Pastoral - Manukau Symphony Orchestra

Lilburn (NZ) – Drysdale Overture Chopin – Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor Opus 11 Beethoven – Symphony No.6 in F major ‘The Pastoral’

Manukau Symphony Orchestra’s Pastoral concert, conducted by Rupert D’Cruze, commences with Douglas Lilburn’s Drysdale Overture. One of Lilburn’s early works and dedicated to his father, it celebrates the family farm where Douglas was born and reflects images of a wide flowing river, rolling hillsides and the wonderment of country nights lit up with twinkling stars.

Beethoven’s Symphony No.6 is the only symphony for which he wrote a programmatic sketch. Named the Pastoral Symphony, Beethoven gave each movement an explanatory title: The awakening of pleasant sensations on arrival in the country, Scene by the stream, Gathering of country people, The Storm, and, Shepherds’ song. The Symphony is a profound musical expression of life in the country – the life of nature.

Joining Manukau Symphony Orchestra for the Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 is Italian pianist Matteo Napoli. No stranger to the Manukau stage, Matteo is delighted to be performing this early, youthful work, showcasing Chopin’s elegant thematic characteristics together with his secure technical mastery of the piano with complementing orchestral backing.