Beyond Words: Harmonious Symphonic Poems Saturday, November 18, 2023, 2:00pm Festival City Symphony kicks off this season’s Saturday Classics series with Dmitri Shostakovich’s dark and subtly defiant 1967 symphonic poem “October.” Though commissioned by the Soviet Party, this stunning piece is now recognized as offering more commentary than praise of his country’s leadership. Bookending this expressive concert will be the familiar “Slovanic March” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and the thrilling “Symphony No. 2” by the multi-hyphenate composer, scientist and lyricist Alexander Borodin. Seasoned concert-goers will enjoy FCS’s interpretation of these masterpieces, and new audiences will be glad to introduce these works into their musical vocabulary.