Turn of the Century: Elgar, Beach & Sibelius

Orchestra Toronto presents an afternoon centered on three remarkable works composed in 1899, a pivotal year at the threshold of a new century. The program opens with Elgar?s Enigma Variations, a masterful series of fourteen character sketches, each revealing a friend or colleague, tied together by a still-unsolved ?hidden theme." Anya Alexeyev then brings to life Amy Beach?s Piano Concerto, a work of lyricism and virtuosity that showcases the bold voice of one of America?s first internationally recognized female composers. The concert concludes with Sibelius?s Finlandia, a stirring tone poem whose melodies and dramatic climaxes evoke both the Finnish landscape and the fervor of a people yearning for freedom. Join us for a journey through intimate portraits, virtuosic brilliance, and nationalist grandeur, at the dawn of the twentieth century.