Many concert programs follow the standard format familiar to concertgoers everywhere: overture, concerto, intermission, symphony. It's not the only way to arrange a program, but it's the commonest.
Still, there are other ways to make concerts seem fresh, intriguing and exciting. One recent program put two intermissions in a program of three closely related works, Respighi's Roman trilogy. It gave each of the colorfully scored symphonic poems a separate space and a clear focus, while preserving their conceptual unity.
The intimate relationship between orchestra, voice and dance in music should be obvious. In the practical world, though, concerts tend to be orchestra programs, chorus programs or ballet programs, simply because orchestras, choral societies and ballet companies usually prepare their own programs, with their own logistic challenges. One recent program, however, was planned jointly to present singers, dancers and orchestra together in Orff's "Carmina Burana," a near-operatic undertaking.
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