Longmont Symphony Orchestra: Tchaikovsky: A Portrait

"Our 'Portrait of a Composer' concert this season spotlights Tchaikovsky. A Russian-born composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was deeply inspired by Shakespeare when he wrote 'Romeo and Juliet' (Fantasy-Overture), the opening piece for our performance. One of the most popular pieces of its kind, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, will be one you’ll remember. As our final piece, Symphony No. 5 will leave you feeling triumphant. The Fifth Symphony moves from a subterranean soundscape into a mysterious march, with a restless melody and dancelike rhythm, followed by a second movement which grows into a soaring and passionate statement, then plunging into the lowest depths. The third movement is full of rhythmic games with irregular phrases. In the final movement, Tchaikovsky transforms the theme from minor to major, with trumpet fanfares ringing out. The music frequently teases the listener with the first notes of the theme, seeming uncertain ending with an exhilarant and triumphant celebration."