A tale of two tenacious composers today with the ±«Óãtv Philharmonic, as they’re joined by conductor Joshua Weilerstein and pianist Alim Beisembayev.
Sergei Prokofiev's formidable, modernistic second Piano Concerto is widely regarded as one of the most technically challenging in the standard repertoire. It posed rather a challenge to the composer himself, too - he ended up having to write it twice after the first version of the score was destroyed in a fire during the Russian Revolution. Prokofiev reconstructed the work in 1923, two years after finishing his third. He declared his new version of No.2 to be "so completely rewritten that it might almost be considered No. 4!" This afternoon, we’ll hear this dramatic, complex work played expertly by current ±«Óãtv New Generation Artist, Alim Beisembayev, in his debut with the ±«Óãtv Philharmonic.
To follow, a remarkable piece that delighted the audience at its premiere in 1934, before being neglected for years in a cultural climate apparently unwilling to fully embrace its genius. William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony is proud and emotive, a musical exploration of culture and of history, and a joyful statement of visibility. At once personal and inclusive, there's a universal beauty which makes it ‘a major American work’, as observed by Atlanta Opera Music Director, Arthur Fagen. Dawson tirelessly advocated for his Symphony during a career touched by prejudice and push-back, but if his dreams for the piece were not all realised in his lifetime, at least now it is earning the recognition it so deserves.
