Enjoy the gentle beauty of Claire de lune —French for “moonlight”— one of the most recognizable pieces in Debussy’s repertoire. This work will immerse you in a dreamlike atmosphere, using open harmonies, unconventional scales, and fluid melodic lines. Just as Impressionist painters captured the fleeting play of light rather than rigid details, the music evokes shifting moods and delicate soundscapes.

Next, we present Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder, performed by one of the most electrifying opera singers of the 21st century, baritone Lester Lynch. The poignant song cycle is based on the poetry of Romantic German poet Friedrich Rückert. As in much of Mahler’s music, melody takes center stage. These five deeply expressive songs journey from the fragrant promise of spring to meditations on solitude and, ultimately, a profound contemplation of the soul’s darkest hour.

The program concludes with Lynch and the Bozeman Symphonic Choir performing Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. This dramatic oratorio, drawn from biblical texts, tells the story of the Jews’ exile in Babylon. During a grand feast, King Belshazzar desecrates sacred Jewish vessels in praise of heathen gods— only to meet a sudden and divine downfall. With the king’s fall, the Babylonian kingdom crumbles, and the Jewish people triumphantly regain their freedom.