The Rite of Spring in Summer

Aaron Collins unleashes the full force of Stravinsky’s powerful masterwork with a gigantic orchestra. A legendary, avant-garde ballet score, The Rite of Spring shocked audiences into a frenzy at its Paris premiere creating musical tremors still felt today.  Once decried, it is now a cornerstone of orchestral repertoire and considered by many to be the greatest work of the 20th century. Its elemental, pulse-pounding, and heavy metal nature is best summed up by Stravinsky, who, in an unaccustomed moment of humility, said that he didn’t feel he was the composer of the piece, but simply the vessel through which it passed.  The concert is rounded out with two works from Grammy-winning composer Michael Kamen.  One of America’s most popular composers, Kamen’s sweeping and epic Saxophone Concerto will be performed by Andrew Cleaver.   An American Symphony is the title track for the finale symphonic piece played at the end of the 1995 film Mr. Holland’s Opus.  It’s poignant, touching and speaks of loss, sorrow, nostalgia, and triumph.