Opening Night: Slatkin Returns
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Leonard Slatkin, conductor (bio)
Solveig Greenen, violin (bio)
Bedřich Smetana Vlatva: The Moldau
Zoltán Kodály Variations on a Hungarian Folksong (The Peacock)
INTERMISSION
Ralph Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending
Paul Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
The NRO’s opening night concert sets the stage for our season’s theme, The Elements of Nature. In Smetana’s Vlatva: The Moldau, take a trip down the mighty river Vlata, meandering through woods and meadows, past palaces and castles ruins, and ultimately ending in the majestic Elbe. Kodály’s “Variations on a Hungarian Folksong” is a vibrant orchestral work that skillfully weaves intricate variations around a traditional Hungarian melody, while Williams’ The Lark Ascending beautifully captures the essence of a lark soaring through the English countryside. Finally, Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis vividly portrays natural themes with with lush orchestration and dynamic shifts throughout.
