Rebels With a Cause

Composers who went against the grain and a musical “Reformation”

Sunday, January 12, 2020 | 3:00 PM

The Program

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Mussorgsky             Overture to Kovanschina

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Menotti                     Violin Concerto 

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Mendelssohn          Symphony N. 5 "Reformation"

About This Program

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• Breaking from musical norms and looking to the motherland for inspiration, Modest Mussorgsky strove to achieve a uniquely Russian musical identity. His incredibly evocative Overture to Kovanschina instantly transports you to the grand and enchanting courts of Princes and Tsars.

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• Refusing to follow the avant-garde musical trends of the 20th century, Gian Carlo Menotti was shunned by critics and loved by the general public. Menotti’s Violin Concerto is a testament to his incredible ability to tell stories through music, even without the aid of one of his dramatic librettos.

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• Composed at the ripe age of 21, Felix Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony was meant to celebrate a momentous event of the Protestant Reformation. Full of joy and fire, the work was ultimately shelved for the celebrations, most likely because it wasn’t “Protestant” enough.

1 hour and 30 minutes, with intermission