DuPage Symphony Orchestra presented "Two Times Tchaikovsky" with violin virtuoso Aleksey Semenenko - by Natalia Dagenhart

“Music is indeed the most beautiful of all Heaven’s gifts to humanity wandering in the darkness. Alone it calms, enlightens, and stills our souls. It is not the straw to which the drowning man clings; but a true friend, refuge, and comforter, for whose sake life is worth living,” said Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1877. These words are fully supported by the musicians from the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, who spend all their free time volunteering at this great organization. These people find peace, comfort and a sense of life in music and have delivered joy and happiness to our community since 1954.

This time, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra presented an evening of music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, whose name is well known around the world and whose music “calms, enlightens, and stills our souls”. The concert took place at the Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville on October 10. As usual, the auditorium was full of music lovers who particularly appreciate Russian classical music.

The night started with a piece written by another talented Russian composer – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, who was closely connected to Tchaikovsky. Rimsky-Korsakov lived and composed at the same time as Tchaikovsky; and although his views on music differed with Tchaikovsky’s views for a while, at some point he agreed with him and got a lot of support from Tchaikovsky. The DuPage Symphony Orchestra performed Overture on Russian Themes by Rimsky-Korsakov, which was written in 1866 based on three traditional Russian melodies. It was revised in 1880, the year when Tchaikovsky chose one of these melodies for the central episode of his 1812 Overture, which was also written in 1880.

After that, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra presented Symphony No. 2 written by Tchaikovsky in 1872. In this composition, Tchaikovsky used three Ukrainian folk songs, and because at that time Ukraine was frequently called Little Russia, the symphony got a name “Little Russian”, or “Ukrainian”. He wrote it during his summer break in Ukraine where he was visiting his sister. Based on popular folk songs and even on the wedding march (in the second movement), this symphony was very successful. Tchaikovsky considered it to be his best work at that time; although he kept revising it a few years later. Performing this piece, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra demonstrated Tchaikovsky’s love for folk songs as well as his tremendous music education and love to musical structure and form.

The culmination of the evening was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concert in D Major featuring a young violin virtuoso from Ukraine Aleksey Semenenko. Aleksey is a well-known musician who successfully performs around the world. Belgium, France, United States, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany – all these countries were honored to hear this outstanding violinist perform. The winner of many international musical competitions, Semenenko is still on the rise and daily perfects his skills studying at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne.

Born in Odessa, this talented musician has both Russian and Ukrainian roots and relates himself to Tchaikovsky’s music more than anyone else. Tchaikovsky wrote this violin concert in 1878, and at first it was stated to be “unplayable” and “unviolinistic” because of its extreme technical difficulties. Tchaikovsky wrote that he would not “give up the hope that in time the piece will give you greater pleasure.” And that time came – with Aleksey Semenenko virtuously performing it along with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra at Wentz Concert Hall that night.

“This concert is not very easy to play, but it is extremely beautiful and very popular,” said Aleksey. “I am happy to play it. All beauty of Tchaikovsky is represented in it; all his best sides are in this violin concert. Many people consider it to be the most famous violin concert in the world written by Tchaikovsky.” Semenenko demonstrated his outstanding playing technique, as well as his elegant, emotional and very touching attitude towards Tchaikovksy’s concert, and wowed the public.

He first played this concert in 2004 accompanied by a piano. With an orchestra, he started playing it in 2005 and really enjoyed it. Since then, Semenenko feels that his manner performing this concert became more mature, free and hearty. Playing with different orchestras in the world, Aleksey has to adjust to each of them and make each performance brilliant. This time, the violin soloist was pleased that the volunteer musicians did such a great job performing this difficult piece. The performance by Aleksey Semenenko and the DuPage Symphony Orchestra was followed by a standing ovation and an encore presented by this great violinist.

The evening ended with another great composition by Tchaikovksy – Waltz from Eugene Onegin. This popular and elegant piece became a great conclusion for the night of music, which “is indeed the most beautiful of all Heaven’s gifts to humanity wandering in the darkness”.

Natalia Dagenhart Copyright