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Principal guest conductor Donald Runnicles is well known for his interpretations of the French catalogue, and it is always a joy to watch (and hear) him conduct Debussy and Duruflé. This weekend will be no different as he presents Debussy's first major orchestral work, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Then the ASO Chorus Women join the orchestra in Debussy's Nocturnes, a tone poem reflecting the sky, a festival, and the lure of the sea. After intermission, the full Chorus performs the incredibly moving Duruflé Requiem, one of the most beautiful versions of the Latin mass for the dead.

Unlike other requiems, Duruflé moved away from dramatic, opera-like moments and instead wrote a peaceful, quiet, reflective mass that focuses on images of Heaven, rather than Hell. With melodies derived from Gregorian chant, Duruflé's Requiem is as moving as it is contemplative.

Atlanta Symphony Hall will be implementing a mandatory vaccine policy for audiences. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to performance, as well as matching photo ID, will be required upon arrival to Atlanta Symphony Hall. As of November 1, patrons under 12 will not be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. More details are available on our Health & Safety page.

Principal guest conductor Donald Runnicles is well known for his interpretations of the French catalogue, and it is always a joy to watch (and hear) him conduct Debussy and Duruflé. This weekend will be no different as he presents Debussy's first major orchestral work, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Then the ASO Chorus Women join the orchestra in Debussy's Nocturnes, a tone poem reflecting the sky, a festival, and the lure of the sea. After intermission, the full Chorus performs the incredibly moving Duruflé Requiem, one of the most beautiful versions of the Latin mass for the dead.

Unlike other requiems, Duruflé moved away from dramatic, opera-like moments and instead wrote a peaceful, quiet, reflective mass that focuses on images of Heaven, rather than Hell. With melodies derived from Gregorian chant, Duruflé's Requiem is as moving as it is contemplative.

Atlanta Symphony Hall will be implementing a mandatory vaccine policy for audiences. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to performance, as well as matching photo ID, will be required upon arrival to Atlanta Symphony Hall. As of November 1, patrons under 12 will not be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. More details are available on our Health & Safety page.

Music
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1, BWV 1066
Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 589
C.P.E. Bach: Magnificat

Performed by
Jonathan Cohen, conductor
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Tyler Duncan, baritone
H+H Orchestra and Chorus

Music
J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1, BWV 1066
Vivaldi: Gloria, RV 589
C.P.E. Bach: Magnificat

Performed by
Jonathan Cohen, conductor
Amanda Forsythe, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Tyler Duncan, baritone
H+H Orchestra and Chorus

Performance Details
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor 
Renée Fleming Soprano (Clarissa Vaughan)  
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-soprano (Virginia Woolf) 
Kelli O’Hara Soprano (Laura Brown)  
Brett Polegato Baritone (Richard Brown)  
Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director 

Puts The Hours (concert version—world premiere) 

The Hours, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham and an award-winning film, chronicles a day in the life of three women from three different eras with interwoven stories connected to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. Though separated through time by nearly 80 years, Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown, and Clarissa Vaughan (a modern-day Mrs. Dalloway herself) struggle with the notion of living their lives for someone else. This spring, Yannick and the Orchestra, joined by a brilliant cast, bring this compelling story to life on the Verizon Hall stage.

Performance Details
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor 
Renée Fleming Soprano (Clarissa Vaughan)  
Jennifer Johnson Cano Mezzo-soprano (Virginia Woolf) 
Kelli O’Hara Soprano (Laura Brown)  
Brett Polegato Baritone (Richard Brown)  
Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director 

Puts The Hours (concert version—world premiere) 

The Hours, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Michael Cunningham and an award-winning film, chronicles a day in the life of three women from three different eras with interwoven stories connected to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. Though separated through time by nearly 80 years, Virginia Woolf, Laura Brown, and Clarissa Vaughan (a modern-day Mrs. Dalloway herself) struggle with the notion of living their lives for someone else. This spring, Yannick and the Orchestra, joined by a brilliant cast, bring this compelling story to life on the Verizon Hall stage.

Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor, violin & countertenor
Erica Petrocelli, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Soloman Howard, bass
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director

J.C. BACH Symphony in G minor
VIVALDI Violin Concerto in D minor, “Per Pisendel”
HANDEL “Qual nave smarrita” from Radamisto
HANDEL “Furibondo spira il vento” from Partenope
MOZART Requiem, K. 626

Dmitry Sinkovsky makes his SLSO debut as conductor, violinist, and countertenor. Music from J.C. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel decorates Powell Hall in ornate style. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus returns with the twilight colors of Mozart’s Requiem.

Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor, violin & countertenor
Erica Petrocelli, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Soloman Howard, bass
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director

J.C. BACH Symphony in G minor
VIVALDI Violin Concerto in D minor, “Per Pisendel”
HANDEL “Qual nave smarrita” from Radamisto
HANDEL “Furibondo spira il vento” from Partenope
MOZART Requiem, K. 626

Dmitry Sinkovsky makes his SLSO debut as conductor, violinist, and countertenor. Music from J.C. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel decorates Powell Hall in ornate style. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus returns with the twilight colors of Mozart’s Requiem.

Dmitry Sinkovsky, conductor, violin & countertenor
Erica Petrocelli, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Soloman Howard, bass
St. Louis Symphony Chorus
Amy Kaiser, director

J.C. BACH Symphony in G minor
VIVALDI Violin Concerto in D minor, “Per Pisendel”
HANDEL “Qual nave smarrita” from Radamisto
HANDEL “Furibondo spira il vento” from Partenope
MOZART Requiem, K. 626

Dmitry Sinkovsky makes his SLSO debut as conductor, violinist, and countertenor. Music from J.C. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel decorates Powell Hall in ornate style. The St. Louis Symphony Chorus returns with the twilight colors of Mozart’s Requiem.

Riccardo Muti assembles the combined forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and internationally renowned soloists for “the symphony to end all symphonies” (The Guardian), Beethoven’s euphoric Ninth. A masterpiece whose staggering influence can be heard throughout classical music, it concludes with the famous Ode to Joy, which powerfully calls for understanding, peace and universal goodwill.

Riccardo Muti assembles the combined forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and internationally renowned soloists for “the symphony to end all symphonies” (The Guardian), Beethoven’s euphoric Ninth. A masterpiece whose staggering influence can be heard throughout classical music, it concludes with the famous Ode to Joy, which powerfully calls for understanding, peace and universal goodwill.

Riccardo Muti assembles the combined forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and internationally renowned soloists for “the symphony to end all symphonies” (The Guardian), Beethoven’s euphoric Ninth. A masterpiece whose staggering influence can be heard throughout classical music, it concludes with the famous Ode to Joy, which powerfully calls for understanding, peace and universal goodwill.

Riccardo Muti assembles the combined forces of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chorus and internationally renowned soloists for “the symphony to end all symphonies” (The Guardian), Beethoven’s euphoric Ninth. A masterpiece whose staggering influence can be heard throughout classical music, it concludes with the famous Ode to Joy, which powerfully calls for understanding, peace and universal goodwill.

A love song by Gustav Mahler is at the center of composer and Festival Artistic Director Marc Neikrug’s new stage work, A Song by Mahler. “Liebst du um Schönheit” (“If You Love for the Sake of Beauty”), from Mahler’s Rückert Lieder, is “a key element to the drama,” Mr. Neikrug says, and, as it “embodies the message of love as an aspiration, a self-embodied posture, and a state of being,” speaks to the emotional core of the work as well.

A Song by Mahler centers on the changing realities of two characters: “a concertizing singer who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s” and her husband, “who is also her accompanist,” Mr. Neikrug writes in a program note. The work—which features the talents of mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, baritone Kelly Markgraf, clarinetist David Shifrin, and the FLUX Quartet—“is not an attempt at documenting the myriad aspects of the disease,” he says. Instead, it’s “an attempt to address the specific emotional evolution of this couple, touching on their love and their particular relationship to music.”

“Our Four Arts 2022 festival, “Around Dvořák”, centers on the music of one of history’s most beloved composers. It’s exciting to discover that the famed creator of the New World Symphony was also the composer of a great number of definitive, masterful chamber works that constitute a significant portion of our standard repertoire today. In looking and listening “around” this impressive Czech composer, we’ll encounter those who influenced, inspired, and impacted Dvořák’s creativity, surrounded by an assemblage of his most heartfelt Romantic works, both classics and novelties. Hear an individual concert or participate in a week-long residency program with a package ticket.” – David Finckel and Wu Han, Beyer Artists-in-Residence

Around Dvořák II
This musical banquet pairs our featured composer, Antonín Dvořák, with his early and most important champion, Johannes Brahms. It was Brahms who introduced Dvořák to the publisher Simrock, who would become a key to his success. Beginning with Slavonic and Hungarian Dances of folklike vigor for four-hand piano, the program features sets of songs by both composers as well as two instrumental masterpieces by Dvořák: his unique and charming Terzetto for two violins and viola, composed for his friends, and his exuberant second Piano Quartet, written at the behest of Simrock, which features irresistible melodies for the cello.

