Video: USC Thornton Symphony performs “The Planets”
By Daniel Anderson
The USC Thornton Symphony has a rich history of performing under first-rate conductors, from Bruno Walter and Witold Lutosławski, to Esa-Pekka Salonen and Michael Tilson Thomas, and, of course, principal conductor Carl St.Clair. Ahead of the ensemble’s March 11th concert under guest conductor Christoph Campestrini, we look back upon a 2015 performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, featuring Yoav Talmi, Principal Guest Conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra and Conductor Emeritus of the Quebec Symphony.
Recorded at USC’s Bovard Auditorium on March 12, 2015, the videos capture the majesty of Holst’s astrological odyssey, from the bombast of Mars, the Bringer of War and the delicate buoyancy of Mercury, the Winged Messenger, to the otherworldly wonders of Neptune, The Mystic. All seven movements of The Planets are included in the performance, which also featured female vocalists from the Thornton Choral program.
View the entire performance playlist here.
This Friday, guest conductor Christoph Campestrini will lead the USC Thornton Symphony in two works of equally expressive Russian lyricism: Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances and The Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky. The concert will take place March 11th at 7:30 PM at USC’s Bovard Auditorium and is free and open to the public.
