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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT JANUARY 13, 2022
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FOR SOME BEATLES LOVE The Sarasota Orchestra is preparing for a set of Beatles tunes – a change of pace from a steady diet of Brahms and Beethoven. SPENCER FORDIN A+E EDITOR
I
n any other arena, they’re the undisputed masters of their craft. But in the field of classical music — a genre dominated by legends like Beethoven, Bach and Mozart — the Beatles are fighting for a place in the orchestra pit. The Sarasota Orchestra will take on the work of the Beatles next week as part of its seasonal pops program,
and it will be backing a band that plays selections from all over the Fab Four canon. There’s a song from 1963 — the cover version of “Twist and Shout” — and a couple of tracks from “Get Back,” the final album released by the Beatles, in 1970. It’s a diversion of sorts for the players, who are more accustomed to symphonies and concertos. But that’s fun for them, and they hope it will be fun for their audience, too. “I love how the songs change from one to the next to the next,” says violinist Amanda Nix. “We’ve all been trained in Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart. You know how those styles are, but for the Beatles, they have so many different styles. They have so many different ideas, and if you played them all the same, you wouldn’t really be getting the true
scope of the Beatles.” Nix, who has been playing for the Sarasota Orchestra since 2017, says she didn’t really listen to the Beatles growing up. They were her parents’ music, and sometimes her dad would pull out a guitar and play their songs. But when she did get around to exploring their catalog, she was surprised that the songs all came from the same band. Bass clarinetist Calvin Falwell comes to the material from a slightly different perspective. He said he grew up poring over his parents’ vinyl collection and wearing out the Beatles albums. Falwell played bass in a rock ‘n’ roll band before committing full time to a career in the orchestra, and he said that quality music will sound good in
whatever way you play it. “No matter what combination of instruments, the song is still going to be good,” he says of top-level pop craftsmanship. “It’s the same paint. You’re just using it in a different way. It’s different shades of Bob Ross tapestries, depending on what instruments you’re using.” Falwell previously played with the Orlando Philharmonic, which played a performance with Duran Duran. He also said he’s heard the San Francisco Symphony playing with Metallica, and he thinks there are many bands who could shine with a full orchestral treatment. Falwell mentioned Pink Floyd and the Beach Boys as artists he’d like to SEE BEATLES LOVE, PAGE 2
Illustration by José Valle
The Sarasota Orchestra will explore the Beatles’ extensive music catalog in its pop performances Jan. 21-22 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.