The Sarasota Orchestra opened its 2026-27 Masterworks Season with Beethoven and Prokofiev. The fiery program led by conductor Giancarlo Guerrero featured Auerbach’s Icarus, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in Bb Major. 

Guerrero, the steadfast sunbeam, burst onto the stage to introduce Icarus.

Growing up in the former Soviet Union, Lera Auerbach spent a lot of time reading about the world of ancient Greek mythology. She was particularly drawn to the legend of Icarus for its depiction of the fine line between failure and success and the extremes to which humans seek freedom. Icarus — for which she wrote the music prior to giving it the name — was a roiling depiction of the emotional layers that exist with grief.

Auerbach also employed a unique instrument in the composition. Guerrero played show-and-tell with the theremin, an electronic instrument perhaps best known for its use in the Beach Boys song “Good Vibrations,” which was played by guest artist Ella Fredrickson. The theremin operates using electromagnetic fields between two antennas, allowing the player to simply wave a hand over the instrument to produce an unearthly and haunting sound. Within Icarus, the theremin’s most striking moment occurred in a duet with concertmaster Dan Jordan, where the latter’s heartbreakingly beautiful violin melodies brought tears to my eyes. 

Humans are, by nature, optimistic. In the film, “Under the Tuscan Sun,” it is mentioned that the train tracks connecting Vienna and Venice through the Alps were built long before a train existed that could make the journey. Though not exactly known for his optimism, I can only concur that Beethoven must have written his violin concerto knowing that someday, centuries later, Gil Shaham would come along to play it. 

Devilishly difficult (I can only imagine the pain of the poor violinist who sight-read it during its premiere), the concerto demands soulful emotion and intense technical skill. This Shaham accomplished effortlessly, seeming to merely think the notes off the page and out of his violin, where they floated delicately to the audience’s ears. 

Despite his virtuoso status, Shaham enmeshed himself so deeply within the front row of the ensemble that there were times I feared he or Guerrero would poke the other’s eye out with a bow or baton. Indeed, the last section – a bubbling, effervescent dance -- saw the pair bobbing up and down like a pair of pogo sticks. The final note had the audience joining in, leaping to their feet in excitement and applause. 

After a brief intermission, the full orchestra returned in all its might and glory with Prokofiev’s thunderous Fifth Symphony. With its members numbering enough to fill the entire Van Wezel stage, the ensemble created a truly deafening crescendo.

Guerrero said he chose this particular work to highlight the virtuosity of his musicians in addition to their power. Prokofiev’s symphony - written in the midst of the second World War - is meant to depict the complexities of the “free and happy Man.” The orchestra tackles this gracefully, responding as a single creature to syncopated rhythms and abrupt dynamic changes. It’s a triumphant celebration of the human spirit - its resilience, its strength and its optimism. 

As a critic taking notes, it was quite helpful that the house lights were not turned all the way down for the performance. Regardless of the actual reason for this, I can only hope it was not done in error. I have previously lamented a lack of concert etiquette; however, with the exception of enthusiastic applause after the first movement of the Prokofiev (which was, to be fair, understandable), Saturday’s audience was exceptionally well-behaved. 

It is this connection created through music that keeps me returning to the halls of the Van Wezel. In a world where such connection is often lost, opportunities to rediscover the complexities of the human spirit in such an intimate and thrilling way cannot be overstated. I look forward to the Sarasota Orchestra’s next program.

Sarasota Orchestra’s Masterworks concert “Beethoven & Prokofiev.” Reviewed Nov. 7. Final performance at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $43-$118. sarasotaorchestra.org; 941-953-3434