MUSIC

The Houston Symphony presents Rachmaninoff's First Symphony.  Friday-Sunday, November 13-15.  Featuring pianist Jeffrey Kahane (pictured).

Renowned as a pianist and conductor, Jeffrey Kahane is recognized by audiences around the world for his mastery of diverse repertoire from Bach to Gershwin. He has established a reputation as a truly versatile artist equally sought after as soloist, conductor, and chamber musician. This year, Kahane plays solo recitals and chamber music in Aspen, Chicago and New York. He also enters his twelfth season as Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, celebrating its 40th Anniversary this season, and continues his successful tenure as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Under his leadership, both ensembles received 2007 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming.

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D minor, Op. 13 at Ivanovka, an estate near Tambov, Russia, between January and October 1895. Despite its poor initial reception the symphony is currently seen as a dynamic representation of the Russian symphonic tradition, with British composer Robert Simpson calling it "a powerful work in its own right, stemming from Borodin and Tchaikovsky, but convinced, individual, finely constructed, and achieving a genuinely tragic and heroic expression that stands far above the pathos of his later music."

The premiere, which took place in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1897, was an absolute failure for reasons which included under-rehearsal and the poor performance of the conductor Alexander Glazunov. Rachmaninoff subsequently suffered a psychological collapse, but did not destroy or disavow the score, which was left in Russia when he went into exile in 1917 and subsequently lost. In 1944, after the composer's death, the separate instrumental parts of the symphony were discovered, and from these the full score was reconstructed. The symphony's second performance took place at the Moscow Conservatory on October 17, 1945, conducted by Aleksandr Gauk. Following a general reassessment of Rachmaninoff's music the First Symphony has been performed frequently, and has been recorded several times.

Scheduled Program:
Rachmaninoff: The Rock
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1

Conductor: Hans Graf, conductor
Guests: Jeffrey Kahane, piano