Once Upon a Time: The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1
Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony

The symphony is transformed into a storybook on this literary program. Made famous by Disney’s Fantasia, Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tells the tale of an apprentice discovering his master’s magic (as told by the trumpets) to bring a broom (as told by the bassoon) to life.

Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony continues down this symphonic storytelling route, bringing to life the 1817 poem Manfred by Lord Byron. In this dramatic poem, the protagonist is riddled with a mysterious guilt, leading him to summon spirits to help him forget his shame.