Anvil Arts

Mussorgsky’s spine-tingling portrait of a witches’ Sabbath, based on old Russian folk tales, begins this concert. Brahms’ Violin Concerto is built on a symphonic scale, following the models of Beethoven and Schumann. The rapt slow movement starts with a particularly beautiful oboe solo, and the finale is a vigorous Hungarian dance. Strauss’ huge symphonic poem opens with one of the most striking passages in all music, and builds to further tremendous climaxes, including the Dance of the Super-man (a Viennese waltz, naturally), before dissolving into a quiet and enigmatic ending, poised between two keys.

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