VFO / DANIEL HARDING / JOSHUA BELL
Program
MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839–1881)
Khovanshchina – Prelude (orchestration by D. Shostakovich)
THOMAS DE HARTMANN (1884-1956)
Violin Concerto, Op. 66 66
Interval
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27 27
Joshua Bell plays Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 26 at the 2015
The Verbier Festival Orchestra, under the inspired direction of Daniel Harding, will present a programme of remarkable intensity and variety, opening with an evocative orchestral piece: the Prelude to Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina.
Joshua Bell, an emblematic figure of the contemporary violin, illuminates Thomas de Hartmann’s Violin Concerto, Op. 66, a captivating work blending virtuosity and lyrical depth. The dialogue between the violin and the orchestra reveals passages that are both intense and delicate, where every dramatic nuance is magnified by the conductor’s expertise and the soloist’s sensitivity.
The second part of the evening offers an emotional peak with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 27. A masterpiece of lyricism and contrast, it captivates the audience with its perpetual movement, its poignant clarinet melody, and its subtle balance between tension and elegance. Every orchestral phrase is carried by the energy of the Verbier Festival Orchestra, offering a vibrant and deeply moving interpretation, closing the concert in an apotheosis of virtuosity and musical poetry.
