Introduction
“Il pleure dans mon cœur, Comme il pleut sur la ville.” The theme of this concert is inspired by the celebrated verse of Paul Verlaine—the “prince of French poets” and a pioneer of Symbolism—as well as by the relentlessly romantic French classic The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Spanning two centuries, the program moves from Bizet's Symphony No. 1 to the haunting tenderness of Debussy’s melodies and then to the timeless stage radiance of goddess Dalida. These timeless notes are like vividly colored umbrellas, shielding you and me from the cold rain outside while guarding the tenderness within.