Mel Bonis | Bourrée, Op. 62 (3’)**
Ernest Chausson | Poème for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25 ( 17’)
Camille Saint-Saëns | Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Op.28 (11’)
Intermission
Maurice Ravel | Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2 (18’)
Maurice Ravel | Boléro (15’)
Running time with intermission is 84 minutes
Be embraced by the masterful grace of Dawn Posey on violin as she guides the BSO through the tender and dazzling themes of Poème and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Lose yourself in the lush sensuality of Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé and become hypnotized by the spell of Boléro.
We’re thrilled to be joined by the Shoestring Circus for the opening concert of our 51st season.
Delight in artistry for the ages!
Tickets start at just $15. Check out our ticket discounts page for information on FREE Orchestra for All tickets.
Even the austere Stravinsky called Daphnis “not only Ravel’s best work, but also one of the most beautiful products of all French music.”
Mélanie Hélène Bonis was a prolific French classical composer writing more than 300 compositions, including works for orchestra, piano, organ, choir, chamber music, and a mass.
Chausson died at age 44 in 1899 after losing control of his bicycle and crashing into a brick wall at his country retreat. Several years later, fellow countryman Claude Debussy declared: “The Poème contains Chausson’s best qualities.”
Chausson was a key figure in the Parisian artistic scene and hosted a famous salon frequented by Debussy, Fauré, and painters like Monet.
Ravel suffered a severe blow to the head in a taxi accident in Paris 1932, after which he experienced progressive apraxia (inability to perform purposeful movements) and aphasia (loss of language capability).
Researchers have suggested that the relentless, repeating structure of Boléro reflects a brain disorder, particularly frontal lobe dementia, characterized by compulsive repetition.
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921) was a Mozart-like prodigy; he could pick out melodies on the piano at age 2.5 and composed his first piece at age 3. He made his public debut at age 10, offering to play any of Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas from memory.
Koji Kondo, composer at Nintendo, planned to use Boléro as the opening crawl for the first The Legend of Zelda video game (1986), but shortly before release was forced to use other music from the game instead due to copyright concerns.
WATCH A version of Boléro was recorded with Frank Zappa conducting an all-brass big-band ensemble in 1988: Frank Zappa "Packard Goose Pt. I"x
ART HISTORY Francois Boucher, Daphnis and Chloe, 1743
Boucher began painting pastorals in the mid-1730s and evolved a unique style. His scenes often feature graceful shepherds and shepherdesses, dressed simply yet elegantly and engaging in refined, romantic courtship.
ART HISTORY Jean Ians weaver, The Births, c. 1718-1720, wool and silk
One of five tapestry pieces telling the story of Daphnis and Chloe, woven at the Manufacture des Gobelins circa 1718-1720. Each of these tapestries illustrates, in five scenes, one of the four chapters of the ancient novel Daphnis and Chloe.
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Join us for an engaging and informative Pre-Concert Talk with Dr. McKenna Milici. Now taking place in the Main Theatre, Pre-Concert Talks will take place at 2:00PM from the Main Stage. Doors open at 1:45PM. These talks are free for ticket-holders.
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*All programs subject to change
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