Musical Mysteries of the Arabian Desert

Resident Conductor Lawrence Golan and The Phoenix Symphony have been preparing this week for appearances in Tempe and Mesa during which they will feature your favorite Arabian-themed music from classical music's past. And with the current Phoenix weather heating up, it certainly won't be difficult to mentally transport yourself into wind-swept desert landscapes full of adventure and romance!

This concert will present many composers' takes on Arabian music with its distinctive harmonic modes and melodies including Tchaikovsky's "Arabian Dance" from The Nutcracker, Grieg's "Arabian Dance" from Peer Gynt, and Strauss' Egyptian March. The concert's featured work is the hugely popular Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov which musically depicts the story of The Arabian Nights. 'Hugely popular' is evidently the operative phrase as both performances this weekend are sold out!

This concert also marks the end of The Phoenix Symphony's Favorites Series for the 2008-09 Season during which we've taken a musical tour around the world. If you've been able to plug into some of these concerts, what did you think of the year's theme? With this marking the first year of performance in the new Tempe Center for the Arts as well as various alternate locations while the Scottsdale Center for the Arts was being renovated, did you discover any new favorite venues? We'd love to hear your feedback in the comments!