“If music be the food of love, play on.”

- William Shakespeare,

“Twelfth Night”

By DIANE WITTRY

Special to The Press

Love is always in the air during the month of February as we think about Valentine’s Day, and spending time with those that are important to us.

When I think of love, I always think of music because music is how we communicate those strong emotions that are often difficult to put into words.

There are so many composers who wrote beautiful music inspired by love and so it was easy for me to put together a program of some of my favorites to share with our audiences of the Allentown Symphony.

To me, the sound of string instruments is particularly beautiful and romantic. Our program features our principal string players, with solos by our concertmaster of the ASO, Eliezer Gutman, and our acting Principal Cellist, Jameson Platte.

Our “Evening of Romance” concert performed by members of the Allentown Symphony has its streaming premiere, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27, and after that will be available on-demand for just $15. Information:

www.MillerSymphonyHall.org

Opening the concert is the piece, “Salut d’amour,” a little-known work by Edward Elgar that he wrote as an engagement present for his wife Caroline Alice Roberts. Can you imagine someone writing such a beautiful little piece for you? It is certainly a much better gift than chocolate for Valentine’s Day.

Another beautiful and romantic piece on the program is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise,” which was originally written as a song for soprano without words. The soprano simple sings “ah” the entire time.

It reminds us that often pure music is so much more powerful than words for expressing strong emotions of the heart. We will perform this piece in a version written for strings only.

During the concert, Jameson Platte, ASO Acting Principal Cellist, performs the “Allegro Appassionato” by Camille Saint-Saens. The word “Appassionato” is sometimes used in a title of music and means “passionate.” I think this is a fitting name for this piece, which presents a fiery energy in the solo cello part, but also a lyric warmth and tenderness.

The composer Ludwig van Beethoven never married, but there are lots of rumors about his various loves and infatuations. Our Concertmaster, Eliezer Gutman, performs Beethoven’s famous “Romance in F Major.” This heartfelt piece is simple and calming and really does set a wonderful mood for romance. It makes you wonder who Beethoven might have been thinking about as he wrote it.

Another composer who was quite the ladies’ man when he was young, but never married, was Johannes Brahms. Brahms really knew how to write a romantic melody and also how to motivate you to want to tap your toes and dance.

Both of these elements are present in his famous “Piano Quartet in G minor.” This substantial piece in four movements or sections takes us through a variety of emotions from love and reflection to Hungarian folk dances and melodies. I know that you will enjoy how the music takes us on an interesting journey through the piece, ending up with a fast and furious gypsy dance.

During the month of February, I am so thrilled that we can share our love of music with all of you. May it warm your hearts as it expresses all those wonderful emotions that we can’t quite put into words.

See you at the Symphony!

Diane Wittry is Music Director and Conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra; Music Director and Conductor of The Garden State Philharmonic, New Jersey, and author of “Beyond the Baton: What Every Conductor Needs To Know” and “Baton Basics: Communicating Music Through Gestures.” Wittry, one of “Musical America” Worldwide Top 30 Musical Infuencers,” teaches conducting workshops throughout the United States and Europe.