If you like your Russian served up rare—as only The Philadelphia Orchestra can prepare it—you are in for a special treat: a rebroadcast from the Orchestra's St. Petersburg Festival from 2015 conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin on Sunday, December 13th at 1 PM on WRTI 90.1 and Monday, December 14th at 7 PM on WRTI HD-2.
The concert features “Winter,” from A. Glazunov’s The Seasons, and two of five movements from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, all coming in the first half of the program. After intermission, you'll hear Tchaikovsky’s spectacular Symphony No. 5.
The concert begins with a piece by a somewhat lesser-known Russian master, Alexander Glazunov, who, as the long-serving director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, exerted enormous influence on Russian musical culture. The opening “Winter” movement of his ballet The Seasons depicts a chilly landscape of frost, ice, hail, and snow.
The scenes from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker are well chosen to put on display the sumptuous organ tones of the Philadelphia Orchestra, with two of them —Clara and the Nutcracker, and the Battle Scene.
After intermission, the Orchestra performs the popular Symphony No.5 by Tchaikovsky.
Detailed program notes from The Philadelphia Orchestra
PROGRAM:
Glazunov: “Winter,” from The Seasons, Op. 67c
Tchaikovsky: Selections from The Nutcracker, Op. 71
a. Scene (Clara and the Nutcracker)
b. Scene (Battle)
c. Scene (In the Forest)
d. Waltz of the Snowflakes
e. Pas de deux
Intermission
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
I. Andante—Allegro con anima
II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza
III. Valse: Allegro moderato
IV. Andante maestoso—Allegro vivace
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor
Gregg Whiteside is producer and host of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcasts, every Sunday at 1 pm on WRTI 90.1, streaming online at WRTI.org, and on our mobile app. Listen again on Mondays at 7 pm on WRTI HD-2.
