About This Program

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Filled with music, dance, and folklore that ranges from Bohemia to Russia, Slavic Voices highlights the richness and variety of slavic cultures. While Mikhail Glinka’s Kamarinskaya could not be more simple in form, it is considered to be the core of the entire school of Russian symphonic music. As Tchaikovsky ventured, "just as the whole oak is in the acorn." 

Like all of Antonin Dvorak’s music, his Legends transport you to enchanting and magical Bohemian settings. Likely inspired by Czech fairy tales, this charming collection of musical snapshots evokes everything from the macabre to the sublime. By no means light fare, Weinberg’s Clarinet Concerto depicts the harsh realities of Soviet life with a Klezmer twist. This is music that has truly persisted against all odds. 

Chances are you've never heard of a small town in Slovakia called Galanta. Fortunately for us, Zoltan Kodaly spent much of his childhood there. Soaking in the incredible folk music of this colorful region in today’s Slovakia, Kodaly gave these melodies new life in his invigorating Dances of Galanta. Good luck trying not to stomp, dance, and shout to this one!