Los Angeles Youth Orchestra “To Stir The World”
Monday, March 27, 2023 at 7:30pm
Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena

PROGRAM

Symphony Orchestra conducted by Artistic Director Russell Steinberg
Symphony No. 7 by Antonin Dvorak

Ruth Borun Concert Orchestra conducted by Assistant Conductor Jorge Padrón
Royal March of the Lions by Camille Saint-Saëns
Sarabande and Gavotte from the Holberg Suite by Edvard Grieg
Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Ritual Fire Dance by Manuel de Falla

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Tickets: $25 adults, $5 children (18 and under)

Antonin Dvorak wrote to a friend in 1884: “My new symphony must be such as to make a stir in the world.” Dvorak, as a Czech composer, sought the respect given to his German and Austrian contemporaries. His 7th symphony was to be the “breakthrough” piece.  Brahms himself already believed in Dvorak’s talent and had actually urged his own publisher Simrock to publish Dvorak’s Moravian Dances. Those along with Dvorak’s Slavonic Dances became popular hits. But Dvorak was not satisfied with the reputation of a popular writer of dance music. When this London commission for his new symphony premiered, the London public hailed it as a masterpiece. The German public? Predictably, they only admired the dance movement (Scherzo).

Assistant Conductor Jorge Padrón leads the Ruth Borun Concert Orchestra in four engaging works, opening with Saint-Saëns Royal March of the Lions from his Carnival of the Animals. You’ll hear a fanfare announcing the royal feline as well as its roar in ascending and descending scales. The Grieg Sarabande and Gavotte are arrangements from his beautiful Holberg Suite for string orchestra, Romantic-era music deliberately written in an “antique” neo-Baroque style. The Rachmaninoff Vocalise is an exquisite song without words, here transcribed for orchestra. Rapture is the way I like to describe Rachmaninoff’s harmonies and soaring melodic lines, and this is a tremendous sample. Students here have the opportunity to explore the power of a quieter and deeper expression. The final piece is Manuel De Falla’s spellbinding Ritual Fire Dance from his flamenco-influenced ballet, El Amor Brujo (Love the Magician). It’s fiery trills, driving rhythms, and intoxicating melody make it a favorite encore piece.