Norwegian trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth performs Weinberg’s extraordinary concerto, the perfect work to highlight the instrument’s considerable range.
American conductor Jonathon Heyward rounds out the A-list for this spectacular concert anchored by Rachmaninov’s expressive Third Symphony.
Shostakovich’s aptly-named Festive Overture is the perfect orchestral party piece, opening the concert with a brassy fanfare to set the mood for the two incredible works to follow.
Composed in 1967 by Polish-born Mieczyslaw Weinberg, each of his trumpet concerto’s three movements – Etudes, Episodes, and Fanfares – highlights a distinct personality of the instrument. The first movement’s zany rhythmic jollity gives way to earnest darkness in the second, before the finale’s quiet, heavy strings are overlayed with a bright fanfare.
Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov wrote his third and final symphony in exile in the 1930s. Those sweeping melodies for which Rachmaninov is known are at the forefront, but underpinned by a hidden depth of uneasiness and unpredictability.
Notes *Due to personal circumstances, Jonathan Heyward is unable to conduct as originally scheduled.