- Brahms: Concerto for Piano No. 1
Bejamin Hochman, piano - Bartók: Rumanian Folk Dances
- Stravinsky; The Firebird Suite
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Our season finale features one of the most versatile instruments in the spotlight: the piano. Our opening work, Johannes Brahms Concerto for Piano in D minor, is complete with brilliant virtuoso passages married to deeply emotional and powerful musical developments. A poet at the piano, Benjamin Hochman brings prodigious talent combined with the requisite sensitivity required to perform this most beloved of romantic piano concertos. Then we cap our evening and the entire '09-'10 symphonic season with two masterworks from the twentieth century, both inspired by dance. Bela Bartok's Rumanian Folk Dances jump, rock, hop, and slide across the stage with their earthy use of real and imagined folk tunes. The rhythms are infectious, and Bartok's distinctive voice of wailing clarinets and stomping strings can transport you to the base of the Carpathian Mountains in a burst of Eastern European color. Similarly bursting with orchestral color and dynamic music, Igor Stravinsky's score for The Firebird set the world ablaze with this searing ballet. From the mysterious and magical birth of the Firebird to its glorious, triumphant finale, this suite includes all the highlights of this incredible score and provides a perfect virtuoso finish to our season.