Pictures at an Exhibition

Julian Rhee, violin

Geoffrey Robson, conductor

PROGRAM

Tania Leon - Pasajes

Benjamin Britten- Violin Concerto No. 1

Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel) - Pictures at an Exhibition

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Pasajes / Tania Leon
b. Havana, Cuba / May 14, 1943-

First commissioned and premiered by your Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in 2022, Tania Leon’s “Pasajes” recalls scenes from her early life in Cuba and her upbringing using Latin American melodies, dances from carnival, and rhythms pulsing with Caribbean culture. 

Meanwhile, in 2022…

• The world witnessed the death of Queen Elizabeth II
• The World Health Organization declared that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic was “in sight”.
• 18-year-old Jaylen Smith was elected as the City of Earle’s mayor, becoming the youngest Black mayor in the country. 

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Violin Concerto No. 1 / Benjamin Britten
b. Lowestoft, United Kingdom / November 22, 1913 - December 4, 1976

Written amidst the threat of World War II alongside blossoming romance for the young composer, Benjamin Britten’s first Violin Concerto is an emotionally complex and beautifully written piece full of unusual exchanges between soloist and orchestra that is sure to have the audience spellbound. 

Meanwhile, in 1939…

• The iconic Superman comic first appeared in print–the first superhero to have a self-titled comic
• Musical legend Frank Sinatra records his first song, "From the Bottom of My Heart,” with the Harry James Band.
• In Arkansas, the pine tree was established as the official state tree.
• Lou Brock, a future member of the Arkansas Baseball Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was born in El Dorado.

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Pictures at an Exhibition / Modest Mussorgsky (arr. Ravel)
b. Karevo, Russia / March 21 1839 - March 28, 1881

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition takes listeners on a vivid musical journey through an art gallery, with each movement inspired by a different painting. Originally written for solo piano and later ingeniously orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, Pictures is a stunning work bursting with character. 

Meanwhile, in 1922…

• The first Reader’s Digest magazine was published
• The Hollywood Bowl opened in California. 
• Arkansas elected its first female to the General Assembly–Frances Matthew Jones.
• Best-selling author and editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine Helen Gurley Brown was born in Green Forest!