BRATTLEBORO-The Windham Philharmonic, with music director Hugh Keelan, performs Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1 at the Latchis Theatre on Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m.
The Windham Philharmonic said in a news release that it "is committed to bringing our communities rich and varied programs. After grace and good humor, we dig deep into intense emotional states."
According to the orchestra's website, windhamphilharmonic.org, Rachmaninoff composed his dramatic First Symphony in 1895. In March 1897, its debut was not well received, sending Rachmaninoff into a three-year period of depression, during which he stopped composing and performing. Rachmaninoff dealt with depression his whole life, but his management of his condition is credited with fueling his compositions.
The Symphony has become part of the standard orchestral repertoire since his death, with a reconstructed score performed in 1945 in Moscow. The American premiere took place on March 19, 1948, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music, conducted by Eugene Ormandy.
Symphony No. 1 is a four-sectioned composition. The first section, which "is dark and brooding," according to the news release, is likened to the "Dies Irae," the ancient chant for the dead. This theme is found in each movement, "giving a sense of deep melancholy and loneliness to the symphony," said organizers.
The Symphony lasts approximately 50 minutes. Admission is by donation; baked goods will be available to purchase. For more information, visit windhamphilharmonic.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.