The Future - Symphonically Speaking


In addition to performing as it is accustomed to, by itself with its own music director in charge, each orchestra will then be split up, to form five other orchestras, this time under guest conductors JoAnn Falletta, Kenneth Kiesler, Michael Morgan, Larry Rachleff, and DePreist. The music to be heard is a blend of the standard masters - Mahler, Berlioz, Shostakovich, Verdi, Fauré, Rimsky-Korsakov, Respighi and Dvorák - along with newer ones: Libby Larsen, Aharon Harlap, and Michael Daugherty.

Critic's Choice: Our critic Albert Petrak says: "There really is no commercially available recording by any of the youth orchestras, or at least none of which I am aware. So, then, why not thrust into the spotlight the person who gave life to this youth orchestra festival?

James DePreist and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo perform music from Bizet's opera, Carmen, on the newly-issued DELOS 3208 CD. Widely esteemed as one of America's leading conductors, James DePreist has been music director of the Monte Carlo Philharmonic since July 1994 and music director of the Oregon Symphony since 1980. He is also principal guest conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic, and has appeared with most of the major orchestras in America, including those of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Houston and Los Angeles.

The Carmen Ballet or, to give it its official title, Carmen-Suite, is a Ballet Suite for strings and percussion, based on themes from Carmen by Georges Bizet. It is a delightful updating of the famous orchestral excerpts from Bizet's opera, scored for 48 strings and percussion. It was written by Rodion Shchedrin, the distinguished Russian composer, for his wife, the famous ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya. First recorded in 1967 by EMI, it has proved a durable staple for the pops concert program, as well as a significant contribution to the ballet literature. Maestro DePreist includes the composer's own familiar "Carmen Suite No. 1" with six selections, in this 1996 recording. Highly recommended."

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The copyright of the article The Future - Symphonically Speaking in Classical Music is owned by Kelly Ferjutz. Permission to republish The Future - Symphonically Speaking in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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