Black Angels & Red Death

Black Angels & Red Death presents a captivating collection of works that explore themes of remembrance, conflict, fantasy, and deep introspection. Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin pays tribute to the elegance of Baroque music while mourning friends lost in World War I, reimagined here with Paul Dean’s arrangement that highlights its delicate charm. George Crumb’s Black Angels plunges us into a haunting soundscape filled with eerie, amplified strings and unconventional techniques, reflecting the turmoil of the Vietnam War era.

Caplet’s Conte Fantastique, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, evokes a chilling narrative of inevitability through its lush, atmospheric writing for harp and strings. The program culminates with Tchaikovsky’s heart-wrenching Adagio Lamentoso from his final symphony, presented in Trish Dean’s intimate arrangement that captures the movement’s profound melancholy and farewell to life. Each piece offers a unique window into the composers’ worlds, filled with emotion, reflection, and storytelling.

Led by the esteemed guest violinist, Zöe Black and featuring Ensemble Q’s Emily Granger on harp.