The greatest love story ever told served as the inspiration for artists throughout the centuries. For this concert, we visit three composer’s takes on this classic story. A delicious variety of music comes from the minds of these contrasting composers. And we’re visited by pianist Andrew Tyson as he shares Gershwin’s classic “Rhapsody in Blue.”
ROMEO AND THE GANG
Program Notes
PROKOFIEV: “Romeo and Juliet” Suite 2
From the time of political unrest in Russia, around 1918, Prokofiev had been living abroad, primarily in Paris, and writing prolifically. In spite of his absence, his music was becoming more and more popular in his home country. In 1936 he received a commission from the Kirov Ballet to compose an opera based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
BERNSTEIN: Selections from “West Side Story”
Leonard Bernstein, a native of Boston, had a life-long fascination with New York City. He was introduced to the idea of an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet set in New York by choreographer Jerome Robbins as early as 1949. His idea was to turn the story of the warring Capulets and Montagues into one about New York Jews and Catholics.
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
The Rhapsody in Blue was written at one of the busiest points in George Gershwin’s career, at the request of Paul Whiteman, an orchestra leader and major figure on the contemporary jazz scene in the 1920’s. He had heard Gershwin’s music many times – everyone had by that time - and in 1926 was planning a jazz concert in a serious concert auditorium.
TCHAIKOVSKY: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
The idea for an opera based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was presented to a very young Tchaikovsky by the Russian Composer Mily Balakirev in the fall of 1860. At that time Tchaikovsky was 29, the same age as Shakespeare when he wrote his play of the same name.
About the Guest Artist
Andrew Tyson, piano
Hailed by BBC Radio 3 as “a real poet of the piano,” Andrew Tyson is emerging as a distinctive and important new musical voice. Recipient of a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant, he is Laureate of the 2013 Queen Elisabeth Competition and captured First Prize at the 2015 Géza Anda Competition, where he was also awarded the Mozart and Audience Prizes.
To read more about Andrew Tyson, visit www.yca.org/artist/andrew-tyson.
Spotify playlist of the concert repertoire and similar songs
Concert Information
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Ticket Prices
Prem
Gen
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Adults
$37
$31
$23
Seniors
$35
$29
$23
Students
$19
$16
$12
PROKOFIEV: “Romeo and Juliet” Suite 2
BERNSTEIN: Selections from “West Side Story”
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
Sunday, 11/11/2018 3:00 PM
Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College
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11/11/2018 3:00 PM
11/11/2018 3:00 PM
America/Detroit
ROMEO AND THE GANG
Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College
Adrian Symphony Orchestra
info@adriansymphony.org
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