Masterworks

15-16SEASON

Be Transformed

Be TransformedMAStErwOrkS

CArOlyN kuAN MuSiC DirECtOrPhoto by Jane Shauck

if creativity is the ability to come up with something new, surprising and valuable, then making music is perhaps the most creative way of turning inspiration into transformation, emotion into action, and ideas into change. Music tells our stories and makes them come alive. By enlightening views of history and revealing visions of the future, music expresses how we think and feel about ourselves and our communities. it defines and connects us, moves and soothes us, and dares us to dream. we invite you to experience life with live music. Join us for a concert. Bring your companion, your imagination, and your passion. Hear and know, here and now, with the HSO. Be inspired and be transformed!

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15-16SEASON

New world VisionsOctober 1-4, 2015adaMs

Shaker LoopsBruch

Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26

Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World Featuring

Carolyn kuan, conductor

the season opener features composers who were inspired by diverse musical traditions and genres to create visionary new works. John Adams’ score for string ensemble was named for both the sound of the strings “shaking” as they oscillate between notes, and the imagery of Shakers dancing to energetic music as they worship. Bruch’s most famous composition remains one of the most frequently performed of all violin concerti. The “New World” – Dvořák’s most popular symphony (and the recording Neil Armstrong took along for the first moon landing) – was influenced by the melodies of Beethoven and Schubert, as well as the rhythms of African-American spirituals.

Bold BeethovenNovember 5-7,* 2015Beethoven

Coriolan Overture, Op. 62Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op.93

Featuring william Eddins, conductor and piano

Back by popular demand, guest conductor William (Bill) Eddins returns to conduct the HSO in an all-Beethoven program. the overture, inspired by von Collin’s play Coriolan and Shakespeare’s tragedy Coriolanus, contrasts a warrior’s bold resolve as he is about to invade rome with the tender pleadings of his mother to desist. Beethoven’s third piano concerto pays homage to Mozart’s 24th in its melodies, rhythmic gestures and phrasings. His eighth symphony is light and humorous, contradictory (and perhaps conciliatory) to the composer’s circumstances during the summer of 1812, when he ended a romantic relationship in a famous letter written to his “immortal Beloved.”

* the 3pm matinee performance will be held on Saturday instead of Sunday for this program only, due to the Hartford Veterans' Day Paratde taking place on Sunday.

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Masterworks

Joyful Voices with the Hartford ChoraleDecember 3-6, 2015higdon

Blue CathedralFauré

requiem in D minor, Op. 48 handel Excerpts from Messiah

Featuring Carolyn kuan, conductorHartford ChoraleRichard Coffey, music director

let joyous music warm your heart and lift your holiday spirit, as the masterful musicians of the HSO are joined by the magnificent voices of The Hartford Chorale. 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon describes the muse for her composition as being “blue like the sky, where all possibilities soar…and a cathedral, a place of thought, growth and spiritual expression.” Created almost certainly as a musical tribute to his father, Fauré’s requiem is noted for its calm, serene and peaceful outlook. Handel’s oratorio Messiah is the most powerful telling of the Passion story – a soaring celebration of salvation and rebirth!

Battle of the BatonsJanuary 21-24, 2016Bottesini Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor, 2nd & 3rd Movementssejourne Concerto for Vibraphone and Strings, 1st MovementSaint-SaënS introduction and rondo Capriccioso in A minor, Op. 28

Mozart Overture to Die Zauberflöte. k. 620 (The Magic Flute)deBussy Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun)Borodin Polovtsian DancesFeaturing leonid Sigal, violin rob McEwan, vibraphonerick rozie, double bass

Here’s your opportunity to hear, see and play your part! After the performance, you’ll have the opportunity to voice your choice for Associate Conductor, a new position that will assist Music Director Carolyn kuan to extend the HSO’s community and educational outreach. During the first part of the program, each candidate will conduct an orchestral show piece, featuring HSO principal musicians. Each candidate will then conduct the full HSO in a tour-de-force, showcasing the orchestra’s might and delicacy under his or her leadership. 4 5

