From its famous opening orchestral “sneeze” – the traditional Hungarian reaction to a tall story – Kodaly’s Háry János Suite brings to life the exaggerated tales of a soldier in a Hungarian tavern.  Listen for the mechanical Viennese musical clocks, a triumphant march and traditional Hungarian folk melodies.  

By contrast, Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 is a tour de force of French Romanticism.  Written in one movement, it shifts between stormy virtuosity and graceful minuets and was considered to be one of the greatest cello concertos ever written and a brilliant showcase for the instrument.  

Finally, inspired by the legendary folk tales of One Thousand and One Nights, Rimsky-Korsakov tells the story of Scheherazade as she spins captivating stories to save her own life.  You’ll hear the menacing brass motif of the tyrannical Sultan, Persian bazaars, tempestuous seas and a soaring violin solo of the storyteller herself.