Lansing Symphony MasterWorks 6: Firebird!

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Proven to be a musical treasure for all ages, the overture to his opera“William Tell” was Rossini’s most ambitious overture, as it combines picturesque imagery and rousing orchestration. From this we move to the World Premiere of Robert Aldridge’s Variations on a Folk Tune for Piano & Orchestra, performed by pianist Melissa Marse. Equally gifted, in 2012 Aldridge won the Grammy Award for “Best Classical Composition,” and Marse has been heralded by The Times-Tribune as “a rare combination of clarity, warmth and technical mastery seldom seen.” First conceived as music for solo piano, Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princesswas rescored eleven years later for the modern orchestra. Ravel was a prominent influence on the Russian composer Stravinsky, who wrote the popular and beloved “Firebird” Suite. An instant success, Stravinsky became an overnight sensation and remains a crowd favorite to this day.