Penn State students can experience a revival of the 19th century this Saturday at Eisenhower Auditorium through the sounds of the Philharmonic Orchestra.

"All works we will be performing are from the romantic period of the 19th century," Gerardo Edelstein, director of the Philharmonic Orchestra, said. "They are very romantic, with beautiful, sweeping melodies."

The Orchestra will perform three pieces: works by composers Carl Maria von Weber, Edvard Grieg and Peter Tchaikovsky.

"These three pieces contrast with each other," Edelstein said. "The works are accessible for people not familiar with classical music, so I would recommend this concert."

Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 is the final piece in the concert, Edelstein said. He said it is one of the most important symphonies ever written.

"[Tchaikovsky] was going through tough times then, because he went through a divorce," Edelstein said. "This symphony is very intense and passionate but with a very optimistic and exciting ending."

Blake Kiefer (junior-information sciences and technology and music), a cellist in the orchestra, said the Philharmonic Orchestra practices as a group twice a week and has been rehearsing the pieces for this performance since the beginning of the semester.

"It isn't really a long time to rehearse," Kiefer said. "It's kind of impressive for a student orchestra to pull this off."

Kiefer said the music being performed is very emotional music and not "easy listening" music, especially the work by Tchaikovsky.

"The piece has a high energy level," Kiefer said. "You go through ups and downs as you listen to it."

Kiefer said the show will still appeal to those students who do not typically like classical music because it has a broad range of feel.

"I suggest it because the concert is inexpensive for students, and it's a pretty good date," Kiefer said.

The Philharmonic Orchestra consists of 75 Penn State students this year, Edelstein said.

"We have auditions every semester," Edelstein said. "There are between 65 and 80 members usually, depending on the repertoire I am programming."

Brad Wheeler (senior-musical arts), who plays the double bass in the orchestra along with six other musicians, said the orchestra consists of mostly music majors or enthusiasts of classical music.

"We're all really committed to making music," Wheeler said. "We're sounding excellent. I really think this is the best year that I've been here."

Edelstein said that as director of the orchestra, he tries to do collaborations with other Penn State groups.

"We are doing a collaboration with the concert choir on Palm Sunday, April 9," Edelstein said. "We are also trying to plan an opera for next year."

The show is the third performance of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the school year, Edelstein said.

Over spring break, the orchestra will travel to Spain as the second American orchestra to participate in the VI International University Orchestras Festival at the University of Zaragoza. The orchestra will be performing the same pieces that they will play in the festival in this Saturday's show.

"This performance is kind of an exposition for the week after," Wheeler said. "We've been preparing very hard. I don't think we've ever played for as many people as we will in Spain, because the main performance will be in front of about 1,600 people."

Wheeler said that only when he is playing classical music, like that being performed Saturday, does he lose all sense of place and time.

"In today's world, this music is the only thing I can get away to and really put the rest of the world somewhere else," Wheeler said. "We can just rock your world and fill the room with sound."