Ingrid Fliter Plays Mozart
Fri Dec 3 - Sat Dec 4, 2021
Orchestra Hall
Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life) tells of thrilling adventures, romance, adversaries, and ultimate fulfillment. We welcome Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård to the podium for his Minnesota Orchestra debut and Argentinian pianist Ingrid Fliter for her return in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23. Up first, though, is Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade for Orchestra, his very first commissioned work and the piece that set him on track to be one of the finest composers at the turn of the 20th century.
A Few Things to Know
- Ingrid Fliter recently opened an Etsy shop to sell her original paintings that are created from a place of improvisation and intuition; she says that through painting, “a magical world unleashed in front of my eyes.”
- Mozart often scored his concertos and symphonies without clarinets, but in the Piano Concerto No. 23, he swapped the oboes for clarinets to darken the overall tone.
Program
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COLERIDGE-TAYLOR
Ballade for Orchestra
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade—premiered two months before the cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast that made the composer famous—is music of drama and heart, beginning and ending in urgency. A slow central section is filled with passionate, lushly-scored melodies.
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MOZART
Piano Concerto No. 23
1 min noteOne Minute Note
This concerto is filled with music of lovely and touching gallantry, highlighted by a poignant minor-key middle movement in which the piano sings with operatic grace. The spirited finale keeps the soloist in perpetual motion.
- INTERMISSION
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R. STRAUSS
Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life)
1 min noteOne Minute Note
Richard Strauss’ epic tone poem contains all the vivid theatricality of an opera, telling the story of a hero, his companion, his struggles and his ultimate fulfillment. Of note are the sweeping hero’s theme, introduced by horns, and the virtuosic violin lines that represent the hero’s lover—an idealized version of Strauss’ wife.
Artists
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century, ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, broadcasts and educational engagement programs; and a commitment to intentionally build concert programs to feature more works by composers of color, exploring music both contemporary and historic. In September 2024, Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård began his second season as music director.
Your Concert Experience
Join us for Q&A’s, hosted discussions, exhibits and more. All free with your concert ticket!
Accessibility Services
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large Print Programs
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
Sponsored By
With these concerts we honor the memory of Elizabeth J. Indihar in appreciation of her generous estate gift to the Minnesota Orchestra.