Dialogues of the Carmelites, Poulenc’s tragedy in two parts, takes place during the French Revolution and asks the question: who gets to be a martyr? Seeking to protect herself from the guillotine, young aristocrat Blanche leaves her family and trembles her way to the Carmelite convent. But as the bedridden prioress admonishes the fearful Blanche, it is nuns who protect the convent, not the other way around. Promising to embrace her new life, Blanche befriends Constance, another young nun, who’s had a nightmare that they’ll soon die together. What began as a fresh start quickly turns to tragedy as Madame Croissy dies and the revolutionaries come for the nuns. 

Conductor: Patrick Summers

Director: Francesca Zambello

Blanche: Natalya Romaniw

Madame Lidoine: Christine Goerke

Madame Croissy: Patricia Racette

Mother Marie: Jennifer Johnson Cano

Sister Constance: Lauren Snouffer

Marquis: Rod Gilfry

Chevalier: Eric Taylor

Dialogues of the Carmelites, Poulenc’s tragedy in two parts, takes place during the French Revolution and asks the question: who gets to be a martyr? Seeking to protect herself from the guillotine, young aristocrat Blanche leaves her family and trembles her way to the Carmelite convent. But as the bedridden prioress admonishes the fearful Blanche, it is nuns who protect the convent, not the other way around. Promising to embrace her new life, Blanche befriends Constance, another young nun, who’s had a nightmare that they’ll soon die together. What began as a fresh start quickly turns to tragedy as Madame Croissy dies and the revolutionaries come for the nuns. 

Conductor: Patrick Summers

Director: Francesca Zambello

Blanche: Natalya Romaniw

Madame Lidoine: Christine Goerke

Madame Croissy: Patricia Racette

Mother Marie: Jennifer Johnson Cano

Sister Constance: Lauren Snouffer

Marquis: Rod Gilfry

Chevalier: Eric Taylor

Dialogues of the Carmelites, Poulenc’s tragedy in two parts, takes place during the French Revolution and asks the question: who gets to be a martyr? Seeking to protect herself from the guillotine, young aristocrat Blanche leaves her family and trembles her way to the Carmelite convent. But as the bedridden prioress admonishes the fearful Blanche, it is nuns who protect the convent, not the other way around. Promising to embrace her new life, Blanche befriends Constance, another young nun, who’s had a nightmare that they’ll soon die together. What began as a fresh start quickly turns to tragedy as Madame Croissy dies and the revolutionaries come for the nuns. 

Conductor: Patrick Summers

Director: Francesca Zambello

Blanche: Natalya Romaniw

Madame Lidoine: Christine Goerke

Madame Croissy: Patricia Racette

Mother Marie: Jennifer Johnson Cano

Sister Constance: Lauren Snouffer

Marquis: Rod Gilfry

Chevalier: Eric Taylor

Dialogues of the Carmelites, Poulenc’s tragedy in two parts, takes place during the French Revolution and asks the question: who gets to be a martyr? Seeking to protect herself from the guillotine, young aristocrat Blanche leaves her family and trembles her way to the Carmelite convent. But as the bedridden prioress admonishes the fearful Blanche, it is nuns who protect the convent, not the other way around. Promising to embrace her new life, Blanche befriends Constance, another young nun, who’s had a nightmare that they’ll soon die together. What began as a fresh start quickly turns to tragedy as Madame Croissy dies and the revolutionaries come for the nuns. 

Conductor: Patrick Summers

Director: Francesca Zambello

Blanche: Natalya Romaniw

Madame Lidoine: Christine Goerke

Madame Croissy: Patricia Racette

Mother Marie: Jennifer Johnson Cano

Sister Constance: Lauren Snouffer

Marquis: Rod Gilfry

Chevalier: Eric Taylor

PROGRAM

Sound and Fury [San Francisco Symphony Premiere, West Coast premier]
Anna Clyne

Symphony No. 9
Ludwig van Beethoven

CONDUCTORS & PERFORMERS

Daniel Stewart
CONDUCTOR

Michelle Bradley
SOPRANO

Jennifer Johnson Cano
MEZZO-SOPRANO

Mario Chang
TENOR

Rod Gilfry
BARITONE

San Francisco Symphony Chorus