Program:
Bonis Legendary Women, three pieces for orchestra
Kodály Dances of Galánta
Haydn Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major*
Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol
Peter Luff conductor
Rachael Tobin cello
From the event page:
Australian hornist and former conductor Peter Luff joins the MSO to lead us through this eclectic dance program.
French composer Mélanie “Mel” Bonis was highly regarded in her day, but as with many women in classical music, her presence has been largely suppressed throughout history. It’s fitting, then, that she reveals three legendary women in this haunting piece with swirling harmonies and quiet power.
Kodály is perhaps best known for inventing the Kodály Method – a system familiar to elementary school students and sound-of-music aficionados around the world, in which the notes of the scale are linked with hand signs (do, re, me, etc.). Another of Kodály’s important contributions to music was his celebration of Hungarian folk melodies on the orchestral stage, such as these beguiling and unforgettable dances from Galánta, a town on the railroad line from Budapest to Vienna.
The MSO’s associate principal cellist, Rachael Tobin, performs Haydn’s First Cello Concerto – a fluid and virtuosic performance of the instrument dancing in perfect counterpoint with the orchestra.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol showcases the virtuosity of each of the orchestra’s instruments in a lively blend of Spanish dances and Russian gypsy music with exuberant percussion and cheerful brass.