|
Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra Concert
Michael Morgan, conductor
Presented by The Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra
|
Claude Debussy - "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"
Though regarded as an iconoclastic work, Afternoon of a Faun was immediately embraced by
audiences, so much so that at its premiere in 1894 the audience requested
a repeat performance. From the shimmering opening of the solo flute,
Debussy evokes a pastoral, dreamlike, and mellifluous afternoon.
Ernest Bloch - Schelomo: Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello & Orchestra
Soloist: Robin Bonnell, cello (Principal Cellist of the Philharmonic)
This major work, based on the figure of Solomon and the book of Ecclesiastes,
was written in Bloch's so-called Jewish period. He
has passed beyond early influences of Strauss, Mussorgsky and Debussy
to find a passionate and expressive voice of his own.
Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring
Unlike the Afternoon of a Faun, the Rite of Spring's debut nearly twenty years
later was a pandemonium of boos, catcalls
and contempt. Now recognized as a milestone in
Twentieth century music, the Rite features a vast
array of orchestral resources and color. From its
opening solo bassoon, playing in a heretofore unexplored
register, the work builds arhythmically to a corybantic
climax employing every section of the orchestra.
