2008-2009 Season, Concert 1
October 15, 18 & 19, 2008
Bartok: Dance Suite
Saint-Saens: Piano Concerto No 2
George Li, piano
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 "From The New World"
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Hear this concert broadcast on Sunday, February 1st at 3:00PM on WGBH 89.7 FM.
The Boston Philharmonic may be 30 years old, but it is very young at heart, and this program is absolutely bounding with youthful high spirits. First of all, our soloist, thirteen year old George Li. When you see him walk out on stage, diminutive of stature and slight of frame, you might well wonder how he could make a piano heard above the sound of a full symphony orchestra. Nothing prepares you for the torrential sound that he unleashes from the instrument, without any apparent effort, nor for the uncanny maturity and subtlety of his playing Saint-Saëns enormously popular Second Piano Concerto. This young boy from Boston has already been a guest on prominent talk shows and featured in the television series From the Top at Carnegie Hall. His performance of a Moszkowski etude on the Martha Stewart Show can be seen on YouTube. To watch George on From the Top at Carnegie Hall, visit pbs.org. Part of the thrill of hearing him play in person is the certainty that one is present at the beginning stage of what will be a major career.
The other works on the program continue this theme of youthful promise. Bartók’s Dance Suite abounds in color, élan, and the piquant melodic twists of Hungarian folk music. One can easily imagine its being danced by a group of young, slightly tipsy Hungarian peasants (albeit rather sophisticated Hungarian peasants). To conclude, the ever-youthful “New World” Symphony of Dvo?ak, a paean to a country that was still growing and finding its way. If you’re wondering what concert to bring your children to, this is it! |
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sanders Theatre
Discovery Series, 7:30pm
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Jordan Hall
Pre-concert talk, 6:45pm
Concert, 8:00pm
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sanders Theatre
Pre-concert talk, 1:45pm
Concert, 3:00pm
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Current Season 
2008-2009 Season