York Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Golan, conductor

JohannesS BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1
Duke ELLINGTON The River
Johann STRAUSS, JR. On the Beautiful Blue Danube
Bedrich SMETANA The Moldau

Composers captivated by rivers transform their works. Moved by tragedy, Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 ebbs and flows with the treacherous yet gentle movement of the Rhine; Leonel Morales returns to the YSO as the featured pianist. Duke Ellington follows the transforming flow of water in the theatrical The River. Known as the ‘waltz king,’ Strauss’ composed On the Beautiful Blue Danube to boost wartime spirits with his uplifting work. Folk-inspired The Moldau, Bedrich Smetana’s symphonic poem admires the Vltava River through the magnificent Bohemian landscape.