Love Speaks in Many Languages
How does music capture what words alone cannot?
What does love sound like? On this Valentine’s weekend program, the answer arrives in French, German, Italian, Spanish, English—and in the wordless language of strings alone. Soprano Ariana Iniguez joins the Arizona Philharmonic String Quartet, with guest artist Steven Moeckel on first violin, for an evening that explores love in all its forms: tender, manipulative, hopeful, painful, and questioning.
Some of opera’s most seductive moments fill the first half. Bizet’s Habanera and Seguidilla from Carmen capture love as a game—unpredictable, dangerous, and irresistible. Saint-Saëns’ Mon cœur s’ouvre à ta voix from Samson et Dalila flows with persuasive warmth, while Puccini’s beloved O mio babbino caro carries the simple sincerity of a daughter’s plea. Bernstein’s Somewhere from West Side Story lifts the program toward hope—love as a vision of peace beyond barriers.
But love doesn’t always need words. The string quartet selections reveal how deeply instrumental music can speak the heart’s language. Mendelssohn composed his String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor at just eighteen, weaving his own love song Frage (“Is it true?”) throughout all four movements. The question echoes in the strings: is love real? Can it last? Dvořák’s selections from Cypresses began as love songs written in 1865 for an actress who would marry someone else—decades later, he reimagined twelve of them for string quartet. Composer Hans-Peter Dott recently arranged the final six from the original eighteen, and this concert presents Dott’s arrangement, preserving the ache of unspoken feelings. And Mathew Lanning, who grew up in Prescott Valley and attended schools in both Prescott and Prescott Valley, now completing his doctorate at New England Conservatory, brings courtship culture to life through On the Inside I’m Hootin’ On the Outside I’m Hollerin’—a hoedown-inspired work where love expresses itself through dance and communal joy.
The vocal works continue this journey across emotional landscapes. Harry T. Burleigh’s Her Eyes Twin Pools and Your Lips are Wine offer American art song at its most tender and direct. Gabriel Fauré’s Les berceaux paints a poetic image of cradles and ships—safety and longing held in balance. Richard Strauss’ Die Nacht captures the fear that night might steal what is beloved, while Armando Manzanero’s Somos Novios celebrates enduring devotion across generations.
During this concert, we invite you to listen for how each composer shapes love’s character: Bizet makes it dance and seduce, Mendelssohn turns it into a question, Dvořák lets it linger in silence, Burleigh speaks it plainly, and Bernstein lifts it toward transcendence. Together, these works create a full emotional spectrum—from playful to profound, from whispered confession to soaring proclamation.
Arizona Philharmonic presents Singing From the Heart on Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 3 pm at Ruth Street Theater, 1050 Ruth St, Prescott. Come a few days early to meet the artist and hear insights into the upcoming concert: Ariana Iniguez leads Performance Prelude—In the Artist’s Words on Thursday, February 12 at 4:00 pm at Mountain Artist Guild, 228 N. Alarcon St. On Sunday, a pre-concert talk begins at 2 pm. Tickets for both events at AZPhil.org. This Valentine’s weekend, let music be your love language.
Suggested Listening
Enjoy Bizet’s “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Habanera) from Carmen.
