Nashville Symphony To Record Nov. 4-6 Concert For Future Release

Nashville Symphony will record two works by composer Richard Danielpour for a future CD release when the orchestra performs November 4-6 at TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall. One of this country's most renowned composers, Danielpour has received extensive acclaim for his work, which has been described as expansive and sweeping, with romantic gestures and energetic rhythmic accentuations.

The concert opens with Danielpour's Lacrimae Beati, which will be followed by his Songs of Solitude, a long-form work inspired equally by the events of September 11, 2001, and by the poetry of William Butler Yeats. "I thought about setting Yeats' poems to music for 20 years, starting with when I was in graduate school," the composer explains. "Thankfully, I had enough maturity then to know that I hadn't the maturity I would need to write that music, so I waited. I would say that some of these songs are particularly gentle, and that the song cycle especially embodies the search for harmony - musical, psychological, emotional - which characterizes much of my work."
Emulating the economical style of composer Aaron Copland, Songs of Solitude was written for baritone Thomas Hampson, who will be the featured soloist at these performances. Hampson has earned worldwide recognition for his vocal work. He is one of the most important interpreters of German romantic song, and in recent years he has become the "ambassador" of American song through his celebrated "Song of America" project. Founded in 2003, his Hampsong Foundation employs the art of song to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.
To be released next year on Naxos, the Symphony's recording of works by Richard Danielpour is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Part of the Nashville Symphony's SunTrust Classical Series, the November 4-6 concert will also feature a performance of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Nearly a full century after its infamous premiere - which prompted a riot at Paris' Théâtre des Champs-Élysées - this piece still sounds thrilling and revolutionary today. Powerfully rhythmic, with a volatile pulse intended to conjure visions of a pagan rite, The Rite of Spring is equally notable for its many memorable orchestral effects and will provide a thrilling finish to the evening.
For more information or to order tickets, please visit NashvilleSymphony.org or call 615.687.6400.
Nashville Symphony - SunTrust Classical Series:
Thursday, November 4, at 7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, November 5 & 6, at 8 p.m.

Andrew Jackson Hall
Tennessee Performing Arts Center

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Thomas Hampson, baritone

Richard Danielpour - Lacrimae Beati
Richard Danielpour - Songs of Solitude
Stravinsky - Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)

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