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Tchaikovsky’s Fourth & Live Recording of Pulitzer Winner Christopher Rouse Highlight Nashville Symphony Performances on April 11-13

Tchaikovsky’s Fourth & Live Recording of Pulitzer Winner Christopher Rouse Highlight Nashville Symphony Performances on April 11-13

Rouse recording to be released worldwide on classical music powerhouse Naxos

Nashville, Tenn. (April 4, 2019) — On April 11-13 at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony pair a classic by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, his Symphony No. 4, with two landmark contemporary works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Christopher Rouse.

One of the staples of the classical repertoire, Tchaikovsky’s Fourth was inspired by Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and features some of most brilliant music in the Russian composer’s entire catalog. The concerts open with Rouse’s Supplica and his Concerto for Orchestra, a colorful and unique work that will showcase the virtuosity of the entire orchestra. Both pieces will be recorded live for future release on Naxos, the world’s leading classical music label.

Great seats are available starting at $20 (while supplies last, additional fees apply), and the Symphony’s Soundcheck program offers $10 tickets to students in K-12, college and grad school.

 

About the Program

The Fourth Symphony was the first large-scale work Tchaikovsky finished after being taken under the wing of Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy widow who would provide him with years of financial, intellectual and moral support. Von Meck, to whom the symphony is dedicated, showed a particular interest in Tchaikovsky’s work on the Fourth, and the composer wrote a vivid, emotionally honest description of the music for her benefit.

The Fourth is built around the concept of an ominous, inescapable “Fate,” an idea Tchaikovsky explored – both as a musical presence and a character in a drama – to varying degrees in his last four symphonies. Here, the Fate motif emerges like a blazing announcement of Judgment Day throughout the dramatic, emotionally complex opening movement, which is followed by two dreamlike interludes and an exuberant finale.

Tchaikovsky likened the work to Beethoven’s landmark Fifth and its own exploration of Fate, noting in a letter to Von Meck, “There is not a single line in this Symphony that I have not felt in my whole being and that has not been a true echo of the soul.”

Rouse enjoys a reputation as one of the most frequently performed American composers and has played a leading role in the revitalization of contemporary orchestral music since first coming to prominence in 1981. He has made a name for himself particularly in the concerto genre, writing showcases for the violin, flute, cello, percussion, piano, guitar, oboe, trumpet, organ and, most recently, bassoon. Rouse won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Trombone Concerto, which was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for the ensemble’s 150th anniversary.

The title of Supplica is derived from the Italian word “entreaty,” and the pared down instrumentation – featuring only horns, brass, harp and strings – is a departure from the composer’s typically expansive color palette Rouse.

In his Concerto for Orchestra, Rouse deviates from the standard concerto practice of featuring a one or two soloists and instead presents the musicians of the orchestra as soloists, noting that “each is given passages requiring everything from singing lyricism to challenging virtuosity, and this work is essentially ‘about’ allowing each player a chance to shine.”

“It’s quite the spectacle to hear a virtuosic orchestra like the Nashville Symphony tackle incredible works such as these and experience how easy they can make it look at times,” said Guerrero. “The Rouse concerto, in particular, was selected as a showpiece for the talent of our entire orchestra, and we are fortunate to have the type of world class musicians required to execute such a difficult and unique piece right here in Music City.”

Tickets for Tchaikovsky’s Fourth may be purchased:

Program notes, a Spotify playlist and audio of Giancarlo Guerrero discussing the program, can be found at https://www.nashvillesymphony.org/TchaikFour.

 

The GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording and commissioning works by America’s leading composers. The Nashville Symphony has released 29 recordings on Naxos, which have received 24 GRAMMY® nominations and 13 GRAMMY® Awards, making it one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. The orchestra has also released recordings on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon and New West Records, among other labels. With more than 140 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children’s concerts, while its extensive education and community engagement programs reach 60,000 children and adults each year.