Andrew Litton and the Minnesota Chorale: Bernstein and Walton
About This Concert:
A huge success at its 1930s premiere and beloved by orchestras and choirs since, Belshazzar’s Feast tells the ancient Hebrew story of lamentation and liberation.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Andrew Litton, conductor
- Christopher Maltman, baritone
- Nick Cecchi, boy soprano
- Sara Payne, soprano
- Alyssa Burdick, mezzo
- Jake Thede, tenor
- Harrison Hintzsche, baritone
- Minnesota Chorale
BERNSTEIN
Fancy Free
Chichester Psalms
WALTON
Belshazzar's Feast
Fun Facts:
- Leonard Bernstein, linked so strongly to Manhattan by his Broadway successes and his years leading the New York Philharmonic, was born 100 years ago—outside Boston.
- Bernstein’s Fancy Free is a ballet set in WWII-era New York, the comic story of three sailors on leave and looking for love.
- Belshazzar’s Feast sets Hebrew scripture about the overthrow of Babylonia’s King Belshazzar to sweeping music.
- The British Broadcasting Corporation commissioned Walton in 1929 to create a “small-scale” choral work, but instead he wrote Belshazzar’s Feast for a chorus and orchestra so large they couldn’t fit into BBC studios.
- Sir Thomas Beecham conducted the premiere, and as he saw the work-in-progress getting larger and larger he said, “My dear boy, because no one will ever hear this piece again, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?”
- After the huge success of its 1931 premiere, Belshazzar’s Feast became one of the most popular oratorios of the 20th century.
- Since his last performance at Orchestra Hall in 2008, Christopher Maltman returns with the Minnesota Chorale.
It takes a larger-than-life talent to bring William Walton’s sweeping oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast to life, and Andrew Litton is just that talent–with a Grammy-winning® recording to prove it. Litton joins us in spring to lead this inspirational setting from the Hebrew scriptures about the liberation of the Jewish people.
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Andrew Litton and the Minnesota Chorale: Bernstein and Walton
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Andrew Litton, conductor | Photo © Jeff Wheeler
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About This Concert:
A huge success at its 1930s premiere and beloved by orchestras and choirs since, Belshazzar’s Feast tells the ancient Hebrew story of lamentation and liberation.
- Minnesota Orchestra
- Andrew Litton, conductor
- Christopher Maltman, baritone
- Nick Cecchi, boy soprano
- Sara Payne, soprano
- Alyssa Burdick, mezzo
- Jake Thede, tenor
- Harrison Hintzsche, baritone
- Minnesota Chorale
BERNSTEIN
Fancy Free
Chichester Psalms
WALTON
Belshazzar's Feast
Fun Facts:
- Leonard Bernstein, linked so strongly to Manhattan by his Broadway successes and his years leading the New York Philharmonic, was born 100 years ago—outside Boston.
- Bernstein’s Fancy Free is a ballet set in WWII-era New York, the comic story of three sailors on leave and looking for love.
- Belshazzar’s Feast sets Hebrew scripture about the overthrow of Babylonia’s King Belshazzar to sweeping music.
- The British Broadcasting Corporation commissioned Walton in 1929 to create a “small-scale” choral work, but instead he wrote Belshazzar’s Feast for a chorus and orchestra so large they couldn’t fit into BBC studios.
- Sir Thomas Beecham conducted the premiere, and as he saw the work-in-progress getting larger and larger he said, “My dear boy, because no one will ever hear this piece again, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?”
- After the huge success of its 1931 premiere, Belshazzar’s Feast became one of the most popular oratorios of the 20th century.
- Since his last performance at Orchestra Hall in 2008, Christopher Maltman returns with the Minnesota Chorale.
It takes a larger-than-life talent to bring William Walton’s sweeping oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast to life, and Andrew Litton is just that talent–with a Grammy-winning® recording to prove it. Litton joins us in spring to lead this inspirational setting from the Hebrew scriptures about the liberation of the Jewish people.
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OH+ Concert activities on Saturday June 2 / see all upcoming OH+ events
Concert Preview
When: 7:15-7:45pm Where: N. Bud Grossman Mezzanine Alex Lubet, Professor of Music, University of Minnesota, will discuss the qualities that make Leonard Bernstein's music so representative of American culture in his talk "Leonard Bernstein, Quintessential American Composer: From Fancy Free to On the Town."
MOB (Minnesota Orchestra Band) Performance
When: Post-concert Where: Roberta Mann Grand Foyer Stay late and enjoy a performance by our very own Minnesota Orchestra Band with special guest Andrew Litton. Playing the entire Let it Be album by the Beatles, this will definitely be a great pairing to an exciting program.
String Recycling
When: Pre- & post-concert Where: Audience Services Desk Looking to get rid of old musical instrument strings? Recycle your collection at Orchestra Hall! Strings will be used for future Minnesota Orchestra Sensory-Friendly Family Concert art exploration activities and then recycled through the D’Addario Foundation’s Playback String Recycling Program, which supports efforts to provide a range of music instruction programs all over the world.