New York City
The American Symphony Orchestra presents Swiss Accounts
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
Sunday, May 21, 2006 – 3:00 pm
Leon Botstein, Conductor
Othmar Schoeck: Nachhall (1955) John Hancock, Baritone (U.S. Premiere)
Frank Martin: Cello Concerto (1966), Christian Poltéra, Cello
Arthur Honegger: Symphony No. 5, “Di tre re” (1950) Pacific 231 (1923)
Post-war masterworks by three Swiss composers. Othmar Schoeck, accused as an enemy collaborator, wrote the tender “Nachhall” near the end of his turbulent life. The brilliant colorist Frank Martin’s Cello Concerto is a virtuoso showpiece. And the unique voice of Arthur Honegger is represented by the eloquence of his final Symphony. His most famous work, the driving “Pacific 231,” brings this concert to a rousing conclusion.