Elizabeth Schwartz

April 1, 2025

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Program Notes: Carnival of the Animals

Elizabeth Schwartz

April 1, 2025

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Notes about:
Gershwin (arr. Hersh): Three Preludes
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals
Norman: Drip Blip Sparkle Spin Glint Glide Glow Float Flop Chop Pop Shatter Splash
Copland: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo

Elizabeth Schwartz

October 22, 2024

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Program Notes: The Four Seasons Mixtape

Elizabeth Schwartz

October 22, 2024

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Notes about:
Mendelssohn’s Overture from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ortiz’s La Calaca for String Orchestra
The Four Seasons Mixtape:
Vivaldi’s L’estate (Summer)
Richter’s Autumn from The Four Seasons Recomposed
Ysaÿe’s Chant d’hiver (Wintersong)
Piazzolla’s Primavera portena (Beunos Aires Spring)

Guest User

September 12, 2024

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Program Notes: Branford Marsalis with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra

Guest User

September 12, 2024

Program Notes, 2024-25 Season

Program Notes: Branford Marsalis with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra

Notes about:
Borodin's “Polovtsian Dances” from Prince Igor
Milhaud’s Scaramouche, Op. 165
Williams' “Escapades” from Catch Me If You Can
Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances for Large Orchestra, Op. 45

Guest User

May 6, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Guest User

May 6, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Notes about:
Pärt’s Fratres
Beach’s Peace I Leave With You
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral”

Guest User

April 5, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Guest User

April 5, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Notes about:
Piazzolla’s Tangazo (Variations on Buenos Aires)
Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 in G minor
Bach’s Fugue in G minor BWV 578 “Little Fugue”
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

Guest User

March 11, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Symphonic Soundtrack

Guest User

March 11, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Notes about:
Rossini’s Overture to La Gazza Ladra
Gabrieli’s Sonata pian’e forte
Montgomery’s Starburst
Copland’s Clarinet Concerto
Faure’s Sicilienne from Pelleas and Melisande Suite
Stravinsky’s Suite from The Firebird
William’s Princess Leia’s Theme from Star Wars

Guest User

January 31, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris

Guest User

January 31, 2024

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris

Notes about:
Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony
Boulanger’s D’un Matin de Printemps
Gershwin’s An American in Paris

Guest User

October 5, 2023

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Program Notes: Tchaikovsky & Copland

Guest User

October 5, 2023

Program Notes, 2023-24 Season

Notes about:
Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro KV492
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Copland’s Symphony No. 3

Guest User

April 27, 2023

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Program Notes: Mozart Requiem

Guest User

April 27, 2023

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Notes about:
Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626
Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor

Bianca Ancheta

February 6, 2023

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Program Notes: Barber & Brahms

Bianca Ancheta

February 6, 2023

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Notes about:
Brouwer’s Remembrances
Barber’s Violin Concerto
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major

Bianca Ancheta

October 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff & Sibelius

Bianca Ancheta

October 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Notes about:
Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14
Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major

Bianca Ancheta

September 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Program Notes: Rhapsody in Blue

Bianca Ancheta

September 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2022-23 Season

Notes about:
Price’s Concert Overture No. 2
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World,” Op. 95

Bianca Ancheta

April 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Program Notes: Haas conducts Wijeratne & Tchaikovsky

Bianca Ancheta

April 28, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Program Notes: Haas conducts Wijeratne & Tchaikovsky

Notes about:
Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, op. 62
Wijeratne’s Tabla Concerto
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in F minor, op. 36

Bianca Ancheta

March 31, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Program Notes: Meyer conducts Prokofiev & Brahms

Bianca Ancheta

March 31, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Program Notes: Meyer conducts Prokofiev & Brahms

Notes about:
Golijov’s Sidereus
Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

Bianca Ancheta

February 17, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Program Notes: Korngold & Dvorak

Bianca Ancheta

February 17, 2022

Program Notes, 2021-22 Season

Notes about:
George Walker’s Lyric for Strings
Erich Korngold’s Concerto in D major for Violin
Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8

Enrich Your Concert Experience

Pre-Concert Talks

Sound Bite / Reimagine Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Audrey Wright!

Sound Bite / Celebrating Brotherhood & Joy: Beethoven's 9

Sound Bite / Reinventing Baroque: How These 3 Composers Were Inspired by Bach

Sound Bite / Curating a Concert with MSO Musicans

Sound Bite / Discovering the Artistic Voices of Dawson, Boulanger, & Gershwin

Sound Bite /Celebrate 30 Years of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas with the MSO!

Sound Bite / A Celebration of Music with Music Director Nicholas Hersh

Capathia Jenkins pays tribute to Aretha Franklin at Picnic at the Pops!

Sound Bite / Picnic with Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray & The Queen of Soul!

Behind The Podium / The Force Is Strong With The MSO

More Pre-Concert Content! →

Past Program Books

Carnival of the Animals

Aretha: A Tribute

Disney's Fantasia in Concert Live to Film

Holiday Candlelight Concert

Holiday Pops!

The Four Seasons Mixtape

Branford Marsalis with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra

Picnic at the Pops! Dancing in the Street: Music of Motown

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Past Program Notes

Program Notes: Carnival of the Animals

Program Notes: The Four Seasons Mixtape

Program Notes: Branford Marsalis with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Notes about:
Pärt’s Fratres
Beach’s Peace I Leave With You
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral”

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Program Notes: Symphonic Soundtrack

Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris

Notes about:
Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony
Boulanger’s D’un Matin de Printemps
Gershwin’s An American in Paris

Program Notes: Tchaikovsky & Copland

Notes about:
Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro KV492
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Copland’s Symphony No. 3

Program Notes: Mozart Requiem

Notes about:
Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626
Price’s Symphony No. 3 in C minor

Program Notes: Barber & Brahms

Notes about:
Brouwer’s Remembrances
Barber’s Violin Concerto
Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major

All Program Books & Notes →

Program Notes: Carnival of the Animals

Program Notes: The Four Seasons Mixtape

Program Notes: Branford Marsalis with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra

Program Notes: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

Program Notes: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Program Notes: Symphonic Soundtrack

Program Notes: Gershwin's An American in Paris

Program Notes: Tchaikovsky & Copland

Program Notes: Mozart Requiem

Program Notes: Barber & Brahms

Program Notes: Rachmaninoff & Sibelius

Program Notes: Rhapsody in Blue

Program Notes: Haas conducts Wijeratne & Tchaikovsky

Program Notes: Meyer conducts Prokofiev & Brahms

Program Notes: Korngold & Dvorak

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