Masterworks I

Celebrating 100 years of Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin shocked critics who did not know how to process the unconventional work when it debuted in 1924. Gershwin’s melding of American jazz and classical music broke boundaries and shattered norms. Today, he is revered as one of the greatest American composers of all time. Acclaimed pianist Benjamin Hochman lends his talents to the masterpiece.

Sergei Prokofiev, unorthodox and inventive, is known for his neo-classical, modernist approach. His The Love for Three Oranges Suite, taken from his comedic opera, is a whimsical musical jaunt about a cursed prince who is forced to journey to distant lands in search of three rather large oranges, each containing a princess. Will the affable prince break the curse and find his ‘main squeeze’ or run out of juice along the way?

A symphony in A-flat major? Quite rare indeed. Sir Edward Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 stands out as a remarkable exception in this regard. As a violinist, Elgar understood the challenges of playing in A-flat, yet that’s what he boldly composed in his first symphony, which beautifully explores the universal human experiences of love and hope.