December 3 2023: Songs from the Heart

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Sunday, December 3, 2023 – 3 pm
St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, St. Paul, MN

Vaughan Williams: Five Variants of “Dives and Lazarus”
Hindemith: Der Schwanendreher
Hyobi Sim, viola
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36

Folk songs lie at the heart of this diverse program.

The 67-year-old Ralph Vaughan Williams returned to an English folk tune, which he had fallen in love with as a young man, as the inspiration for five ingenious variations.

Paul Hindemith used German folk songs in crafting his lyrical viola concerto, “Der Schwanendreher”. The title invokes an imaginary organ-grinder who, like Hindemith, entertains the public with his rich store of melodies. Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Associate Principal viola, Hyobi Sim, is our soloist!

Peter Tchaikovsky’s tragic fourth symphony includes Russian folk music in its sprawling narrative of a man confronted by cruel fate.

Photo by Vitaliia Ponomarova on Unsplash