Today, the NY Philharmonic had an all-Dvorak recital to celebrate the first concert of the season. After playing the Star-spangled Banner (not Dvorak) and the Carnival Overture, Yo-yo Ma played the Dvorak Cello Concerto. It was a very moving performance!

He looked so relaxed when he played, exchanging smiles with the conductor. He was also very intense and deeply involved with the music. He expertly brought out the beauty and fire that is Dvorak. I will not forget this performance!

The Cello Concerto is a great piece of music. If you listened to Dvorak’s 9th Symphony “From the New World” you can easily hear his expert and unique way of composing for the string section, as well as the usage of the brass and woodwind. The story behind the concerto is that Dvorak was inspired by a performance of a cello concerto by a cellist with this very same NY Philharmonic. Before, he felt that the cello could only “squeak” the high notes and “growl” the low notes, but after listening to that cellists performance and going back a second time to listen, he began writing his Cello Concerto that very year.

Additionally, we say good-bye to Beverly Sills, who passed away this summer. Taking her place (permanently?) as host of the Live at Lincoln Center series is the great violinist Itzhak Perlman!