Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 PM in the Performing Arts Center.

Sponsored by Don & Kyle Blada and Esther Swan

Bruce Knowles, Conductor

Program

LES PRÉLUDES (SYMPHONIC POEM NO. 3)

Franz Liszt (1811–1886)

Liszt’s Les Préludes, the third of his symphonic poems, draws inspiration from the poetry of Alphonse de Lamartine. The work reflects on life as a series of preludes to the inevitable finality of death.

Employing the technique of thematic transformation, Liszt develops a three-note germinal motive (C–B–E) across contrasting sections that depict love, storm, pastoral serenity, and ultimately, triumphant struggle.

ROMEO AND JULIET: FANTASY OVERTURE

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)

Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture is inspired by William Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy of love and fate. The music vividly portrays the central elements of the drama: the conflict between the feuding families, the tenderness of the lovers, and the inevitability of their tragic end.

The work is often associated with the famous Prologue from Shakespeare’s play:

“Two households, both alike in dignity

(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),

From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;

Whose misadventured piteous overthrows

Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.”

— William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Intermission

NORFOLK RHAPSODY NO. 1 IN E MINOR

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Composed in 1906, Norfolk Rhapsody No. 1 draws upon folk songs that Vaughan Williams collected in the English county of Norfolk, particularly in the fishing port of King’s Lynn.

Folk songs featured in this work include:

The Captain’s Apprentice, The Bold Young Sailor, A Basket of Eggs, On Board a Ninety-Eight, and Ward the Pirate.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

George Gershwin (1898–1937)

Gershwin traveled to Paris in 1926, hoping to study with Maurice Ravel. Their meeting evolved into an exchange of musical ideas rather than a formal lesson, culminating in Ravel’s famous remark: “Why be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?”

Upon returning to the United States, Gershwin composed An American in Paris, which he described as a “rhapsodic ballet” evoking “the impression of an American visitor in Paris as he strolls about the city, listens to various street noises, and absorbs the French atmosphere.”

In pursuit of authentic urban color, Gershwin brought back four Parisian taxi horns for use in the premiere, ensuring the orchestration reflected the distinctive sounds of the city that inspired the piece.

The work later inspired the film musical of the same name, starring Gene Kelly, which won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Musical Score.