A World Premiere By Sebastian Currier
Berlin, Rome, Guggenheim Fellowship and Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer Sebastien Currier's ear for orchestral color, tonal vibrance and textual richness have culminated in a catalogue of works brimming with his trademark energy, boisterous rhythms and emotional gravity. The BSO and its fearless Music Director Andris Nelsons welcome rising Latvian violin superstar Baiba Skride for the hotly anticipated world premiere performance of Currier's latest work Aether this spring!
Inspired by the definition of its title, which by its 18th and 19th century definition was thought to be an invisible substance that held the universe and planets together as the medium light waves were thought to travel through, Aether begins with a standard structure of a symphony, but dissolves over four movements until its is completely deconstructed. The violin soars above the orchestra, struggling between lyrical impulses and extreme outbursts, before culminating in a characteristically buoyant, ethereal finale were it floats away, disappearing into exquisite nothingness.
Program:
Strauss - Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks
Currier - Aether for violin and orchestra
Stravinsky - Petrushka