Summit & Vale by Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra

The title of this program refers to the peak of Prokofiev’s career and the nadir of Elgar’s. And tying the two together is Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst, a work of brilliantly explosive color depicting both the birth and death of stars. Elgar’s Cello Concerto was the composer’s last major composition, written at a time when his music had already fallen out of favor with the public. Seen as a relic from the era of Edwardian excess, the concerto failed to resonate with the disillusioned post-war populace. Today, it is amongst the most beloved classical works ever composed, possessed of an emotional