August 2010 Symphony Season - Program 7
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 - Symphonic Brilliance
Victor Yampolsky, conductor
Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2, Op. 132, (Mysterious Mountain)
John Williams: Viola Concerto
Michael Zaretsky, viola
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Op. 35
Hovhaness' Symphony #2 was commisioned for Leopold Stokowski's first performance with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in October 1955. The landmark recording made by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony in 1958 remains in the catalog. This will be the first PMF performance of this remarkable 20 minute symphony.
Violist Michael Zaretsky emmigrated from the Soviet Union and came to the United States with the assistance of Leonard Bernstein with Music Director Victor Yampolsky. The story of how this unfolded has been recounted by Maestro Yampolsky. John Williams composed the Viola Concerto for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and this is the first PMF performance.
The concert concludes with one of the great showpieces for orchestra, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, in it's second PMF performance.
Program notes for this concert...
Hear Music Director Victor Yampolsky and Associate Conductor Stephen Alltop discuss this program and some historical aspects by clicking here.
This concert is sponsored by Richard Kozak in memory of Marian R. Polito