NSO: Debussy, McNeff, Rachmaninov

Featuring the Irish premiere of CMC Composer Stephen McNeff's The Celestial Stranger given by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lina Gonzáles-Granados with soloist Gavan Ring. A co-commission between the NSO and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Melodies pour out of Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony, one of the great orchestral love songs. Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’une faune is a spellbinding portrait of a faun on a blissful Spring afternoon. Stephen McNeff’s song cycle The Celestial Stranger, composed for Gavan Ring, conjures in its Irish premiere a 17th-century mystic’s vision of aliens visiting Earth and falling under the spell of ‘this little star, so wide and full of mysteries’, only to realise that dangerous shadows are falling across the fragile blue planet.

Programme

Debussy - Prélude à l’après-midi d’une faune
Stephen McNeff - The Celestial Stranger *Irish Premiere* [NSO co-commission with BBC National Orchestra of Wales.] 
Rachmaninov - Symphony No. 2

Concert estimated duration including interval: 119’

Pre-Concert Talk | 6.15pm  | Kevin Barry Recital Room

Join tenor Gavan Ring and Stephen McNeff in discussion to celebrate the Irish premier of Stephen's song cycle composed for Gavan. Discover the inspiration behind the composition, insights into the creative process, and what audiences can expect from this highly anticipated performance.

Tickets

€15, €25, €29, €34.50, €39. Booking at the NCH.