Life in Full Color | Cambridge Symphony Orchestra

On Sunday, Nov. 14, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra returns to the stage with a program that will bring vibrancy and color after the grayness of the pandemic. Tickets can be purchased online. Admittance is subject to compliance with the Somerville Theatre’s policies, including but not limited to any COVID-19 vaccination policy requirements, which will be made available upon request.

Su Lian Tan’s "Langkawi" (2021), an expansion of her earlier "Langkawi Fanfare" (2015), opens the program with sonic depictions of the myths and legends of Malaysia (specially, Langkawi Island, off the coast), the composer’s original home. Originally performed by the Ballets Russes in the early 20th century, two colorful suites from Manuel de Falla’s ballet "The Three Cornered Hat" feature Spanish rhythms and dances that evoke the antics of a magistrate infatuated with a miller’s wife. Finally, Aaron Copland’s "Appalachian Spring" portrays a celebratory occasion among rural people in Pennsylvania in the 19th century; originally commissioned as a ballet score by the choreographer Martha Graham, the orchestral suite evokes an agrarian landscape with an animated, iconic American sound.

The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra thanks the Massachusetts Cultural Council for supporting their 2021-22 season.

Image credit: The Paddy Fields of Langkawi Island / taufuuu (CC BY-NC 2.0)