Brahms’s Symphony No. 4

A child prodigy in Vienna, Erich Korngold had published dozens of works by the time he was 25. As the Nazis threatened Europe, Korngold accepted an invitation from motion picture director Max Reinhardt to create the music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the beginning of an Oscar-winning career that would help shape the golden age of Hollywood. In his Violin Concerto you can hear themes and melodies from his scores for Another Dawn, Anthony Adverse, and The Prince and the Pauper. Hear this dramatic work performed by a violinist who “ranks among the greatest instrumentalists of our time” (Seattle Times), Leonidas Kavakos.

Closing this beautiful program is Brahms’s Fourth Symphony, a brilliant study in contrasts from dark mystery to sunlit joy. From its sweetly sad opening to its swirling flourish of a finale, this dynamic masterwork leaves the listener breathless.