Celebrate The Music Of Russian Romantic Giant Tchaikovsky
Allow the Grand Rapids Symphony and its artistic director Marcelo Lehninger to wrap you in the aural lushness of one of the greatest romantic composers that ever lived during their hotly anticipated Tchaikovsky festival. The ensemble welcomes cellist and gold medalist at the International Tchaikovksy competition Andrei Ionita and the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus for a soul stirring program of the Russian composer's best loved works.
The program gets off to a rousing start with At Bedtime, a lesser known choral piece steeped in the church music tradition that is anything but sleepy. This is followed by the ever popular Variations On A Roccoco Theme, Tchaikovsky's Mozart-inspired love letter to 18th century classical music that also doubles as one of the most brilliant virtuoso showpieces in symphonic literature. Ionita will then join proceedings during the second movement of his String Quartet No. 1, Andante Cantabile, one of his only major works for cello and orchestra. The program comes to a stunning close with Symphony No. 4, a fate-filled rush of emotion that resolves triumphantly over its somber introductory tone with uplifting folk-inspired melodies.
