the Spokane Symphony in a Classics program cheekily titled “Tchaikovsky on Dante.”

Originally from Montreal, Parisotto currently splits his time between Toronto and Mexico, and he serves as music director of the Jalisco Philharmonic in Guadalajara. That traveling schedule isn’t unusual for him, however, because he’s been globetrotting for three decades.

“That’s just the way it is,” Parisotto said. “It’s part of our world as conductors; you find yourself all over.”

Parisotto often finds himself in front of different orchestras on multiple continents, and he’s noticed that individual countries are defined by distinct orchestral styles.

“You get a real sense of who the musicians are in front of you – right away, from the very first note,” he said. “What I find with American orchestras is that they’re very disciplined and ready to work immediately. They’re extremely polished right away, from the very first rehearsal.”

This weekend’s Spokane Symphony program opens with “Aqua,” a 2012 piece by Canadian-born composer Vivian Fung. It was commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta for a collection of musical works inspired by the city’s landmarks, and “Aqua” gets its name from the ultramodern residential skyscraper in Chicago’s Lakeshore neighborhood.

“It’s really interesting architecture,” Parisotto said of the tower, which has a undulating exterior, “and (Fung) is trying to depict the sensation of this beautiful building through music. I think the audience will like it.”

“Aqua” is followed on the program by P.I. Tchaikovsky’s “Francesca da Rimini” and Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, both of which are influenced by Dante’s epic poem “Divine Comedy.” Parisotto has performed both pieces before, and he says they represent flip sides of the same coin.

“Tchaikovsky influenced Sibelius, there’s no doubt about it,” Parisotto said. “ ‘Francesca’ ends very pessimistically – it’s dealing with the ‘Inferno’ – while Sibelius’ is your typical fantastical symphony that starts darkly and ends triumphantly, like Beethoven’s Fifth. One leaves the concert hall with a sense of triumph, in comparison to the Tchaikovsky. It’s a good contrast.”

Francesca da Rimini was a noblewoman in 13th century Italy, and a fictionalized version of her appears in the “Divine Comedy,” languishing in the second circle of Hell. She was killed after having an affair with her husband’s brother Paolo, and Tchaikovsky’s piece musically communicates her purgatorial sorrow.

“(‘Francesca da Rimini’) is a piece I promote a lot,” Parisotto said. “It’s rarely programmed, and I’m still wondering why, because to me, it’s the top piece by Tchaikovsky. … It’s just an incredible work of art.”

Though the Dante influences are present in both Tchaikovsky and Sibelius pieces, Parisotto says the program really comes together because of the emotional virtuosity of the three pieces: It begins with contemplation, transitions into grief and sends you out of the theater on a note of elation.

“The program is really fantastic; it’s just absolutely great music,” Parisotto said. “The way the composers manipulate the orchestra is just absolutely phenomenal.”