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Igor Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Hale Smith: Ritual and Incantations
Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 4
Conductor, David Hayes

Join us for an evening of icons and iconoclasts, known, unknown, and rediscovered.

"The artist is always searching for the meaning of life, his own and that of mankind, searching for truth. A system of uncertainty has entered our daily life. The pressures of mechanization and uniformity to which it is subject call for protest, and the artist has only one means of expressing this, by music." — Bohuslav Martinů

Mannes Orchestra returns to Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, presenting works by celebrated masters and newly rediscovered voices. Featured in the program is Bohuslav Martinů, distinguished composer, former Mannes faculty member, and a pivotal figure whose legacy is enjoying a significant resurgence.

About the Program:

Igor Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Composed in 1920 as a memorial tribute to Claude Debussy and revised in 1947, Symphonies of Wind Instruments is a striking work for winds and brass. Rooted in Russian folk and Orthodox liturgical influences, the piece unfolds in contrasting episodes of varied tempo, texture, and color, evoking a sense of ritual and ceremony.

Hale Smith: Ritual and Incantations
Written in 1974, Hale Smith’s Ritual and Incantations fuses orchestral traditions with rhythmic patterns inspired by West African drumming. The result is a work of mystery, tension, and dramatic power, reflecting Smith’s ability to merge cultural influences into music that resonates well beyond stylistic boundaries.

Bohuslav Martinů: Symphony No. 4
Despite the fact he spent his last two decades in exile, Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959) was among the most prolific composers of the twentieth century. Born in a church tower above the Czech–Moravian Highlands, he established himself in both Prague and Paris before the Nazi invasion of France forced him to flee to the United States. Completed in 1945, Martinů’s Symphony No. 4 was written partly in New York and finished on Cape Cod. Structured in four movements and built from a single motif, the symphony balances rhythmic vitality with moments of lyrical calm. Premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra, it stands as one of Martinů’s most optimistic works, written at the close of World War II. Bohuslav Martinů was a member of the Mannes School of Music faculty.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Guest Experience at 212-875-5456 or [email protected].

Please note: this event is presented by an outside licensee and is not a production or presentation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts or a Lincoln Center resident organization.