Music Illuminates the Soul

Eduardo Strausser, guest conductor
Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Charles Bruffy, chorus director

ARVO PÄRT “Salve Regina”
GIUSEPPE VERDI “Stabat Mater”
GIUSEPPE VERDI “Te Deum”
ROBERT SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2

We welcome charismatic Brazilian conductor Eduardo Strausser back to Kansas City for a program of transcendent beauty. Inspired by the revered 13th-century hymn to Mary, the mother of Jesus, Estonian composer Arvo Pärt set the “Salve Regina” with ethereal choral lines, murmuring strings and crystalline celeste, all seemingly suspended in time and space. You’ll love this moment of serenity in the midst of our busy world.

The last two works that famed opera composer Giuseppe Verdi completed were “Stabat Mater” and “Te Deum,” reflecting religious contemplation at the end of his life. Like Pärt, Verdi found inspiration in a 13th-century hymn to Mary, commemorating her sorrow at Jesus’ crucifixion. His “Stabat Mater” ranges from quiet contemplation to anguished outcry. Based on the 4th-century hymn of praise, “Te Deum” is filled with drama and huge contrasts that will take you on a deeply emotional journey.

Robert Schumann described his Second Symphony as “music of light and shade, sunshine and shadow.” Enjoy those contrasts as the spirited scherzo movement charms and delights while a more pensive mood follows. The triumphant conclusion is richly satisfying.