This is what it’s all about! This week I will be conducting four performances of works that perfectly illustrate what it is that makes my musical heart tick.
The opening of the program is Hans Krasa’s Brunidbar, a 30-minute children’s opera originally written briefly before Krasa was taken by the Nazis to the transit “artist refuge” Terezin, and then later to Auschwitz, where he perished alongside some of the most notable musical talents of the 20th century.
I chose this as the opening work of our Rediscovered Masters series at the Phoenix Symphony because it is a simple but completely heartfelt expression of human survival and sense of humor. It makes me cry every time I think of the icing on this cake — we are joined by one of the only surviving original cast members from Terezin, Ella Weissberger, the original “Cat.” She will join our cast on stage for the finale, singing in Czech, the language she sang in over 55 performances seven decades ago.
The premiere on the program is by Mieczysław Weinberg, his Rhapsody on Moldavian Themes. This will be the North American premiere. I’ve already scheduled it with another US orchestra to be announced shortly, and it is a brilliant barnburner. When I have violinists who play a million notes tell me they could play this piece all day, I’m a very happy Music Director!
Keep your eyes and ears open for Weinberg. His music will become standard repertory. A very exciting complete works series is in progress, recorded by the Gothenburg (Sweden) Symphony. (Damn, they got to it first!)
Finally, a return to the piece I’ve conducted more than any other in my life, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. After dozens of performances of the full ballet at the Zurich Opera in the late '90s, this is my first time with the official Suites. Ok, it’s the plum for the audience, but it’s also an acknowledgement of the profound relationship Weinberg had with Shostakovich and Prokofiev by extension. I also love that we bookend the concert with two story works.
New and old, a bit of thematic acknowledgement where appropriate, and extremely good music presented in an interesting way. That’s what makes my musical heart leap for joy!
