Irish Chamber Orchestra
Katherine Hunka Director

AMERICANS & BOHEMIANS

Dvořák Nocturne in B, Op. 40
Jessie Montgomery Strum
Barber Adagio for Strings Op. 11
Hermann Physco Suite for String Orchestra
Suk Serenade for Strings Op. 6

Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement, Montgomery’s appealing work Strum, is superbly crafted and full of fun. Barber’s much-loved and evocative Adagio filled with solemnity and sadness has featured in many movie soundtracks. Bernard Hermann brought a malicious relish to his work on Hitchcock’s thrillers, demonstrated in his Psycho Suite, which features all the familiar ICO dramatic thrills and shrill chills!

Bohemia in the early 1900’s was heaving with highly skilled composers and musicians. Dvořák’s Nocturne, a slow, stately work of harmonic adventure reveals his radical streak. He mentored his son-in-law Josef Suk whose celebrated and prodigious Serenade brims with charm and lyrical appeal.