Saturday, May 5, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Hemmens Cultural Center

Andrew Grams, conductor
and the awarding-winning ESO

Bernstein  Candide Suite
Mahler      Symphony No. 5

These season finale concerts hold the ESO premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide Suite, part of a worldwide celebration of the 100^th anniversary of his birth.(#BernsteinAt100) Candide is an operetta based on a novella by Voltaire. The work was not well-received by audience and critics at its 1959 premiere, but it is now a beloved standard of the theatrical repertoire. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 was written after he suffered a life-threatening hemorrhage.  It conveys a dazzling array of emotions. The fourth movement of this symphony, Adagietto, may be the most famous of all his works.  It was written as a love song to his wife, Alma, whom he met and married during the composition of the piece. Leonard Bernstein conducted the Adagietto at the funeral mass of Robert F. Kennedy on June 8, 1968, and it was featured in the 1971 movie Death in Venice.  The exuberant finale is a fitting conclusion to the exciting 2017-2018 season.

 

Dave Bearden, CEO, ESO:  The thing I love most about my job is that I get to hear some of the greatest music ever written. From Mahler to Bernstein, this music has stood the test of time for a reason. Whatever concert you choose, you will hear spectacular music, performed by passionate musicians under the direction of the charismatic Andrew Grams.   

 

 

View the Program Notes Here

 

Concert Sponsor

Candace McCreary

Robert and Jodie Stackowiak

 

 

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.