Dennehy / Bartók / Rachmaninoff

The Teatro Filarmonico di Verona stages a concert series to mark the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the death of Béla Bartók, one of Hungary's most auspicious composers, in a programme that also features music by Donnacha Dennehy and Sergei Rachmaninoff. This varied and exciting concert series offers the chance to witness some outstanding music in the heart of Verona with a truly professional ensemble of high-quality musicians.
The programme for Dennehy / Bartók / Rachmaninoff opens with Brink, a relatively short orchestral piece written by the Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy. Originally conceived as an orchestration responding to the work of Beethoven, Brink was commissioned by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. It premiered at the Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis in the United States on 3 February 2023 with Matthew Hall conducting. Dennehy said his name for the work was inspired by Beethoven's ability to take seemingly simple ideas to their limits. It can be performed as a prelude to Beethoven's Eighth Symphony or, as is the case at this concert, as a standalone piece.
A rendition of Bartók's The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19 Sz. 73, follows. This music was originally written for a one-act pantomime-ballet of the same name. The premiere of the work took place on 27 November 1926 at the Cologne Opera in Germany where it caused an outrage due to its unremitting realism. Bartók wrote two versions, one for an orchestra and another as a four-handed piano piece. Due to the ballet being banned in some quarters, the Hungarian composer went on to adapt the two versions into a concert piece which was subsequently published towards the end of 1927. However, it was not until 1955 - well after the composer's death - that the full score of the complete work was published. The orchestral version is well-known for its use of wind instruments with flutes, bassoons, oboes, clarinets and brass all used in striking ways.
The concert concludes with Rachmaninoff's much-loved Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30. The composer himself first performed the concerto as a soloist with the New York Symphony Orchestra on 28 November 1909 in New York City. Written in a key that is somewhat associated with melancholia, the concerto begins with a thoughtful movement that rises and falls with precision. The second movement also makes strong use of the home key's potential for expression but the piano does not feature for some time. When it does, Rachmaninoff introduces an intricately scored piano section which gives way to a rich, lyrical passage. The final movement is technically demanding and full of energetic expression, representing one of the great challenges for any concert pianist.
Dennehy / Bartók / Rachmaninoff at Verona's Teatro Filarmonico tempts with a diverse and stimulating programme with a thrilling finale.