Orchestra of St. Luke's Pablo Heras-Casado to Conduct First Concert of Season at Carnegie Hall

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) principal conductor, Pablo Heras-Casado, conducts the first concert of the orchestra's 40th anniversary season in a program of seemingly disparate works that Heras-Casado explains are connected by their fantastical inspirations and evocative atmospheres. This varied program reflects OSL's trademark versatility, a quality that St. Luke's has prided itself on since its inception.

The Carnegie Hall concert opens with the fantasy-overture The Tempest, in which Tchaikovsky conjures scenes and themes in Shakespeare's drama, from the raging sea to the passion between Miranda and Ferdinand. "It is Tchaikovsky's wonderful ability to create sound worlds that sets The Tempest apart from his other symphonic works," says Heras-Casado. "In a way, the writing is almost impressionistic." The performance is a precursor to OSL's first recording with Heras-Casado, a CD for harmonia mundi that will include The Tempest and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1, to be released in early 2016.

Shakespeare's writing is also the basis of Purcell's Suite from A Midsummer Night's Dream (often known as The Fairy Queen). The Fairy Queen was a theatrical work produced in London in 1692; it was a loose interpretation of A Midsummer Night's Dream, filled out with singing and dancing, orchestral music, and elaborate sets and costumes. The music is some of Purcell's best, with tuneful and expressive writing, a masterful use of Baroque counterpoint, and rousing rhythms.

Heras-Casado notes an unexpected connection between Purcell's elaborate theatrical work and Dallapiccola's sparse and serene Piccola musica notturna. Dallapiccola was inspired by Antonio Machado's poem Noche de verano, describing a summer night in an Andalusian village-another "midsummer night's dream" translated into music. "It's wonderful to be able to connect Dallapiccola and Purcell with the same inspirations," Heras-Casado says. The piece also resonates emotionally with the Spanish conductor, who is from Granada, Andalusia. "Piccola Musica Noturna reflects a very magical and sensual world-one I know well," he adds.

The program concludes with a rare performance of Mendelssohn's cantata Die erste Walpurgisnacht, a setting of a poem by Goethe. World-renowned soloists Elizabeth DeShong, mezzo-soprano, Joseph Kaiser, tenor, and Luca Pisaroni, bass-baritone will join OSL and New York City chorus Musica Sacra to tell the story of Druids continuing the Pagan ritual welcoming spring on the eve of May 1, despite Christian forces. Mendelssohn captures the thrill of the secret rite, with boisterous symphonic writing in the overture, a powerful dramatic line, and finally, the glorious greeting of the sun.

Elizabeth DeShong comments, "I am greatly looking forward to making my debut with Maestro Heras-Casado and the wonderful Orchestra of St. Luke's in Walpurgisnacht, Mendelssohn's masterpiece set to Goethe's extraordinary poetry."

On Wednesday, November 5 at 6:00 PM, the day prior to the concert, OSL has invited the public to meet Pablo Heras-Casado and learn more about Tchaikovsky's The Tempest at a free Preview & Chat at the orchestra's home, The DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Heras-Casado will conduct excerpts, and he and the musicians will share insights about the work's Shakespearean connection, history, and challenges, the process of concert preparation, and more, in an informal Q&A discussion with the audience. A champagne and chocolate reception will follow, welcoming OSL's friends and Hell's Kitchen neighbors at the event to the orchestra's 40th anniversary season.

The Preview & Chat is presented as part of OSL@DMC, a series of free, interactive events connecting the public to the process of music making. Reservations are required.

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