Daniele Rustioni Conductor
Paul Jacobs Organ
Ravel Alborada del gracioso
Casella Concerto romano, for organ, brass, timpani, and strings
Holst The Planets
Gustav Holst’s most famous work has inspired generations of sci-fi film composers, including John Williams (“The Imperial March” from Star Wars) and Bill Conti (The Right Stuff). Piloting this space shot is conductor Daniele Rustioni, who is “mesmerizing to watch” (The Guardian). From the ferocity of “Mars, Bringer of War” to the ghostly suspense of “Neptune, the Mystic,” it’s the perfect work for dreaming of galaxies far, far away. Listen for the female choir in “Neptune,” as eerily otherworldly a sound as you’re likely ever to hear.
And that’s not the only journey in store. Italian composer Alfredo Casella’s organ concerto is a thrill ride of emotion and spectacular sound. Sweeping and cinematic, this work raises the pulse with the boom of the timpani, the blare of brass, and the roar of the organ.
Ravel’s lovely “Morning-Serenade of the Jester,” full of Spanish flavor, opens this beautiful program.