Concerts
The Sounds of Democracy
American democracy was shaped by the ideals, vision, and principles of its leaders, particularly Roosevelt and Kennedy. These presidents protected our liberties, including freedom of expression, and stood by the common people against the interests of the rich and powerful. Their legacy inspired the music of Sessions, Bernstein, and Copland, who wrote Canticle of Freedom…
Read MoreIris
At once opulent and eerie, Pietro Mascagni’s Iris, composed in 1898 with libretto by Luigi Illica, received its North American premiere at Bard SummerScape in 2016. The American Symphony Orchestra performs under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein with a brilliant cast of singers including the Australian tenor Gerard Schneider as a menacing and callous Osaka…
Read MoreThe Apostles
England’s greatest composer since Purcell wrote a magnificent but rarely-heard setting of the New Testament. Elgar’s The Apostles follows the story of the Twelve through the Resurrection. On a par with his previous choral work, The Dream of Gerontius, this oratorio is at once sublime and heartbreakingly human. Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the…
Read MorePrague Central: Great 20th Century Czech Composers
Though right in the center of the group of countries that defined the western musical tradition, Czech composers often felt like outsiders looking in. Perhaps it was this strange perspective that led to these four composers producing what has been thought to be some of the most original and influential works of the early 20th…
Read MoreBernstein and the Bostonians
This concert pays tribute to a group of composers known as the “Boston School” who lived, studied, taught, and composed in and around that city. This group of friends, of whom Leonard Bernstein was the most prominent, were almost all associated with the early years of Brandeis University and had close ties to Aaron Copland.…
Read MoreTroubled Days of Peace
Two one-act operas with strikingly different reactions to tyranny. The Dictator (1928) explores the rise of a charismatic fascist leader, based loosely on Mussolini. Day of Peace (1938) remains controversial for its ambiguous sentiments towards the Nazis; it did not meet with favor by the regime. Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in…
Read MoreThe Wreckers
Written by Dame Ethel Smyth, English composer and leader in the women’s suffrage movement, The Wreckers was first performed in Germany in 1906 and was mounted in the composer’s homeland in 1909. This powerful three-act opera about piracy, love, and betrayal in a community of religious fanatics was staged for the first time in the…
Read MoreA Mass of Life
Delius was a fervid follower of Nietzsche, and here he set passages from the philosopher’s poem Also sprach Zarathustra to music, creating a grand and compelling work celebrating life at its highest. Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in a lively 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Free…
Read MoreGiant in the Shadows
The reputation of Max Reger today belies his dominant presence in music during his lifetime and the legacy he left. Here we celebrate two of his works, and one by his friend and contemporary, Adolf Busch. Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in a lively 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7 PM in…
Read MoreRussia’s Jewish Composers
These Russian Jews exploded ethnic stereotypes by refusing to be known only as Jewish composers. These works identified them more with the nation in which they lived than with their ethnicity. Leon Botstein shares the stories behind the music in a lively 30-minute Conductor’s Notes Q&A at 7 PM in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Free for…
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