“This concert provides the audience with something they can hold on to rather than just abstract music which doesn’t tie itself to a particular plot,” says Paul Chou Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra Music Director.

The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra presents “Myths, Love & Legends,” 7:30 p.m. April 20, with a pre-concert talk, 6:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church Allentown.

The concert opens with Felix Mendelssohn’s “Die schöne Melusine” (“The Fair Melusine”), Op. 32, based on a tale of the Middle Ages.

Mendelssohn composed the work in 1834. It tells the story of a water sprite who marries a mortal knight on the condition that he never ask her where she goes on Saturdays.

It is on that one day each week that she must revert to her serpent form and though her husband promises to honor her request, his curiosity eventually ends their marital bliss.

The two characters are easily discernable as they each have their own descriptive music. Melusine’s melody evokes a backdrop of flowing water prominently played by the strings and clarinets.

In contrast, the knight’s music is disquieting, which is understandable given his lack of knowledge regarding the purpose of Melusine’s directive.

The program continues with several romantic arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart featuring soprano Mary Bonhag, including “Ruhe Sanft” from the unfinished 1780 singspiel Zaide K. 344, “Ach, ich fühl’s” from The Magic Flute (1791), and “L’Amero saro costante” from “Il Re Pastore” (1775).

“I’ve known Ms. Bonhag for a number of years from performances such as the Johannesburg [South Africa] Festival Chorus,” says Chou. “Her voice is like silk and I am thrilled she is available to perform this concert.”

Bonhag, an American soprano, is committed to the healing powers of song. She is a new-music specialist and a singer deeply devoted to sacred music across the ages.

She received a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Michigan and a Master of Music in Vocal Arts from Bard College Conservatory. She was mentored by Dawn Upshaw.

The first aria, “Ruhe Sanft,” is from Mozart’s unfinished opera, “Zaide,” composed 1779-1780. Turkish stories and music were most popular in Vienna at that time. The aria is sung by a Turkish sultan’s European slave, Zaide, who, having fallen in love with the slave Gomatz, leaves her portrait on his lap while he is sleeping.

Mozart’s opera, “The Magic Flute,” premiered two months prior to Mozart’s death in 1791 and is the third most frequently performed opera worldwide.

Pamina, daughter of the demonic Queen of the Night, is hurt when Tamino will not speak to her. Not realizing that Tamino is bound by a vow of silence, she believes that he no longer loves her. Pamina’s aria “Ach, ich fühl’s” is Pamina’s intimate, heartbroken soliloquy.

The third aria, “L’Amero saro costante,” from Mozart’s opera “Il re pastore” is one of the opera’s notable arias sung by Aminta, a shepherd who becomes king. He wishes to marry his love rather than follow the dictates required for his ascension to the throne.

The piece is a duet between Aminta, originally a castrato part, here performed by Bonhag, and a solo violin performed by PSO Concertmaster Simon Maurer.

Says Chou, “Mozart’s ‘L’Amero saro costante’ holds special meaning for me. I played that piece at my wedding and always wanted to include it in a program. This then drifted into the other arias about love and longing.”

The concert closes with Antonin Dvorak’s “Legends Op. 59, B.117,” a selection comprised of 10 vignettes composed in 1881 originally for piano four-hands and later arranged for reduced orchestra.

Chou describes the work as “telling a story utilizing Czech rhythms and written in the spirit of folk melodies similar to his [Dvorak’s] ‘Slavonic Dances’ composed around the same time.

“This is more of an introspective concert and a performance of lesser-known works,” says Chou.

“I leave you with a riddle. What does Mendelssohn’s ‘Melusine’ have to do with Starbucks? For the answer, come to the concert.”

Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, “Myths, Love & Legends,” 7:30 p.m., concert; 6:30 p.m., pre-concert talk, April 20, First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown. Tickets: PSO office, 1524 W. Linden St., Allentown; 610-434-7811; https://www.pasinfonia.org/

“Classical View” is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com