“This summer, we’ll explore the idea of love as motivation for a broad range of human behavior. Elgar's 'Salut d'Amour' is pure romantic love, but in Sibelius' 'Finlandia,' it's the love of country that inspires. In Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro,' a daughter tries to convince her father that her love for her partner is true, and in Strauss' waltz 'Frühlingsstimmen,' we experience the love of spring, in all its resplendent beauty.
“Yes, love is a beautiful thing that can lift us to the highest highs, but it can also break our hearts when things don’t go as we planned. It can sometimes carry with it feelings of jealousy, inadequacy, fear, and loneliness, and it can make us behave in ways that go against our values. On occasion, we hurt the people we love the most—as Don Jose does at the end of Carmen.
"I'm really excited to have our tuba player, Matt Kuebler, featured on these concerts. Matt is an incredible musician, and I think audiences may just find a new love of their own during the performance as they fall in love with the beautiful sound of the tuba. Matt will play Monti's virtuoso showpiece ‘Czardas,' as well as the famous Serenade from Romberg's operetta 'The Student Prince.'
"Our summer concerts are a great opportunity for us to get out into the communities we serve and bring our music directly to our audience. You can bring the whole family, bring a picnic basket, and enjoy a relaxing performance on a beautiful St. Louis summer evening."
Program will include:
| Georges Bizet | Selections from Carmen (1875) |
| Edward Elgar | Salut d’Amour (1888) |
| Antonin Dvořák | Slavonic Dances, Op. 72 (1886) |
| Sigmund Romberg | Serenade from The Student Prince (1924) Matt Kuebler, tuba soloist |
| Johann Strauss, Jr. | Frühlingsstimmen Waltzes (1882) |
| Vittorio Monti | Czardas (1904) Matt Kuebler, tuba soloist |
| Hoagy Carmichael | Stardust (1927) |
| Duke Ellington | Sophisticated Lady (1932) |
| Giacomo Puccini | Two Puccini Arias O mio babbino caro (1918) Nessun dorma (1924) |
| Jean Sibelius | Finlandia (1899) |
Ed Jacobs