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DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
JADER BIGNAMINI , Music Director Music Directorship endowed by the Kresge Foundation
TERENCE BLANCHARD
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Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair
PVS CLASSICAL SERIES
Title Sponsor:
SHOSTAKOVICH’S FIFTH SYMPHONY & SAXOPHONE CONCERTO WORLD PREMIERE
Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 19, 2023 at 3 p.m. in Orchestra Hall
HAN-NA CHANG, conductor JESS GILLAM, saxophone
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture (1840 - 1893)
Anna Clyne Glasslands (World Premiere) (b. 1980) Jess Gillam, saxophone
Intermission
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 (1906 - 1975) I. Moderato
II. Allegretto
III. Largo
IV. Allegro non troppo
Sunday’s performance will be webcast via our exclusive Live From Orchestra Hall series, presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE | SHOSTAKOVICH’S FIFTH SYMPHONY & ANNA CLYNE’S GLASSLANDS Go Where There Are No Guarantees
Many great orchestral works have blossomed out of a fearless leap of faith. Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was an attempt for rehabilitation in Stalin’s regime, where he was at risk of facing persecution due to his lack of compliance in conservative musical traditions. Shostakovich brilliantly parodied a sense of rejoicing in a traditional Romantic-era style—a risky move that would have proved dangerous had it not been flawlessly executed. After a long period of selfdoubt, Tchaikovsky sought guidance from composer Mily Alexeyevich Balakirev, leading to the writing of his renowned Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture. Ironically, Balakirev was unhappy with the work after its premiere, claiming it lacked depth and emotion. Tchaikovsky lived to see his work pay off, and its love theme is now present in countless films, advertisements, TV shows, and more. Composer Anna Clyne has been described as “fearless” by NPR and as a “composer of uncommon gifts and unusual methods” by The New York Times, and the world premiere of her saxophone concerto by Jess Gillam will showcase these critically acclaimed traits. The works on this program demonstrate that through fearlessness and resilience, one may find wild and wonderful success.
