Masterworks

Continuing with our theme for the season, the NRO performs Britten’s Four Sea Interludes, evocative orchestral vignettes that depict the changing moods and elements of the sea, conveying the atmospheric nuances of coastal life. Abel’s Global Warming reflects on the similarities between folk music of divergent, immigrant cultures, and celebrates these common threads. The program also includes one of the most popular and familiar string pieces, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, a luminous and emotionally resonant composition that expresses a blend of romantic lyricism and classical elegance.

The NRO is thrilled to welcome back podium Karina Canellakis, a musician of great repute and a powerful voice in today’s music scene. The third symphony by Brahms displays a lyricism and organic flow that evokes a sense of introspection, certainly influenced by the city’s proximity to the Rhine River. Wagner's "Forest Murmers" from "Siegfried" is a lush and enchanting orchestral interlude, depicting the magical atmosphere of a forest, with delicate textures and shimmering sounds that contribute to the opera's rich narrative and mythological themes. We return to the Rhine for Wagner’s “Dawn and Siegfrid’s Rhine Journey,” capturing the radiant beauty of dawn and the heroic fervor of the hero Siegfried at the climactic conclusion to Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

We are honored to invite Robert Moody back—there may be no better composer today that crosses lines between classical, pop and dance fusions than Mason Bates. Liquid Interface gives us water in every form and explores the intersection of nature and technology through evocative and dynamic musical textures. Sibelius’ monumental fifth symphony captures the essence of the Finnish landscape, featuring soaring melodies, rhythmic motifs, and a triumphant finale symbolizing the awakening of national identity.

Connesson's Flammenschrift captivates with its fiery and dynamic orchestration, offering a thrilling musical journey that ignites the senses and leaves audiences spellbound. We will also look to the heavens with Holst’s epic tone-poem, The Planets. Each planet represented in this sprawling masterpiece showcasing a diverse range of musical atmospheres and brings the Roman deities for whom they are named into vivid reality.

The Season Finale opens with a reminder of the power of our natural world in Frank’s Contested Eden. You can hear the intersection of indigenous traditions and Western classical music beauty, painting a picture of California throughout the seasons and the harsh reality of wildfires at the door. The season concludes with Strauss’ monumental Alpine Symphony, which vividly depicts a journey through the Bavarian Alps, capturing the breathtaking scenery, changing weather, and the grandeur of nature with rich orchestrations and thematic developments. Though it was inspired by a day in the Alps, you will certainly recognize our own Ten Mile Range in the music.