Did you know the Midsummer Solstice starts on June 19?  It’s close, and with it comes some sort of breathless excitement inherited from days long past.  As with Shakespeare’s rendering, the Midsummer Night- particularly the Midsummer Solstice- refers to both the mischief and mayhem that takes place during this celebration of summer, both present and in far distant histories.  There is a decidedly mischievous quality that meanders through tonight’s program, evoking the joyful urges of long summer days and shorter nights- but most prominently, the need to dance strains in the forefront.  Stravinsky's Suite Italienne is a series of seven dance movements, with distinct folk influence, while Piazzolla's Tango fits the same bill.  Ysaye's Sonata No. 2, 'Obsession', takes on the more mystical qualities of a folk celebration, while Chopin and Rachmaninov, with their Ballade No. 2and Etudes Tableaux, paint canvases of great wending tales told us by our parents, and their parents before them.  In short, this music represents an offering to the new summer, where we can once again join together and celebrate all the many joys life has left to give!