Vienna Old and New

Thursday
April 9, 2009, 7:00 p.m.- Laura Turner Concert Hall

Friday
April 10, 2009, 8:00 p.m.- Laura Turner Concert Hall

Saturday
April 11, 2009, 8:00 p.m.- Laura Turner Concert Hall

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
James Ehnes, violin

Johann Strauss -  Wiener Blut, Op. 354
Berg  -  Concerto for Violin
Bruckner  -  Symphony No. 7 in E major

Back by popular demand, violinist James Ehnes performs Alban Berg's epoch-making Violin Concerto – a gripping composition dedicated to "the memory of an angel." In Johann Strauss' famous Wiener Blut waltz, the beloved Viennese dance takes center stage. The rich harmonies, noble melodies and concluding fanfare flourishes in Bruckner's Seventh Symphony gave the composer his first success at age 60.

Read the Program Notes (PDF)

Interesting Facts:
> In dedicating this concerto "to the memory of an angel," Berg intended for the piece to honor the life of Manon Gropius, the daughter of Alma Mahler (once Gustav Mahler's wife) and Walter Gropius.
> Anton Bruckner was a beer enthusiast.