Jacksonville Symphony Blog

Beethoven’s “Emperor” Program Notes    Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.    Samuel Barber’s Overture from The School for Scandal  World Premiere August 30, 1933; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8 Minutes    Lyricism and neo-romanticism are hallmarks of Samuel Barber’s music. Barber was an … Read More

Mozart’s Requiem & Double Concerto Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major, K. 364  World Premiere Unknown  30 Minutes   In addition to fortepiano, Mozart played violin and viola exceptionally well.  He … Read More

Dvořák’s “New World” Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.    Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land Suite World Premiere April 1, 1954; New York, New York 19 Minutes    Aaron Copland synthesized an American sound with an attractive modernist approach. His … Read More

Beethoven & Rachmaninoff Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.  Guillaume Connesson’s Flammenschrift (Flame Writing)  World Premiere November 8, 2012; Paris, France 10 Minutes    Guillaume Connesson is fascinated with cosmic phenomena.  Disco, funk and minimalism play a role in … Read More

Gershwin & Tchaikovsky Program Notes    Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Carlos Simon’s Motherboxx Connection  World Premiere January 26, 2022; Ann Arbor, Michigan 6 minutes   Black heritage and identity are central to Carlos Simon’s music. His film scores draw on … Read More

Alexei Plays Dvořák Program Notes    Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Angel Lam’s Please let there be a paradise… (Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Consortium Partner)  World Premiere April 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri  9 Minutes   “Please let there be a … Read More

Rodrigo and Ravel’s Boléro Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Maurice Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso  World Premiere May 17, 1919; Paris, France  8 Minutes   Maurice Ravel is usually called an impressionist, but he was really a classicist. He … Read More

Sibelius’ Violin and Elgar’s Enigma Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Benjamin Britten’s Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell (Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra)   World Premiere October 15, 1946; Liverpool, England  18 Minutes     Benjamin Britten … Read More

Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Brittany J. Green’s TESTIFY! (Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program World Premiere)     World Premiere September 27, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida  8 Minutes  “Many of my earliest musical memories are … Read More

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection” Program Notes   Program Notes by Laurie Shulman © 2024. Reproduction of all or part of these notes without explicit written permission from the Jacksonville Symphony is strictly prohibited.   Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection”  World Premiere December 13, 1895; Berlin, Germany  90 minutes   Gustav Mahler was one of the great post-Romantic symphonists. He wrote … Read More