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Nashville Symphony & Chorus Perform Classics by Stravinsky, Ravel and Strauss on November 16 & 17

Nashville Symphony & Chorus Perform Classics by Stravinsky, Ravel and Strauss on November 16 & 17

Great seats start at $20, with student discounts available

 

Nashville, Tenn. (November 8, 2018) — Renowned Austrian conductor Hans Graf will lead the Nashville Symphony & Chorus in performances of classic works by Stravinsky, Ravel & Strauss on November 16-17 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

The Nashville Symphony Chorus will take the spotlight on Igor Stravinsky’s stirring Symphony of Psalms, a work inspired by the composer’s Russian Orthodox faith, and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, which illustrates the story of an ancient Greek love poem. The concerts open with Richard Strauss’ lyrical Serenade, a beautiful showcase for the Nashville Symphony’s wind instruments.

Great seats are available starting at $20, and the Symphony’s Soundcheck program offers $10 tickets to students in K-12, college and grad school. Date night packages– which include two tickets, two glasses of wine and Goo Goo chocolates – are also available.

About the Program

Stravinsky’s lengthy composing career was marked by numerous style changes, and he embarked on one of those notable shifts with the Symphony of Psalms. A stark, neo-Classical adaptation of sacred texts, the work is a significant departure from the opulence of The Firebird and the revolutionary primitivism of The Rite of Spring, two of Stravinsky’s most-well known pieces. Additionally, Psalms was the first large-scale commission that the composer designated as a “symphony.”

Written over several months in 1930, Psalms was influenced by Stravinsky’s rededication to the Russian Orthodox faith in which he had been raised. A choral-orchestral setting of three Psalms, the piece entirely omits clarinets and upper strings from the score, creating a unique sonic division between the chorus and orchestra.

Stravinsky himself was one of many contemporary listeners who admired Daphnis et Chloé, the result of a collaboration between Ravel and Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev, who had previously worked with Stravinsky on The Firebird and later staged The Rite of Spring. The source for Daphnis et Chloé is a novel-like romance attributed to the second-century Greek writer Longus. Larger in scale than any of Ravel’s prior works, the ballet alternates between atmospheric scenes, character-defining set dances and action sequences that advance the story line to create what the composer called a “choreographic symphony.”

Strauss, raised by a father who was a musical heavyweight in Munich, began composing as a child and finished Serenade when he was only 17 years old. Written for 13 wind instruments, the short piece exhibits the composer’s inherent gift for melody and an instinctive ability to blend colors and timbres despite his young age. 

About the Performers

Hans Graf was appointed music director of the Houston Symphony in 2001 and went on to become the longest-serving music director in the orchestra’s history until his retirement in 2013. Prior to his appointment in Houston, he was music director of the Calgary Philharmonic, the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra and the Basque National Orchestra.

Graf has recorded for the EMI, Orfeo, CBC, Erato, Capriccio and JVC labels, and his extensive discography includes the complete symphonies of Mozart and Schubert and the complete orchestral works of Dutilleux, which he recorded under the supervision of the composer, with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine for BMG Arte Nova. His Naxos recording of Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony won the 2018 GRAMMY® for Best Opera Recording, as well as the 2017 ECHO Klassik prize for Best Opera Recording in the category of 20th and 21st century opera.

Graf has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur by the French government for championing French music around the world, as well as the Grand Decoration of Honor in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria.

The all-volunteer Nashville Symphony Chorus has presented some of the most significant works from the choral repertoire for more than 50 years. Led by director Tucker Biddlecombe, the ensemble features more than 150 singers from throughout the Middle Tennessee community. Following these concerts, the Chorus will next be heard in Handel’s Messiah on December 13-16 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

Tickets for Stravinsky, Ravel & Strauss may be purchased:

Additional information, including program notes, performer bios, a Spotify playlist and audio of Nashville Symphony music director Giancarlo Guerrero discussing the program, can be found at https://www.nashvillesymphony.org/StravinskyRavelStrauss.

 

The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. The Nashville Symphony has released 29 recordings on Naxos, which have received 24 GRAMMY® nominations and 13 GRAMMY® Awards, making it one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. The orchestra has also released recordings on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and New West Records, among other labels. With more than 140 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, while its extensive education and community engagement programs reach 60,000 children and adults each year.

 

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