New Haven, CT (April 23, 2014): The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) presents two colossal works in one blockbuster season finale! Music Director William Boughton conducts Rachmaninov Fantastique on Thursday, May 15 at 7:30pm at Woolsey Hall (New Haven) and on Saturday, May 17 at 8:00pm at Mechanics Hall (Worcester, MA).
Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev, who will tackle Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the New Haven Symphony, continues to astound and mesmerize audiences at major venues around the world. American Record Guide raved that, “Yakushev is one of the very best young pianists before the public today, and it doesn’t seem to matter what repertoire he plays – it is all of the highest caliber.”
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is a dynamic piece that marries musical subtlety and piano pyrotechnics. Rachmaninov struggled with depression for many years, and recovered after undergoing psychotherapy with Dr. Nikolay Dahl, in whose honor he composed the concerto. The piece was an instant success and remains his most frequently performed work due to its virtuosity. Its passionate strains can be heard in several popular films such as Brief Encounter, The Seven year Itch (with Marilyn Monroe) and Rhapsody (with Elizabeth Taylor). More recently, it was featured prominently in Clint Eastwood’s 2010 film Hereafter.
Hector Berlioz’s life was similarly tumultuous, which is reflected in his Symphonie fantastique. The piece was fueled by Berlioz’s obsession with Irish actress Harriet Smithson, and tells the story of a gifted artist who was hopelessly in love and his despair drove him to take opium. As a result of the dramatic narrative, the Symphonie hurtles from moments of tenderness to tantrums, from visions of suicide to ecstasy. The fifth movement, the “Dream of a Witches Sabbath” with its hideous evocation of demons at the composer’s funeral, is memorably used in the films The Shining and Sleeping with the Enemy, starring Julia Roberts. It is reported that Berlioz wrote parts of the work while under the influence of opium. Leonard Bernstein theorized that Symphonie fantastique was the first musical experiment with psychedelia, stating “Berlioz tells it like it is. You take a trip, you wind up screaming at your own funeral.”
Tickets for the performance at Woolsey Hall are $15-69, student tickets are $10, KidTix are free for kids ages 6-17 (with paying adult), and Blue Star tickets are free for military families. For tickets or more information, contact 203.865.0831 x10 or www.NewHavenSymphony.org.
Tickets to the performance at Mechanics Hall are $49 for adults, $15 for students, and $5 for kids under age 18. To purchase tickets visit www.MechanicsHall.org.
New Haven Season Media Sponsor: New Haven Register.
