Event

LUCO 17|18 - Concert 4

Saturday, April 21, 2018 - 7:30pm
First Free Methodist Church

Berlioz: Introduction to Roméo & Juliette
Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 3, with Cristina Valdés, piano
Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Nights Dream

The works of Shakespeare played a key role in Berlioz' development as a composer. His admiration and devotion to the iconic English playwright was total and the source of some of his most inspired creations. Berlioz' Romeo and Juliet is a full-scale symphonic behemoth that showcases the composer at his finest. Mendelssohn was another composer with a deep veneration for Shakespeare and his rendering of A Midsummer Night's Dream is truly inspired, beginning with the magical overture, created when the composer was only 17 years old! Bartok was not only one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, but also an incredible pianist known for his highly sensitive playing. His 3rd and final piano concerto holds a very special place in his creative canon as the final piece he composed. In fact, he passed away in September 1945 with the final 17 measures still not orchestrated. He had intended this wonderful concerto as a surprise birthday gift to his wife Ditta. It will be performed by Cristina Valdes in her LUCO debut.