Second Thoughts

By Henry C. Mayer

A Lively Musical

One reason a restaurant is popular is that its menu offers a tantalizing variety. That is also true for musical menus.

Take the 1998-1999 Louisville Orchestra Season. It will offer six different series, including a stellar one-time attraction on May 10, when cellist Yo Yo Ma performs at the Palace Theatre.

Next comes the Roarchestra series at the Zoo on each Saturday in July, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank. The Zoo's gates will open at 6:30 p.m.; the opening acts perform at 7 p.m. and the main program will begin at 8:30 p.m.

Parents with small children should note that there is a petting zoo nearby that will be open from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Call 568-1111 for more information and reservations.

The Masterworks and Coffee Concert series will open September 12 at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Its musical menu will feature works by more than two dozen composers, from Bach to recent Grawemeyer Music Award recipients. Several exciting young artists will be making their first appearances here during this series, which has also featured such stellar performers as Pinchas Zuckerman, Sidney Harth, Matthew Karr, Lee Luvisi and Robert McDuffie.

The following week, Robert Bernhardt gets another Louisville Pops Series underway, for the first of seven events. Bob has some treats lined up: "Music from Broadway;" "Home for the Holidays" and "Pops Goes the Opera." Knowledgeable listeners will know that Bernhardt will be in orbit for this series.

He will also wield his baton for a super Night Lights Series of three concerts. Thursday evenings shows will be at the Palace Theater, home of the Pops, while Friday nights events will be staged at the Paul W. Ogle Center on the Indiana University Southeast Campus in New Albany.

And last but not least, Robert Franz will direct three Saturday morning OrKIDStra concerts on October 24, February 6 and April 10. There will be a special half-price orKIDStra subscription for children. These programs are recommended for ages 4-10 "to introduce the children you love to the music you love!"

Special thanks to Louisville Orchestra's Jennifer Minton and Diana Dinicola for their help.

Lunch and Listen

Enjoy beautiful music and Italian cuisine as only Vincenzo's can prepare and serve it, plus a special Kentucky Opera preview at the Kentucky Opera's "Lunch and Listen" series. The series will be presented at Vincenzo's (5th and Market), beginning at 12:10 p.m., on Tuesday, May 19; Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21. The ten dollar cost includes lunch.

The selections will include music from the coming season, which includes Madam Butterfly; The Barber of Seville and Romeo and Juliet.

Not only will you hear beautiful melodies while enjoying the special menu prepared by Vincenzo, but you will also get invaluable insight that will let you enjoy each opera more.

Reservations are required: call 502-584-4500. The deadline for reservations is Monday, May 18, 1998. Should you need to cancel, the Opera requests that you do so twenty-four hours before each luncheon.