Summer serenade
6th OSR Festival at Genève-Plage
Thursday
21.08.2025
21:15 — Genève-Plage, Geneva
Programme
Giuseppe Mengoliconductor
Alexandra Conunovaviolin
Louise Farrenc
Overture No. 1 in E minor, Op. 23
Camille Saint-Saëns
Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for violin and orchestra, Op. 28
Franz Waxman
Carmen Fantasy, for violin and orchestra, based on themes from Georges Bizet's opera
Jules Massenet
Thaïs, Meditation for violin and orchestra
Emilie Mayer
Symphony No. 7 in F minor
The music
The programme opens with Louise Farrenc's Overture No. 1 in E minor, a work that is both majestic and expressive, revealing all the romantic spirit of this composer who has been overlooked for too long. This is followed by Camille Saint-Saëns's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, a key piece in the repertoire for violin and orchestra, where elegant dialogue and brilliant outbursts captivate from the very first bars.
The evening continues with Franz Waxman's flamboyant Carmen Fantasie, a veritable display of virtuosity inspired by the most bewitching themes in Bizet's opera. Finally, Émilie Mayer's Symphony No. 7 in F minor brings the programme to a climactic conclusion, with its dramatic force and poignant lyricism testifying to the symphonic genius of this great 19th-century composer.
An intense and refined musical journey, where power and delicacy intertwine to the delight of music lovers.