Masterworks

three Finalists will conduct the hso as part oF the selection process For the new assistant conductor position!

love NotesFebruary 11-14, 2016wagner Tristan und IsoldeBach Concerto for Violin & Oboe in C minorBeethoven Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Major, "Quasi una fantasia" (“Moonlight Sonata”)

Additional orchestral works to be announced Featuring Carolyn kuan, conductor

Musical love tales and beautiful choreography take center stage in this program that will include Pas de Deux selections with featured dancers. wagner's transcendent opera will have you spellbound. reminiscent of many couples in love, Bach relished the challenge of writing for two dissimilar instruments, emphasizing their qualities in common and making harmony of their differences. Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” was likened to the romantic effect of the moon shining upon Switzerland’s picturesque lake lucerne. Bring your loved one – and share your own love notes – for a special Valentines’ night out!

russian MastersMarch 10-13, 2016prokoFiev Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

prokoFiev Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op.100 Featuring Carolyn kuan, conductor

Carolyn kuan and the HSO interpret the red-hot and icy-cool works of two iconic russian masters! inspired by his conducting studies of Haydn and Mozart, Prokofiev’s first symphony is known as the “Classical” and remains one of his most popular and beloved works. written while in a Soviet safe haven during world war II, Prokofiev described his fifth symphony as “a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit.” One of the best-known violin concerti in the repertoire, tchaikovsky’s is widely considered as one of the most technically difficult works for the instrument.

the koski MeMorial concert

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Romantic RachmaninoffMay 12-15, 2016 rachManinoFF

Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minorSymphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27

Featuring Guest conductor and pianist to be announced

Wrote Sergei Rachmaninoff, “I try to make my music speak simply and directly, that which is in my heart.” The public was already familiar with Rachmaninoff’s second and third piano concertos before he revised his first, begun at age 18. Using an acquired knowledge of harmony, orchestration, piano technique and musical form, he transformed it into a spirited work that maintains its youthful freshness. Rachmaninoff’s second symphony combines the intense emotions of opera with the luscious sounds of a full symphony orchestra. Although written more than 100 years ago, its sweeping melodies still speak to the hearts of audiences today (pop singer Eric Carmen even borrowed the melody for his hit, “Never Gonna Fall in Love Again!”).

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Orpheus & Eurydice: transformedApril 7-10, 2016gluck Orpheo ed Euridice (Orpheus & Eurydice)

Featuring Carolyn kuan, conductor

the HSO transforms Gluck’s most famous opera with a dramatic concert staging of sumptuous sights and sounds. Orpheus & Eurydice is the exhilarating account of the mythical Greek hero’s descent into the underworld to rescue his true love. its exceptional libretto and music – evocative choral passages, imaginative ballets, dramatic duets, and the hero’s famous lament – convey a timeless message of love’s power to triumph over all.

An American in Paris: world windsJune 9-12, 2016gershwin

An American in Parisgolijov Rose of the WindsrachManinoFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45Featuring Carolyn kuan, conductor

kayhan kalhor, kamanchehDavid krakauer, klezmer clarinetChristina Pato, Galician bagpipeMichael ward-Bergeman, accordion

Our season finale is a “world-wind” tour of exotic international sights and sounds featuring our woodwind section! Symphonic Dances was Rachmaninoff's last completed composition and is a stunning virtuoso showpiece for orchestra, combining energetic rhythmic sections with lush harmonies. George Gershwin’s jazz-influenced symphonic poem evokes the energy he witnessed in Paris during the 1920s, and remains one of his best-known and most beloved compositions. Osvaldo Golijov's Rose of the Winds is a “bold yet seamless melding of musical resonances from Christian, Arabic and Jewish traditions, with ear-catching instrumental sounds and colors representing numerous points of the compass,” said the Chicago Tribune. 11

Masterworks

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860-987-5900 www.hartfordsymphony.org

15-16SEASON