Our 2014/15 season kicks off with a program entitled "Mythical Dances" on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 7:30pm - Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall.
This will be a wonderful evening focusing on works for small orchestra. The program includes Respighi's lush Deita Silvane, and lighthearted Serenata, Richard Strauss' absolutely enchanting Morgen, and the seldom performed Dances for the film Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) by Italian film composer Nino Rota. We will also give the world premiere of Oraculum Apollonis by Respighi Prize winner Daniel Muck of Austria. American soprano Stacey Mastrian will be the featured artist on Respighi's Deita and Strauss' Morgen.
Most of the these works are part of the standard repertoire, aside from the new work by Muck and Respighi's Serenata which was only printed recently thanks to the Respighi family's permission to allow me to publish its first printed edition in 2012.
It is the Dances from the film Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) that truly deserves our special attention. A work which has probably never been performed in New York, or at least by a professional New York orchestra. We are more familiar with Rota's films scores to many Fellini films and, of course, his monumental scores to The Godfather films. Il Gattopardo is a recognized masterpiece of Italian cinema directed by Luchino Visconti. It recounts the story of the Italian Risorgimento, as experienced through the lives of a Sicilian Prince, Fabrizio Salina, and his family. American actor Burt Lancaster starred in the film.
The Dances are loosely based on the music of Giuseppe Verdi, yet the freedom of the musical lines and light, intelligent orchestration allows us to witness the true genius of Nino Rota. The work is enchanting, and lifts up the spirit - bringing us back to the times of waltzes, banquets and long summer afternoons. It will be a joy to have this on the program together with 20th century music of Richard Strauss and Ottorino Respighi - and the world premiere of a 21st century work!
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Hope to meet you after the concert!
Salvatore Di Vittorio
Music Director & Conductor
Chamber Orchestra of New York
Photo: Nino Rota
