Julia Perry – Short piece
George Gershwin – Pianoconcerto
Mason Bates – Liquid interface
Leonard Bernstein – Symphonic dances from West Side story
An all-American programme featuring the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by principal conductor Karina Canellakis and American-Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan. Conductor and pianist previously met in 2022 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a widely acclaimed performance of Gershwin’s famous Piano Concerto. Despite its classical structure and romantic elaboration, Gershwin’s signature swing is unmistakably present.
Those jazzy rhythms can also be found in Short piece for Orchestra by Julia Perry, who was born 100 years ago. She manages to insert them very subtly, almost unobtrusively, in this short work for orchestra, making it a truly classical composition.
Bernstein’s West Side Story
Among contemporary American composers, Mason Bates may call himself one of the most played. His Liquid Interface is a four-movement symphonic work in which he draws inspiration from the phenomenon of water, which he highlights from both sides. Indispensable to life, but also life-threatening with rising sea levels.
But the honour of most played American composer of all time belongs to Leonard Bernstein. His greatest success was undoubtedly West Side Story, a musical with the power and drama of an opera. Many songs from it have found a place in the ‘Great American Songbook’. They all pass by in the Symphonic Dances, which Bernstein himself distilled from the original work.
Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
Karina Canellakis – conductor
Inon Barnatan – piano
music production for live radio broadcasts