SHOSTAKOVICH 5
On opening night, the Erie Philharmonic is back in full splendor with a program of music revealing the virtuosity and sonic power of our own musicians. French composer Maurice Ravel wrote stunning works originally for piano, and later created orchestral versions of those same pieces with a whole new array of colors and textures. Alborada del Gracioso is one such work, with a scintillating evocation of a Spanish morning, replete with strumming guitars and clicking castanets. We then welcome young American pianist Andrew Tyson as he makes his Erie debut in Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto. A work designed as a calling-card for the young, ambitious composer himself, this C Major concerto has all the style and charm of his idols Mozart and Haydn, but already captures the bold and energetic creativity that would distinguish Beethoven and make him the legend we celebrate today. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony weaves a tale of sorrow and triumph, despair and hope, and confidence in the face of fear. After a wave of personal success in Moscow, Shostakovich was shockingly denounced in the Soviet state newspaper and was forced to rehabilitate his reputation (and perhaps save his own artistic life!) in this epic, searing ‘creative response to justified critics.
