Gershwin – Barber – Dvořák

All of the three pieces of this remarkable symphonic program “breath” with the American spirit; and yet each one is special in its own way. For Dvorak, it was the 19th century America, with the magic tunes of Native Americans and Afro-Americans; their influence may easily be traced in his “From the New World” Symphony, one of the most famous works of the prominent Chezh master.

Gershwin’s America is all about Broadway, the place where the incredible “Porgy and Bess” opera was performed. It is the music of the vibrant city in the 30s; the films of the time were colourless, but the music of the time enables us to see the colours of that world through Gershwin’s eyes.

Barber began creating the violin concert in Europe, at the break of the Second World War; at the end of August, 1939 Barber took the boat to the US, where he continued working on the concert. The due date was in October, but the violinist, who was supposed to perform it, refused to do it – he disliked the ending, which seemed not virtuoso enough for him. This concert takes us to the internal world of a person that strives for the answers to the eternal questions; the questions that may only be answered with music.  

In the programme:

• George Gershwin. Symphonic Picture «Porgy and Bess»
• Samuel Barber. Violin Concerto, Op. 14
• Antonín Dvořák. Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Op. 95

Artists:

• Valeriy Sokolov, violin (Ukraine – Germany)
• Hanna Schneider, conductor (Great Britain)
• “INSO-Lviv” Symphony Orchestra