ON THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE DANUBE

Boettcher Concert Hall

APR 21 – 22

We begin the program with Johann Strauss, whose waltzes are as patriotic to Austrians as the music of John Philip Sousa is to Americans. On the Beautiful Blue Danube is arguably the most famous, not to mention a perfect example of the natural beauty to be celebrating on Earth Day. In contrast, narrator and vocalist Gabriel Preisser (you saw him our 2015 performance of The Music Man) will lead you through H.K. Gruber's Frankenstein!!—a contemporary, dark comedy touching all areas of culture from Viennese cabaret and classical music to folk and pop. Concluding the program is Austrian-born composer Arnold Schoenberg's orchestral arrangement of Brahms' moving and expressive Piano Quartet—a timeless piece written and arranged over 75 years apart.

THIS WEEKEND: MOZART PERFORMED BY JASON SHAFER

DUKAS La Péri, Poème dansé

MOZART Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade, Op. 35

Boettcher Concert Hall

APR 7 – 9

Principal Clarinet Jason Shafer makes his debut as soloist performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's beloved Clarinet Concerto—one of Mozart's last works. Conducted by Music Director Designate Brett Mitchell, the program begins with French composer Paul Dukas's dance poem La Péri, and concludes with Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov's inimitable Scheherazade—a musical adaptation of "A Thousand and One Nights"... more >>>