On May 30, 31 & June 1, the Houston Symphony closes its 2024–25 Season with a sonic wonder unlike anything else in music: Mahler’s Symphony No. 3. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 radiates dynamism, charm and eloquence, and it closes with one of the most glowing slow movements in the orchestral repertoire. But let’s be … Continued
After Rachmaninoff fled Russia in 1917, he composed only six original pieces during the remaining twenty-five years of his life. Having lost nearly everything in the revolution, he was determined to restore his family to its former standard of living as quickly as possible, which meant giving up composing in favor of pursuing a career … Continued
Music is one of the most transcendent art forms that can take us back in time and evoke emotions we have never experienced. The fusion of music and history has unraveled mysteries worth exploring. The story behind Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11, The Year 1905, is a fascinating example of how music can reflect a society’s … Continued
Best known for the famous Hallelujah Chorus, Handel’s Messiah is one of the most performed pieces of classical music in history. Get ready for the Houston Symphony’s annual presentation of this masterpiece. By the time George Frederick Handel began composing Messiah in 1741, he was at the height of his powers, recognized as one of London’s leading … Continued
The idea for a ballet based on Daphnis and Chloe (an ancient Greek love story attributed to Longus) originated with the Russian choreographer Michel Fokine. He first proposed the subject to the Director of the Russian Imperial Theaters, but it was not until Fokine became involved with Sergei Diaghilev’s groundbreaking Ballets russes in Paris that … Continued
For many, Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 were their first introduction to classical music. Through a combination of both widely-known and lesser-recognized pieces outside the classical music world with groundbreaking animation, these motion pictures are immortalized as part of Disney’s legacy. Read about the program below before seeing the stunning visuals and live music performed by the Houston Symphony … Continued
For many of us, Disney’s Fantasia was our first introduction to the playground of the imagination that is the orchestra. Walt Disney himself said, “In a profession that has been an unending voyage of discovery in the realms of color, sound and motion, Fantasia represents our most exciting adventure.” The story of how Disney’s most … Continued
On September 23, 24, and 25, The Houston Symphony presents Joshua Bell + Shostakovich 5, featuring a world premiere, superstar Joshua Bell, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. In this post, learn about one of Shostakovich’s many clashes with the Soviet government and how it produced this monumental symphony. “My new composition can be called a … Continued
On September 30 and October 1 and 2, the Houston Symphony presents Gershwin Concerto in F, featuring Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1 and Gershwin’s Concerto in F, one of Gershwin’s many pieces that brought jazz into the classical world. One year after writing his fusion of jazz and classical music, Gershwin set out to show the … Continued
On October 22, 23, & 24, Dame Jane Glover leads the Houston Symphony in Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony. The program also features Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, which we last performed in September 2018. In the post below, learn more about one of Prokofiev’ most-loved works, his “Classical” Symphony. At first, Prokofiev was not overly troubled by … Continued
On October 25, 26, and 27, world-renowned conductor Marek Janowski leads Wagner + Beethoven 2, a program of thrilling orchestral masterpieces by two of history’s most revolutionary composers. In this post, discover how Beethoven composed one of his most up-beat works in the midst of personal crisis. Want to learn more? Check out our podcast on … Continued
Above: Detail from Monet’s The Houses of Parliament, Sunset. On November 29 and December 1 and 2, the Houston Symphony welcomes renowned conductor Edo de Waart to Jones Hall for a performance of Elgar’s noble and passionate Symphony No. 1. Learn more about this masterpiece and the context that inspired it in this post. The … Continued
This November, the Houston Symphony gives you the rare chance to experience Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s 1933 ballet chanté (“sung ballet”), The Seven Deadly Sins, live in concert. Part classical, part cabaret, with catchy tunes galore and plenty of sharp satire, it’s a remarkable fusion of popular entertainment and high art from two 20th … Continued
On November 29 and December 1 and 2, the Houston Symphony welcomes world-renowned pianist Garrick Ohlsson back to Jones Hall for Ohlsson Plays Beethoven, a program featuring Beethoven’s dramatic Piano Concerto No. 3. Learn more about this fiery masterpiece and the events that may have inspired it in this post. The earliest sketch for Beethoven’s … Continued
Above: Detail from Caspar David Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea of Fog. This Thanksgiving weekend, the Houston Symphony performs a program of music by composers associated with Vienna: Mozart, Brahms and Suppé. Learn more about Brahms’ powerful Symphony No. 4, a work of profound depth that many critics regard as his greatest masterpiece. During the summers … Continued
On November 2, 3 and 4, the Houston Symphony welcomes renowned conductor Bramwell Tovey and vocalist Storm Large back to Jones Hall for The Seven Deadly Sins, a playfully provocative program of works by Strauss, Scriabin and Weill. Learn more about The Seven Deadly Sins, Weimar Germany’s swan song, in this post. Born in 1900 to a German-Jewish … Continued
Above: Detail from Odilon Redon’s Pandora. On November 2, 3 and 4, the Houston Symphony welcomes renowned conductor Bramwell Tovey back to Jones Hall for The Seven Deadly Sins, a playfully provocative program of works by Strauss, Scriabin and Weill. Learn more about the spiritual and sensual sides of Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy in this … Continued
On November 2, 3 and 4, the Houston Symphony welcomes renowned conductor Bramwell Tovey back to Jones Hall for The Seven Deadly Sins, a playfully provocative program of works by Strauss, Scriabin and Weill. Learn more about Salome’s Dance (also known as The Dance of the Seven Veils) from Strauss’s scandalous opera Salome in this post. One … Continued
This November, the Houston Symphony is mixing things up with The Seven Deadly Sins, a playfully provocative program put together by acclaimed guest conductor Bramwell Tovey. “Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with Storm Large was our starting point,” Tovey explained. “Kurt Weill was a German-Jewish refugee who escaped the Nazis and eventually became a U.S. citizen. … Continued
Above: Detail from John William Waterhouse’s Miranda–The Tempest. On October 26, 27 and 28, acclaimed guest conductor Fabien Gabel leads Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, a program of musical storytelling featuring works by Tchaikovsky, Korngold and Bernard Herrmann. Learn more about Tchaikovsky’s The Tempest, a vivid tone poem inspired by Shakespeare’s famous play that will be featured on … Continued