Closing Night: Scheherazade

Subscriptions on sale now! Gonzalo Farias, conductor Gabriela Martinez, piano Dvořák’s Carnival Overture launches the evening with a burst of color and celebration, showcasing the composer’s lively rhythms and richly colorful orchestration. Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez joins us for Rachmaninoff’s 24 rapid-fire variations on a theme from violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840), whose name is synonymous with “virtuoso” and all its excesses. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov based his Scheherazade on the Arabic collection of fairy tales The Thousand and One Nights, the movements of the piece are intended to work together to tell the story of how Scheherazade is able to postpone her execution and spare her life, ultimately making Sultan Shahrhiar fall in love with her.