-
(George Balanchine (Photo by Le Clerq))
Golden Delicious, Cortland, McIntosh, Harvest Hymn, Baldwin, Macoun, Pippin. Apples, you say? Nope, not today! Rather, seven movements in an orchestral suite by Morton Gould.
Morton Gould composed his 1983 “Apple Waltzes” in tribute to choreographer George Balanchine, who was already deathly ill when he heard a taped recording of the complete work, which had been in the process of becoming since 1969. The composer himself conducts the American Symphony Orchestra in this evening’s second-hour performance.
Hour one’s featured work is Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 79, played for us by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra under Adam Fischer, an appropriate group of players, if ever there was one.
The intriguingly titled “In Air Clear and Unseen” by Alexander Knaifel is a 3-movement work for piano and string quartet unlike any other you have ever heard. Inspired by verses of 19th-century Russian poet Fyodor Tyutchev, the music explores the metaphorical concept of eternity-time, transforming light into music as pianist Oleg Malov and the Keller Quartett sing to themselves while passing notes from one to the other.
After the evening’s film music, Mikhail Pletnev conducts Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” Symphony. Kaija Saariaho says that when she wrote “Amers” (Sea-Marks), she imagined the cello as a kind of boat moving in various directions in a sea of electronic and ensemble sound. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts cellist Anssi Kartunen and the Avanti Chamber Orchestra.
Morton Gould composed his 1983 “Apple Waltzes” in tribute to choreographer George Balanchine, who was already deathly ill when he heard a taped recording of the complete work, which had been in the process of becoming since 1969. The composer himself conducts the American Symphony Orchestra in this evening’s second-hour performance.
Hour one’s featured work is Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 79, played for us by the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra under Adam Fischer, an appropriate group of players, if ever there was one.
The intriguingly titled “In Air Clear and Unseen” by Alexander Knaifel is a 3-movement work for piano and string quartet unlike any other you have ever heard. Inspired by verses of 19th-century Russian poet Fyodor Tyutchev, the music explores the metaphorical concept of eternity-time, transforming light into music as pianist Oleg Malov and the Keller Quartett sing to themselves while passing notes from one to the other.
After the evening’s film music, Mikhail Pletnev conducts Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” Symphony. Kaija Saariaho says that when she wrote “Amers” (Sea-Marks), she imagined the cello as a kind of boat moving in various directions in a sea of electronic and ensemble sound. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts cellist Anssi Kartunen and the Avanti Chamber Orchestra.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.