Name: Elgar´s “Enigma”
Start: 2023-09-22T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-09-23T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Charleston Gaillard Center

Organization

Conductor

Thomas Wilkins

Piano soloist

Michelle Cann

Instrumentalist

Piano

Orchestra

Charleston Symphony Orchestra

Elgar´s “Enigma”

Charleston

United States

Charleston Gaillard Center

Elgar´s “Enigma”: Le Tombeau de Couperin Ravel (+2 More)

Public

Le Tombeau de Couperin

Piano Concerto in One Movement

Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 36

Approved

Accordionist

Archlutenist

Baroque Flutist

Baroque Oboist

Baroque Trumpetist

Bassist

Bassoonist

Cellist

Clarinetist

Contrabassist

Cornettist

Flutist

Guitarist

Harper

Harpsichordist

Hornist

Lutenist

Mandoline Player

Musette de cour Player

Oboist

Organist

Percussionist

Pianist

Recorder Player

Saxophonist

Tenor Violinist

Timpani

Trombonist

Trumpeter

Tuba Player

Vibraphonist

Viola Pomposa Player

Viola da gamba

Viola d’amore Player

Violinist

Violino Piccolo Player

Violist

Actor

Broadcasting

Choir

Choreographer

Chorus Director

Chorus master

Composer

Costume designer

Dancer

Dramaturge

Executive producer

Extra

Hairstylist

Illustrator

Librettist

Lighting designer

Makeup artist

Orchestra Operations

Other

Photographer

Poet

Repetiteur

Set designer

Sound designer

Stage Manager

Stage director

Teacher

Translator

Video designer

Vocal coach

Wig & Makeup Designer

Writer

Writing and performance

Bass

Singer

Soprano

Countertenor

Baritone

Bass-baritone

Contralto

Mezzo-soprano

Tenor

Alto

Child vocalist

Continuo

Silent

Spoken

The CSO will open this season with Maestro Thomas Wilkins at the podium and guest pianist Michelle Cann. The concert will showcase three works that premiered during a transformative period in history – between 1899 and 1934 – that are timeless musical treasures by composers from France, the U.S., and England.

Elgar’s “Enigma” Season Opening Weekend
Upon hearing an orchestra for the first time at age 8, Thomas Wilkins knew the concert stage was in his future. Today, Wilkins is a celebrated, accomplished conductor; he is Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and is the Boston Symphony’s Artistic Advisor, among other titles. He will be conducting the Charleston Symphony for the first time at this concert. 

Originally composed as a six-movement suite for piano, French composer Maurice Ravel’s four orchestrated movements of Le tombeau de Couperin rely heavily on wind instruments to carry its vibrant melodies and demonstrate originality and skill. Written during World War I, its title alludes to being a tribute to the deceased and Ravel dedicated each movement to a different friend lost in the conflict. However, Le tombeau de Couperin never ventures into melancholy or despair. Instead, it was a celebration of lives which he chose to write. In the words of Ravel, “The dead are sad enough, in their eternal silence.”

Over the years, many of the original manuscripts of Florence Price‘s work – including the Piano Concerto in One Movement – became lost, seemingly forever. Using what writing that did still exist, composer Trevor Weston created a commissioned reconstruction of the concerto in 2010. Opening with spiritual-influenced tones and later rising with jazz-tinged sounds, Price’s concerto is an extraordinary exhibition of piano composition. Astonishingly, in 2019, the original composition was rediscovered when it appeared for sale in an auction.

Pianist Michelle Cann and is a frequent award-winner and sought-after soloist who has been lauded by noteworthy media such as The Chicago Tribune and The Philadelphia Inquirer for her technical mastery and compelling interpretations. After a performance of Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement, Classical Voice North America wrote that, “Cann owns this piece now, and experiencing her interpretation of the captivating score was a highlight.”

Much like Ravel’s dedications in Le tombeau de Couperin, Edward Elgar labelled each of his 14 short “Enigma” Variations in reference to friends and loved ones, each one representing a living individual. Shrouded in mystery because Elgar refused to reveal the theme of the work (hence the “Enigma” nickname), it became one of the most widely enjoyed compositions during the 20th century and brought international recognition for Elgar. Its most famous variation, the ninth, “Nimrod,” has been performed on its own at a variety of commemorative events, funerals, and as adaptations in film. The solemn tone and sweeping sections of “Nimrod” are well-known for eliciting intense emotion from listeners.

MORE ON THE MUSIC:

When enslaved people were denied the right to speak or play instruments, they used an African dance called “juba” to express themselves rhythmically. The influence of juba can be heard in the dance section of Price’s piano concerto. The Piano Concerto in One Movement first debuted in 1934, performed by the composer.
Thomas Wilkins is the subject of Beyond The Baton: A Conductor’s Journey – a biographical film exploring his experience as a Black conductor and his life in the musical world.

English

Elgar´s “Enigma” by Ravel, Price, Elgar, Frá (2023/2023), Hljómsveitarstjóri Thomas Wilkins, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, United States

Frammistaða áskriftir (Leikarar & starfslið )

Tækjabúnaður

Hljómsveit

Dagskrá, Um & Yfirlit

Ljósmyndir

Frekari lestur

Sýningardagsetningar og sýningarstaðir

Staðir