Festival Orchestra

Stephanie Childress returns to the podium to lead a concert featuring Elgar’s Enigma Variations. His best-known work, it starts off with a pensive four-note melody which Elgar then weaves into 14 variations. In each variation, he imagines how one of 13 of his friends might turn the theme into a different melody inspired in some way by their personality. The first variation is based on his wife, Alice, and the 14^th and final variation is Elgar’s own. It’s an orchestral masterpiece.

For all its title suggests, A German Requiem is more balm than dirge, a work offering comfort and faith in the power of love. Instead of the traditional Latin, Brahms selected texts from the German Lutheran Bible (hence the title) that emphasize hope and healing, and he didn’t tie the piece to any particular nationality or religion. Doing the vocal honors are the American Festival Chorus, soprano Christina Pier, and baritone Benjamin Appl.

Prokofiev’s third piano concerto is the most performed of the five he wrote, and you’ll quickly understand why. He somehow manages to blend insanely quick and percussive piano-playing with lyrical melodies and exquisite harmonies. Pianist Alexander Malofeev, who won the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition at age 12, is the perfect soloist to bring this sparkling piece to life. The program opens with selections from Prokofiev’s beloved Romeo and Juliet.