Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
through November 9, 2019

The ASO under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor, Donald Runnicles, the orchestra brought to life two grand pieces this week. They opened with Shostakovich’s final opus, his Symphony #15. It’s a pretty convoluted work, and the Maestro gave a talk about the composer’s mind-set and life in under the days of Stalin; who was not a great fan of his works.

This one started out to be based on a toy story line, and he did borrow a theme from Rossini’s Opera of William Tell dating back to 1829. Of course others, like the Lone Ranger have also found those bars quite enjoyable.

After intermission, James Ehnes came stage center to treat us to Tchaikovsky’s famous Concerto for Violin in D major. And he blew the house down. Ehnes is an Artist in Residence with the Dallas Symphony, and is highly energetic. He’s also one who plays all the Beethoven sonatas in venues around the world.

This concert has only 2 more performances, Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th.

If you miss this one, or if you enjoyed it, know that the ASO in their 75th season will have more coming up. November 14 and 16 they will perform Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand. And before Thanksgiving they will present a world premier of a work they commissioned, Onward, by Brian Raphael Nabors, together with Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Brahms Concerto for Piano and Orchestra #1 with Emanuel Ax on the piano.

More info always online at AtlantaSymphony.org