Festive Overture-Shostakovich
Through Waterless Places-Balmages
Brian Balmages, guest conductor
Symphony No. 1 in D Major “Titan”-Mahler
The FSO opens its second season with Mahler’s magnificent No. 1 in D Major, “Titan.” As in many Mahler works, nature and the human experience abound in the mammoth First
Symphony. The orchestra required was the largest assembled in any symphony up to that date, with do uble winds, percussion, and harp.
Brian Balmages is one of the leading composers in the U.S. for school-age bands and orchestras. Three years ago, Maestro Bartram asked him to write a piece for a mature orchestra that demonstrated in musical terms how an orchestra bridges music with its community—a concept central to the FSO’s mission. The result of that work is Through Waterless Places. The composer himself will be on hand to conduct this inspirational piece. And of course, Shostakovich’s fun Festive Overture is a favorite of both audiences and orchestras alike. What a start!
