FSO Concert - Liszt, Lao, & Saint-Saens

Enrique Diemecke, Music Director & Conductor
Gary Hoffman, cello

FRANZ LISZT Les Préludes
ÉDOUARD LALO Cello Concerto in D minor
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Symphony #3, op.78, C minor

Les Préludes is the most popular and frequently-performed of Liszt’s pieces. Originally a work for male chorus, it introduces two main themes: the murmuring, relaxed horns and violas, followed by a more spirited section heralded by solo horn. Its various sections are marked by conceptual themes, including love, storm, bucolic calm, and battle & victory.

Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D Minor features cellist Gary Hoffman. It showcases the instrument’s tremendous range, from deep bass tones to high-flying, bird-like melodies. Listeners will be on the edge of their seats as the breathtaking, quick tempi take the audience on an exhilarating ride.

The program’s finale, Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, is a bold romantic masterpiece. The composer himself considered it the pinnacle of his career, and its various elements are characteristic of his compositional style up to that point. It features virtuosic piano passages, lush, romantic orchestral writing and a booming pipe organ that will fill the concert hall with glorious tones.