The season opens with a musical story book as we journey through the imaginative retelling of three classic tales: a cautionary myth by Lera Auerbach, a tragic love story by Richard Wagner, and an evening of magic from Sergei Prokofiev’s famous ballet.

Fun Facts:

• This program has a Russian connection. Composer Lera Auerbach and conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya were both born in Russia. Lera defected to the U.S. when she was 18 years old. Lidiya immigrated here with her family when she was just nine. And while we think of Prokofiev as a Soviet composer, he was born in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, an area that is currently occupied by Russian forces.
• The very first chord of the Prelude is quite famous. Known as the “Tristan chord,” its hazy harmony keeps the listener guessing as to what key the music is in, thus creating a lot of tension. Spoiler alert, in the opera, that tension can only resolve through death!
• Prokofiev’s Cinderella premiered in 1945, just five years before Disney’s iconic 1950 film.

Where Have I Heard It Before:

• Wagner’s Prelude und Liebestod: Dozens of films, including Love In The Afternoon (1957), Excalibur (1981), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Promising Young Woman (2020)
• Prokofiev’s Cinderella: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Concert Length: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes, with intermission