Steven Isserlis plays Dvořák

Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is a rare gem: art music that is as demanding as it is accessible, appealing equally to the mind, the heart, and the ears. It is a piece that is always worth hearing in concert—and one that inspires performers anew every time. What could be more wonderful than hearing this piece performed by the magnificent Steven Isserlis!

All of Dvořák’s sophistication will come to the fore here, as will his old love story, which likely truly belongs to the secret origins of the work. That old story belongs to Dvořák’s Czech youth; yet he composed the concerto in America. The “American” music that was expected of him there was presumably precisely the blend of artistic ambition and popular appeal that his Cello Concerto achieves so perfectly. His student and protégé Aaron Copland followed suit fifty years later when he composed ballet music full of sparklingly clear, finely woven melodies with many beautiful wind solos. The work was originally titled “Ballet for Martha.” For it was created for and with Martha Graham, the pioneering dancer and choreographer of the mid-20th century.

The essence of Copland’s music can be felt even without knowing the story of a young farming couple. Imaginative ears will soon hear the vast Appalachian hills, then lively dances, then the emotions of the young couple. And whether the title “Appalachian Spring” refers to “spring” or a “spring” in the Appalachians is unclear, but it doesn’t matter. Fortunately, both fit the Winterthur season’s theme of “Origins.”

Program:
Aaron Copland - "Appalachian Spring" Ballet for Orchestra

PAUSE

Antonín Dvořák - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104