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Leonore Overture No. 3, Ludwig van Beethoven

Elegy: A Symphonic Portrait, Donald Fraser (world premiere; CSO commission)

Indra Thomas, soprano

Allison Eldredge, cello

Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Antonín Dvořák

Music Director Cynthia Woods leads the CSO in Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, a world premiere by British-born composer Donald Fraser, and Dvořák’s joyful Symphony No. 8.

Donald Fraser’s Elegy: A Symphonic Portrait for orchestra, cello, and soprano was commissioned by the CSO after cellist Joanna Jerison’s sudden and untimely death in October 2020. Harnessing the emotional power of poetry by Shakespeare, John Donne, and W. B. Yeats, Fraser explores the entanglement of joy and sorrow that results from deep love and celebrates the life of a remarkable person who had a profound effect on those around her. This world premiere is a poignant moment for CSO musicians as they mourn one of their own.

Antonín Dvořák’s biographer Otakar Sourek explained that Dvořák had “[h]is own garden in Vysoká [the state-sponsored retreat in southern Bohemia], which he loved ‘like the divine art itself,’ and the fields and woods through which he wandered…. [were] a welcome refuge, bringing him not only peace and fresh vigor of mind, but happy inspiration for new creative work.” His Eighth Symphony reflects the delight of being amid such rich natural landscapes, and attempts to articulate his musings on the relationship between nature and life.

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This concert was made possible by a generous donation from David and Barbara Garlock.

The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra thanks the Massachusetts Cultural Council for supporting our 2021-22 season.

Graphic design & image credit: Michael Sherman

NOTICE:

Due to recent updates to masking requirements in Somerville and within the Somerville Theatre, masks will be optional during this performance and proof of vaccination will not be required for admittance.