Ravel's Show Stopper
Ravel's fiery show-stopper lights up the Jones Hall this January in an evening that is sure to excite and amaze all classical music lovers. Originally conceived as a ballet, Ravel's radiant work is now mostly performed as a concert. Beginning with the rumble of the double bass, La Valse explodes into a wonderful waltz, featuring violins, oboes, flutes and heavy brass.
Many believe that Ravel's work (which debuted in 1920) is a reflection upon the aftermath of World War One, however, Ravel himself disparaged the myth saying "This dance may seem tragic, like any other emotion...pushed to the extreme. But one should only see in it what the music expresses: an ascending progression of sonority, to which the stage comes along to add light and movement."
Program:
Symphony No. 4, Fuge by Ives
Violin Concerto by Korngold
Symphony in Three Movements by Stravinsky
La Valse by Ravel