Paavo Järvi Conductor
Christian Schmitt Organ
Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Connesson Concerto da Requiem, Concerto for Organ and Orchestra (U.S. premiere)
Prokofiev Symphony No. 5
Prokofiev conceived his fiery Fifth as “a symphony of the greatness of the human spirit.” This dramatic work caps a program of brilliant colors and unusual instrumentation: Guillaume Connesson’s Concerto da Requiem, alternately macabre and ethereal, the perfect showcase for Verizon Hall’s incredible Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ; and Claude Debussy’s dreamy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, with harps and unusual string shadings conjuring images of nymphs frolicking in a glade.
This program is part of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Experience, supported through a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation.