Brahms, Ravel and Elgar: UMD Symphony Orchestra • LIVESTREAM
Brahms, Ravel and Elgar: UMD Symphony Orchestra • LIVESTREAM
ABOUT THE EVENT
David Neely, music director
The UMD Symphony Orchestra presents its season finale concert, celebrating with works by some of the most prolific composers of all time.
Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 is among the most iconic pieces of classical music. When Elgar received his honorary degree from Yale, Pomp and Circumstance served as the grand finale for the ceremony. This quickly became a tradition that swept across the United States, and the stately march has since become synonymous with the triumph of academic achievement.
Maurice Ravel’s La valse sparked much debate when it premiered. While Ravel claimed that the waltz was meant to be a composition of “hallucinatory ecstasy,” listeners heard something more sinister: a struggle between life and death. Whirling instrumentation, coupled with the signature lilt of the waltz, make this piece an adrenaline rush reminiscent of the ballrooms of old.
The program concludes with Johannes Brahms’ third symphony, a poignant and rich composition that was written in just four months. Moments of tension and release throughout the piece, coupled with an unforgettable, bittersweet third movement, make this one of the composer’s most well-loved symphonies.
PROGRAM
Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1
Maurice Ravel: La valse
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 3
ABOUT THE UMD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Through its committed and polished performances under the baton of David Neely, UMSO is dedicated to the power of musical communication. In its repertoire, the orchestra explores the intersection between traditional symphonic masterworks and marginalized works from various eras, with many programs featuring composers of diverse backgrounds.