Under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Abu Dhabi Classics, staying true to their dedication to offering the best classical music has to offer, presented an evening highlighted by Spanish-Russian Symphonic Masterworks. Performing these masterpieces in the Emirates Palace Auditorium, were the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, conducted by the living musical legend Lorin Maazel with the talented Russian Arcadi Volodos on the Piano.
The audience was visibly enjoying these fine works for the whole two-hour duration of the concert, the romantic programme of which included Modest Mussorgsky’s ‘A night on Bald Mountain’. Volodos in particular, delivered a stunning performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s ‘Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor’, which is reputed to be one of the most challenging concertos in the standard piano collection. The evening’s programme progressed with Spanish Joaquin Rodrigo’s ‘Homenaje a la Tempranica’; Paul Dukas’ ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’; before ending with the French composer, Maurice Ravel’s ‘La Valse’.
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana is a relatively young orchestra, established in 2005. Since its inception, its primary conductor has been Lorin Maazel, a guest on all the world’s major concert platforms. Maazel began his musical career at the tender age of nine when he shared the Los Angeles Philharmonic with Leopold Stokowski. When he was eleven Arturo Toscanini invited him to conduct the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Upon becoming the conductor of the New York Philharmonic in 2002, he had already conducted the orchestra more than 100 times, beginning in 1942, as a twelve-year-old.
Abu Dhabi Classics will continue on Monday, 6 April 2009 with ‘Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony at the Al Ain Jahili Fort in Al Ain and on Tuesday, 7 March 2009 with Symphonic Masterworks – Russian Landscapes conducted by famed Zubin Mehta.
About Abu Dhabi Classics
An initiative of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, the Abu Dhabi Classics concert series runs every season from October to May and features an extraordinary line-up of world-class artists with monthly events held in exquisite settings across the emirate. In partnership with some of the world's most distinguished musical organizations, Abu Dhabi Classics is also initiating a number of innovative education programmes, developed through close co-operation with schools, universities and other institutions, which will take place under the aegis of the Abu Dhabi Classics Academy. The Academy, representing an entire world surrounding the concerts, will build bridges between artists and audiences, between generations and between cultures.
For regular updates and news from Abu Dhabi Classics, you can access our
e-magazine online at www.adach.ae/adclassics/magazine/. Tickets are available at Virgin Megastores and can be purchased online at www.timeouttickets.com, or by calling the toll free number 800–4669.
