One Movement, Please

My Program:
Samuel Barber – Symphony No.1 (22:00)
Giya Kancheli – Symphony No.7(21:00)

[Intermission]

Francis Poulenc – Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani in g(22:00)
Aram Khachaturian – Symphony No.3(25:00)

The case for my program: Here are a quartet of works that are unique in the fact that they consist of only one movement each. The Barber symphony is by far the most performed of the three symphonies on this program, and is modeled after Sibelius’ single-movement Seventh Symphony. Contrasting the Barber are the dark and dramatic sounds of Giya Kancheli’s Symphony No.7, written at a time of great difficulty in the composer’s life.

The organ takes center stage for the second half of the concert. Poulenc’s well-known Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani is probably the most famous organ concerto written since baroque times. Finally, the organ joins forces with a massive orchestra (including 15 trumpets!) in a performance of the rarely-heard Symphony No.3 of Aram Khachaturian.