Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto and Organ Symphony

Ludovic Morlot, conductor
Jeff Thayer, violin
San Diego Symphony Orchestra

GABRIELLA SMITH: Bioluminescence Chaconne
SAINT-SAËNS: Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61
AUGUSTA HOLMÈS: “La nuit et l'amour” from Ludus pro patria
SAINT-SAËNS: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78, Organ Symphony

California-based French conductor Ludovic Morlot celebrates the music of his native land with two masterworks by his great 19th century compatriot Camille Saint-Saëns: the Third Violin Concerto, written for the great Spanish virtuoso Sarasate and brimming with sweet melodies; and the composer’s most famous symphony, known as the Organ Symphony for its sumptuous organ writing which dramatically extends and deepens the colors of the orchestra. It's the ideal music to celebrate the fabulous new sound of our own completely renovated Robert Morton pipe organ in Jacobs Music Center!

In between, we will hear one of the most famous pieces by Augusta Holmès, a French composer of Irish extraction; her short and delicious piece called “Night and Love” is inspired by a painting by the composer’s contemporary Puvis de Chavannes and features a gorgeously romantic melody you won’t be able to get out of your head. (Holmès’ friend and contemporary Saint-Saëns said of her: “Mademoiselle Holmès is a woman, an extremist!”)

Ludovic Morlot opens his program with the brilliant young Californian composer Gabriella Smith’s Bioluminescence Chaconne. Smith is a composer with a terrifically inventive ear for instrumental colors and a deep fascination with nature – especially with the spectacular coastal areas of the American Northwest. "Bioluminescence" is the extraordinary phenomenon whereby living organisms give out light, like fireflies or the various forms of illumination that emerge from the ocean.

Come enjoy a pre-concert talk covering highlights and backstories of this program, one hour before concert-time.

Guest speaker for this weekend: Texu Kim, SDSU Associate Professor of Music Composition/Theory.

Ace Parking has provided a DEDICATED JACOBS MUSIC CENTER PARKING PRE-PURCHASE PAGE for upcoming events at JMC.