jmc's classics
I went to the SLSO concert this past weekend. On the bill was Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia Di Requien (Opus#20), Camille Saint Saens' violin Concerto #3(Opus #61) and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony #4. Vaughan-Williams works do not have opus numbers.
Cristian Macelau was the guest conductor. He is originally from Romania and now resides in Philadelphia. James Ehnes was the soloist. he is originally from Manitoba in Canada and resides in Florida. Britten and Vaughan Williams were British. Saint Saens was French. I am not as familiar with Britten but I am with The later two and their works. all three lived out their lives in the 20th Century. Britten's work was composed in 1940 while he was staying in New York. It was commissioned by the British council in New York and was supposed to commemorate the 2,600 anniversary of the Japaneese Imperian Dynasty. Vaughan-Williams(1872-1958) is British and did a lot of research in to British and English folk music. He was also a noted conductor. The fourth Symphony dates from 1935 between the two world wars. It was dedicated to Arnold Bax a fellow English composer. It has much influence from Beethoven especially his Fifth and ninth Symphonies. I am not familiar with the fourth Symphony. I am more familiar with Vaughan-Williams Fifth and Second Symphonies. He also wrote chamber music including two string wuartets and a string quintet. He also did write some film Music. Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) is the oldest of the three. he was a child genius and is sometimes called the "French Mendelssohn" although I don't see much similarities between the two of them. Saint-Saens' third Violin Concerto(Opus# 61) is one of his most popular works. He wrote two other violin concertos, 2 cello concertos five piano concertos and some short pieces for violin and orchestra and five symphonies. He is considered the first major composer to have written film music. The copy of This work that I have is the Opera Orchestra of Monte Carlo with Henryk Szeryng on the violin and Edouard Van Remoortel conducting. And yes a small postage stamp country such as Monaco does have a national orchestra. I enjoyed the concert. It was not as crowded as I thought it would be. I did enjy the concert.
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