Debussy’s La mer

Debussy’s impressionistic symphonic tone poems, La mer and Ibéria, take center stage in this all-French–Iberian-peninsula program. Mezzo-soprano Angela Brower is the soloist for Berlioz’s cantata Cléopâtre, on the first of her two weeks with the TSO, and Maestro Gomez introduces the music of Olivier Messiaen with the grief-stricken Le tombeau resplendissant. For his depiction of La mer (“The Sea”), Debussy drew inspiration from visual art, notably Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. The composer’s kaleidoscope sense of musical color mirrors the vibrant colors of the Japanese woodblock print. While also impressionistic, Ibéria is a more concrete musical depiction of Spanish rhythms and flair, evoking notable praise from Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. Berlioz’s Cléopâtre, studded with lush orchestral sections and dramatic vocal writing, is a showpiece for the vocalist as she depicts the heroine’s final moments.