BEETHOVEN
Violin Concerto

RACHMANINOFF
Symphonic Dances

BENJAMIN ZANDER, CONDUCTOR

LIZA FERSCHTMAN, VIOLIN

One of the joys of touring to other countries is that occasionally I discover a remarkable artist whose reputation has not yet reached the United States. During the last BPYO tour to Europe, I was introduced to one of Holland’s most revered musicians, Liza Ferschtman. Her performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto is subtle, impassioned, richly hued, and deeply considered. I look forward to merging my own strong convictions about this work with the insights and radiant musical personality of one of our era’s finest violinists.

Considering the intimacy of the Beethoven, the final piece on the program had to be a work that could challenge the orchestra to the limit. What better choice than Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances? A recently released historic recording allows us to hear Rachmaninoff himself demonstrating a substantial portion of the work on the piano. Rachmaninoff forbade private recordings of his piano playing, but fortunately, someone secretly switched on a tape recorder in the next room while the composer was showing Eugene Ormandy how he wanted the piece to go. His greatest orchestral work, the Dances inhabit both the Old and New Worlds: they are Russian to the core, but with a filmic element that reflects its place of birth, Los Angeles. It is also Rachmaninoff’s swan song and displays his total mastery of orchestration as well as a succinctness not evident in his earlier orchestral works. -Benjamin Zander

Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto -42 minutes

• Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Op. 61 in D major was premiered during Beethoven’s life but was not popular at that time.
• It was revived in 1844 by Joseph Joachim performing with the London Philharmonic Society (currently the Royal Philharmonic Society) conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. It has since become one of the most popular violin concertos.
• For the Boston Philharmonic performance, the brilliant violinist Liza Ferschtman described by the New York Times as “nothing short of revelatory” will be making her Boston debut.
  • “Ferschtman’s sound is big and rich, full of personality and fizzing with ideas, but she’s also capable of that special trick of melting while maintaining poise and elegance” -BBC Music Magazine

Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances -35 minutes

• Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 was Sergei Rachmaninoff’s final composition and he completed it in 1940.
• The Philadelphia Orchestra premiered the piece on January 3, 1941.
• One of his great compositions, the piece is known for its unusual and haunting use of solo alto saxophone.
• See Symphonic Dances performed live on Youtube