This weekend in the IU Jacobs School of Music

Music of the past\nThe Jacobs School of Music presents its second opera of the semester Friday night with a production of Richard Strauss’ “Arabella.” Set in 19th-century Vienna, the opera tells the story of problem gambler Count Waldner, who must marry his daughter Arabella to a wealthy suitor in order to restore his wealth and reputation. Arabella’s younger sister, Zdenka, also tries to win herself a suitor, creating no end of lovesick, richly orchestrated drama.\nGraduate voice student Jeremiah Johnson, who will sing the role of Count Waldner, said he has been challenged by the opera.\n“It’s easily one of the most difficult operas we’ve done here in the past five or six years,” he said. “Strauss is just incredibly difficult, but people are doing quite well.”\nOn the program for Sunday afternoon is a trio of classical choral music performed by IU’s Pro Arte Singers and Classical Orchestra.\nLed by choral faculty member John Poole, the ensembles will perform Mozart’s Kyrie in D minor as well as Haydn’s “Der Sturm” and Missa Solemnis in B flat major.\nGraduate voice student Steven Hrycelak, who is a featured soloist in “Der Sturm,” said he has enjoyed working on the program.\n“It’s got variety,” he said. “It begins with an austere Mozart, followed by an uncharacteristically dramatic Haydn work.”\nThe program is a repeat of a concert given last weekend as part of the St. James Cathedral Concert Series in Chicago. The concert will take place in Auer Hall at 2 p.m. and is free to the public.\nAnd the future\nAs part of its contribution to the 2007 Bloomington ArtsWeek celebration, the Jacobs School of Music will present the premier performance of the IU Informatics Philharmonic. \nNot an actual orchestra, per se, the Informatics Philharmonic is the name given to Informatics professor Dr. Chris Raphael’s automatic accompaniment system, Music Plus One. MPO takes its cue, so to speak, from the long-popular Music Minus One, which provides recorded orchestral accompaniment for instrumental concertos but with strict metronomic, and some might say unmusical, rigidity. \n“Although Music Minus One has its heart in the right place, in practice it is the antithesis of what the musical experience should be,” Raphael has written on his Web site. “My project ... tries to deliver the goods that MMO only promises.”\nRaphael, who plays the oboe in addition to his mathematical pursuits, has developed a digitized system that does not simply provide accompaniment but actually “listens” to and “learns” a soloist’s interpretation of a piece of music and adjusts its play in real time.\nSaturday’s demonstration of MPO has been put together in partnership with violin professor Mimi Zweig, who teaches Raphael’s daughter in her String Academy. Zweig said she is excited about the new possibilities MPO opens up.\n“This could be really beneficial for students,” she said.\nRaphael said he thinks it will receive a positive reception from the music community.\n“I believe these accompaniment systems will someday be as commonplace in the musician’s toolbox as the metronome and tuner – but much more appreciated,” he said in a statement.\nSaturday’s concert will feature student violinists Yoo-jin Cho and Thomas Rodgers. It begins at 3 p.m. and will take place in Sweeney Lecture Hall in the Simon Music Center.