John Adams's latest work, Scheherazade.2, receives its world premiere in performances by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Alan Gilbert, at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City this Thursday through Saturday, March 26–28. This "dramatic symphony" for violin and orchestra, written for the violinist Leila Josefowicz, who will perform the piece with the Philharmonic, joins compositions in Adams's repertoire like his recent Saxophone Concerto, the Nonesuch recording of which won the Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance earlier this year. On this week's program, Scheherazade.2 is preceded by Lyadov's The Enchanted Lake and the original 1911 version of Stravinsky's Petrushka. Each performance will be preceded by a pre-concert talk with the composer. You can watch the composer and Josefowicz discuss the piece and get a sneak peek of the performance below. For tickets to this week's performances, visit nyphil.org.

In the piece, Adams reflects on the hardship and unfair treatment of women throughout history, with the violinist representing the legendary Scheherazade. "The impetus for the piece was an exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris detailing the history of the ‘Arabian Nights’ and of Scheherazade and how this story has evolved over the centuries," Adams comments. "The casual brutality toward women that lies at the base of many of these tales prodded me to think about the many images of women oppressed or abused or violated that we see today in the news on a daily basis. In the old tale Scheherazade is the lucky one who, through her endless inventiveness, is able to save her life. But there is not much to celebrate here when one thinks that she is spared simply because of her cleverness and ability to keep on entertaining her warped, murderous husband."

He continues: "I was suddenly struck by the idea of a ‘dramatic symphony’ in which the principal character role is taken by the solo violin—and she would be Scheherazade. While not having an actual story line or plot, the symphony follows a set of provocative images: a beautiful young woman with grit and personal power; a pursuit by ‘true believers;’ a love scene (who knows … perhaps her lover is also a woman?); a scene in which she is tried by a court of religious zealots (‘Scheherazade and the Men with Beards’), during which the men argue doctrine among themselves and rage and shout at her only to have her calmly respond to their accusations); and a final ‘escape, flight and sanctuary,’ which must be the archetypal dream of any woman importuned by a man or men."

Leila Josefowicz has served as an inspiration for Adams. She has been a longtime champion of his works, performing on the first recording of his Road Movies, released on Nonesuch Records in 2004. "I composed the piece specifically for Leila Josefowicz who has been my friend and champion of my music (and many other composers) for nearly fifteen years," says Adams. "This work is a true collaboration and reflects a creative dialogue that went back and forth for well over a year and that I expect will continue long after the first performance. I find Leila a perfect embodiment of that kind of empowered strength and energy that a modern Scheherazade would possess."

Scheherazade.2, jointly commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Royal Concertgebouw, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, is approximately 40 minutes in duration. Upcoming performances include those with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in April, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in May, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra in October, before going on to Seattle, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Toronto.

New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert discusses Scheherezade.2 and its premiere here:

For more information on the piece, visit John Adams's publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, at boosey.com.