Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Long before The Voice, Wagner created the original drama about a singing competition with his only comedy, Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. This rousing overture prominently features the Prize Song which wins the whole contest, a real catchy tune. Rachmaninoff’s final work for piano and orchestra, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is a masterpiece of invention that transforms a seemingly simple melody 24 different times, taking full advantage of the expressive and technical possibilities of the piano. Rachmaninoff himself was the soloist at the world premiere, and pianist Tony Siqi Yun, called a true poet of the keyboard by Pianist magazine, navigates every twist and turn. The program closes with Alexander Zemlinsky’s shimmering musical retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Mermaid. Xian Zhang conducts. Performed in Newark and New Brunswick.