ABOUT THE EVENT

David Neely, music director

The story of Scheherazade binds together the medieval Middle Eastern folk tales of “One Thousand and One Nights.” Scheherazade, the daughter of a vizier, marries a rage-filled sultan who has promised to take a new bride every evening and execute them each morning. In order to delay the inevitable, Scheherazade tells her husband a new tale every evening, but never concludes a story in one night. The sultan is so enchanted by her storytelling that day-after-day he postpones her execution to hear each ending. This continues for 1,001 days, after which Scheherazade tells the sultan that she has no more stories to tell, at which point her husband has become so enamored with her that he decides to let her live.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade brings the princesses’ legendary storytelling to the orchestral stage. Audience members listen as Scheherazade, represented by the solo violin, weaves her tales for the sultan. Spellbinding stories about bustling marketplaces, majestic palaces,treacherous seas,heroes and villains await listeners in this enchanting piece.

PROGRAM

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade

And more!

ABOUT THE UMD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Through its committed and polished performances under the baton of David Neely, UMSO is dedicated to the power of musical communication. In its repertoire, the orchestra explores the intersection between traditional symphonic masterworks and marginalized works from various eras, with many programs featuring composers of diverse backgrounds.