Coming To America

The evening

One of her last compositions, Lili Boulanger’s meditative miniature reflects both her recognition that she had only a short time to live and her strong Catholic faith. Her musical language demonstrates the more harmonically adventurous and austere style that she had developed. The orchestral version was transcribed by her sister Nadia. The Violin Concerto is frequently cited as a turning point in Barber’s output – a work which reflects both the ingratiating melodic-Romantic style of his earlier compositions and the first intimations of a new, leaner approach. The violin sings passionate lines in the opening two movements – the andante is one of the great lyrical outpourings in American music, demonstrating Barber’s command of the long, lush melodic line – before delivering a whirlwind of triplet rhythms in the fast-paced finale. Remaining incredibly fresh and abounding with memorable melodies, the Ninth Symphony describes Dvořák’s own spiritual and emotional journey from his intense longing for his beloved Bohemia to the thrill of the ‘New World’ and its varied peoples. Its premiere in New York was a huge success and was proclaimed in the US as “the greatest symphonic work ever composed in this country”.