Posted May 24, 2018
DAYTON, OH (May 24, 2018) – On Sunday, June 10, 2018 at 3 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Artistic Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman, will present The Power of Fate: Tchaikovsky’s Fourth, the fourth and final concert in the Dr. Charles and Patricia Demirjian 2017–2018 Classical Connections Season. Sponsorship partner for this Classical Connections series is Graeter’s. DPAA’s Innovation Partner for this 2017-2018 The Great Ones Season is the DP&L Foundation: Powering Innovation in the Performing Arts.
Pyotr Tchaikovsky wrote his Symphony No. 4 during an emotionally tumultuous time in his life; he was in the process of marrying and then separating from his wife (all in the span of two months). The feelings and drama within his life bled into his work, but with an exciting outcome. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is an intensely emotional work, and it is certainly among his most personal. To Tchaikovsky himself, the piece seemed an “emotional diary in music.” He layered the symphony with fate and destiny as themes, conveying helplessness yet hope.
Completed in 1878, Symphony No. 4 has Tchaikovsky finding his true voice as a symphonic composer. The work is also a wonderful example of orchestral voice, with the orchestra as a solitary voice “singing” the work. The composer dedicated this symphony to the widow Madame von Meck, a woman whom he never met face-to-face yet whom he considered a confidante. Von Meck was also his benefactor, giving him the freedom to become the most accomplished Russian composer of the 19th century.
The DPO opens the afternoon with the stirring Suite No. 1 from Georges Bizet’s beloved Carmen.
The unique Classical Connections format features musical examples and explanation of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 by Maestro Gittleman, followed by a performance of the entire composition. Directly following is a casual Q&A and an Ice Cream Social in the Wintergarten with a free scoop of Graeter’s.
Tickets for The Power of Fate: Tchaikovsky’s Fourth range from $15 to $43 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and military discounts are available at the box office. For more information or to order subscriptions for the upcoming 2018-2019 Vistas Season, including flexible subscription types that include performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.