We are pleased to post this guest edition of Manny’s Musings, a preview of the program notes for our upcoming concert. Enjoy these notes, and buy tickets for the concert to hear these pieces played in person.
Neptunian Shores is an orchestral tone poem that attempts to conjure the majesty and mystery of the sea through the mythic lens of Neptune, the Roman god of the oceans. With surging tides of sound, the piece evokes Neptune’s dual nature—at once serene and tempestuous, able to calm the waters or unleash their fury. From the vantage point of the shoreline, the music invites the listener to witness the divine play of forces just beyond the surf.
Yet Neptunian Shores is not solely mythic in scope. Grounded in personal memory, the work is also in part inspired by Neptune’s Net, a beloved seaside restaurant perched along the Pacific Coast Highway north of Los Angeles. Here, amidst the scent of fresh seafood and the sight of sunlit waves, one can witness the sight of beachgoers enjoying their day. The piece balances myth and memory, offering a sonic portrait of sea, story, and stillness.
Program notes by Russell Holsapple
The rest of the Musings for “Sutton Plays Mendelssohn!” are posted in Manny’s Musings on the Bloomington Symphony website. Join us in person on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 2 p.m. at the Gideon Ives Auditorium at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, for this concert that will also feature BSO Concertmaster Michael Sutton performing Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Maurice Ravel’s Suite No. 2 from Daphnis et Chloe.