Program Includes:
- Rhapsody España – Emmanuel Chabrier
- Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 – Franz Liszt
- Alto Rhapsody – Johannes Brahms (Featuring Emily Landa Levin, mezzo-soprano, and The Sons of Lafayette)
- Japanese Suite – Gustav Holst
- Investiture Dances – Alun Hoddinott
- English Dances Set 1 – Malcolm Arnold
- Four Scottish Dances – Malcolm Arnold
CLASSICS 2 – Rhapsodies and Dances: Chabrier, Liszt, Brahms, Holst, and Arnold
The LSO is delighted to welcome New York-based mezzo-soprano Emily Landa Levin back to LaGrange for a performance of Johannes Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody. This rapturous work is a setting of verses from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Harzreise im Winter (“Winter Journey in the Harz,” referring to a mountain range in Germany). It was written in 1869 as a wedding gift for Robert and Clara Schumann’s daughter, Julie. While the work features an alto soloist and orchestra, it also requires a male voice chorus. We are thrilled to collaborate with LaGrange’s own Sons of Lafayette to bring this masterpiece to our audience.
Also on the program, complementing the Brahms, are Emmanuel Chabrier’s Rhapsody España and Liszt’s much-loved Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. The second half of the program offers a rare opportunity to hear Malcolm Arnold’s often-rambunctious English and Scottish Dances, Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott’s Investiture Dances (composed in 1969 to mark the investiture of the Prince of Wales), and Gustav Holst’s Japanese Suite, a work that incorporates enchanting Japanese dance forms.
About Emily Landa Levin
Mezzo-soprano Emily Landa Levin is delighted to join the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra for today’s performance, following a recital appearance in LaGrange last October. Recent highlights include concerts and recitals throughout the New York tri-state area, an all-American program this past August in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, and solo appearances in Handel’s Messiah and Duruflé’s Requiem. Her operatic roles include Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others.
Concert highlights include alto soloist appearances in Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Bach’s Magnificat, and Copland’s Emily Dickinson Songs. She has performed at prestigious summer festivals, including the Chautauqua Institution, Opera North, Opera Theatre and Festival of Lucca, and Tanglewood. Emily holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Boston University, and she resides in Forest Hills, Queens, with her husband and two sons.
About The Sons of Lafayette
The Sons of Lafayette Male Choir, directed by Darian Krimm, is composed of volunteer men who enjoy vocal and instrumental music. Based in LaGrange, Georgia, they proudly serve the West Central Georgia and East Central Alabama areas. Their goal is to identify the interests of the community and produce top-quality presentations that provide cultural and life-enhancing entertainment. The choir also features smaller ensembles that prepare and present music for more intimate venues. They occasionally travel outside their local area, with past performances in Atlanta, GA; Greenville, SC; Asheville, NC; New York City, NY; and Cornwall, UK.
