蜜柚直播

鈥淭he Thrill of Tchaikovsky鈥� might make you think that Music Director is presenting a bold Russian program.

Adjust your Google maps, with this one Gomez is taking us to Italy.

鈥淚 may be Venezuela-born with Spanish blood, but I also revel in all things Italian,鈥� Gomez said in a note posted on the TSO website.

Gomez, who was guest-conducting in Belgium last week, anchored this weekend鈥檚 classics concert with Tchaikovsky鈥檚 鈥淐apriccio Italian,鈥� which was inspired by a trip the Russian composer took to Rome in 1880 as he was trying to escape his marital problems.

The work is a fantasy for orchestra that incorporates the folk tunes and sounds Tchaikovsky heard on the Italian streets to create a soundscape of what Rome sounded like to a foreigner.

Gomez pairs that with Berlioz鈥檚 exhilarating 鈥淩oman Carnival鈥� Overture, Respighi鈥檚 sweeping and dramatic 鈥淩oman Festivals鈥� and Rossini鈥檚 classic 鈥淲illiam Tell鈥� Overture.

鈥淲ith regard to 鈥榃illiam Tell鈥�,鈥� Gomez said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 always fun when people new to music hear passages made famous in television and cartoons.

Fun facts: Rossini鈥檚 overture has been widely and happily co-opted by Hollywood going as far back as the 1933 Marx Brothers鈥� film 鈥淒uck Soup.鈥� Bugs Bunny has conducted the piece on cartoon and even the Stone Age crew of 鈥淭he Flintstones鈥� appreciated Rossini鈥檚 genius.

The orchestra will perform 鈥淭he Thrill of Tchaikovsky鈥� at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at 蜜柚直播 Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets are $17 to $83 through or by calling 520-882-8585.

The TSO has implemented COVID protocols that require masks in the hall and that ticketholders provide proof of a vaccination with ID or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the performance.