This Sunday, May 22nd, WRTI’s Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcast brings us a performance from this past April at Verizon Hall of the music of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Mendelssohn, under the direction of Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, making his Philadelphia Orchestra debut.
The program begins with a work inspired by one of the plays of William Shakespeare – Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest Fantasy Overture.
Before intermission, one of the outstanding performances of the Orchestra’s 2015-16 season shines the spotlight on Japanese violinist Akiko Suwanai, who delivers a memorable performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, composed at a crucial juncture of his career, when his music increasingly strove for what Prokofiev called a “new simplicity,” certainly apparent in his second violin concerto.
And, after intermission, the work Felix Mendelssohn was inspired to write after a trip to Scotland, his Symphony No 3, the “Scottish,” one of his most popular works.
During intermission, WRTI’s Susan Lewis will speak with both Ms. Suwanai and Maestro Heras-Casado. That’s this Sunday, May 22nd, from 1 to 3 pm.
PROGRAM:
Tchaikovsky – The Tempest Fantasy Overture
Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No. 2
Akiko Suwanai, Violin
INTERMISSION
Mendelssohn – Symphony No. 3 (“Scottish”)
Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor
Gregg Whiteside is producer and host of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcasts on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia and streaming online at WRTI.org, every Sunday from 1 to 3 pm.
