Introducing new music is part of the Orchestra’s storied heritage, from great pieces of the past such as Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (premiered in 1934, and on the bill this week), to Hannibal’s exciting new One Land, One River, One People unveiled earlier this month.
This week the Philadelphians are performing Alfredo Casella’s Second Symphony, in its U.S. premiere. But there’s a twist: The piece was written over 100 years ago. Who was Casella? And why has it taken so long for this composition to reach our shores?