Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Saturday September 26, 8 pm
Belk Theater: Beethoven Symphony No.7
Program
1. Sinfonia (Ouverture). Allegro moderato
2. Sernata. Larghetto
3. (a) Scherizino, (b) Allegro, (c) Andantino
4. Tarantella
5. Toccatoa. Allegro
6. Gavotta; Allegro moderato (Variazione la:Allegretto, Variazione lla:Allegro piu tosto moderato)
7. Vivo
8. (a) Minuetto.Motto moderato,
(b) Finale. Allegro assai
Stravinsky created a Pulcinella concert suite, featuring music from a ballet. The primiere of Stravinsky's concert suite took place on December 22, 1922, with Pierre Monteux conducting the Boston Symphony. Stravinsky's Pulcinella uses lyrical charm to engage the audience. The concert suite is full of energy and uses piquant orchestral sonorities to draw the audience inn. The score calls for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, trombone, and strings. Duration of this performance is 21 minutes.
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.1 in C major, OP.15
1. Allegro con brio
2. Largo
3. Rondo. Allegro scherzando
The work known as Beethoven's First Piano Concerto, Opus 15, was actually the second in order of composition. While the C-Major Concerto was completed in 1798. The C-Major concerto probably received its primer at a 1798 concert in Prague, with the composer as soloist. In addition to the solo piano, the score calls for flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. Duration of this performance is 36 minutes.
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op.92
1. Poco sostenuto; Vivance
2. Allegretto
3. Presto; Assai meno presto
4. Allegro con brio
Ludwig van Beethoven completed his seventh Symphony in 1812. The work received its premiere on December 8, 1813, at the grand hall of the University of Vienna, as part of a concert for the benefit of wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers. Beethoven served as the conductor. The scores calls for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. Duration of the performance is 36 minutes.
Facts about the program comes from the actual Charlotte Symphony program.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op.15
This piece was Beethoven’s third attempt at the genre, following an unpublished piano concerto in Eb major and the Piano Concerto no. 2, published after this one in 1801, but composed almost ten years earlier. Beethoven style reflects Mozart and Hyden, while its abrupt harmonic shifts are more reflective of Beethoven's personality. Despite its relative conservatism, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 did provoke quite a response in its day. It premiered in Prague, the audience reacted favorably.
Allegro con brio: "The first movement is in sonata form, but with an added orchestral exposition, a cadenza, and a coda. It has a main theme repeated many times, and there are several subordinate themes. The orchestral exposition changes keys many times, but the second exposition is mainly in G major. The development starts in E-flat major, and then modulates to C minor, which ends with an octave glissando, which is merely played as a scale with right hand on the upper notes, and left hand on the lower notes. The recapitulation is in C major. There are three options for the cadenza to this movement, all of which vary in length and difficulty and all ending with trills. The coda is played by the orchestra alone. Average performances vary in length from sixteen to eighteen minutes."
Largo: "The second movement is in the key of A-flat major, in this context a key relatively remote from the concerto's opening key of C major. If the movement adhered to traditional form, its key would be F major, the sub dominant key. Like many slow movements, this movement is in ternary (ABA) form. Its opening a section presents several themes that are then developed in the middle B section. Typical performances last more than ten minutes."
Rondo. Allegro Scherzando: "The third movement is a seven-part rondo, a traditional third-movement form in classical concerti. The piano states the main theme, which is then repeated by the orchestra. The two B sections are in G major and C major respectively. The middle section is in A minor. Two short cadenzas are indicated by Beethoven in this movement, one just before the final return to the main theme, and a short eingang immediately before the end of the movement, which finishes with a striking dynamic contrast; the piano plays a melody quietly, but the orchestra then ends the movement forcefully. The movement typically lasts around eight to nine minutes."
History of the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15 was provided by program and website below.
http://www.classiccat.net/beethoven_l_van/15.info.php
The Piano portion of this performance is what kept me captivated. Mr. Behzod Aduraimov was on the Piano. He first learned this piece when he was seven years old. Now in his late twenties he was amazing. The conductor was really just following him. His ability to perform flawlessly, passionate, and precise is what really made me enjoy this experience. I found this piece to also be interesting after reading the history and seeing how important this piece was to Beethoven, he actual performed on the piano in the very first performance. After failing to publish prior pieces Beethoven thought he would see this through.
My Daughter and I out side the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Inside the Belk Theater
My Daughter and I Inside Prior to the start of the performance
Me with Tickets prior to performance
Flyer
Trying to get Orchestra in Back Ground
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1932, the Charlotte Symphony is the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the central Carolinas, giving nearly 70 performances each season and reaching an annual attendance of 130,000 listeners. The Charlotte Symphony employs more than 100 professional musicians each year with 62 individuals on full-time contracts. Charlotte Symphony Chorus (formerly Oratorio Singers of Charlotte), founded in 1952, is the acclaimed volunteer chorus of the Charlotte Symphony and includes the main chorus and the Chamber Singers. Director of Choruses Kenney Potter and the Charlotte Symphony Chorus perform with the orchestra several times each season including "Messiah" in December. The Symphony Guild of Charlotte, Inc. and the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestras Parents' Association engage community members to participate in youth orchestra programs. As far as the performance it all starts with the conductor; Christopher Warren-Green is Music Director of the Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina. Working extensively in the US, his key North American engagements have included The Philadelphia Orchestra and Washington's National Symphony Orchestra, as well as concerts with the Detroit, St. Louis, Toronto, Milwaukee, Seattle and Vancouver symphony orchestras. He also regularly works with the Minnesota Orchestra and last season conducted performances of Handel's Messiah with Houston Symphony, about which the Houston Chronicle noted that he conducted the performances "with relish...I've rarely heard the story of Jesus' advent, suffering and victory told so vividly." Dedicated to the promotion of new works and passionate about music education, Warren-Green plays a key role in LCO Music Junction. This is a program that gathers young people from different backgrounds to create mutual empathy and connection through music making. This was my first orchestra performance, so it is hard to judge good or bad. However, I did enjoy the passion of the conductor, the atmosphere, and the venue. My favorite part was the performance by Mr. Behzod Aduraimov was on the Piano during Concerto No. 1 in C Major. Behzod was born in Taskent in 1990; Behzod began to play the piano at the age of five. He was the pupil of Tamara Popvich at the Uspensky State Central Lyceum in Tashkent, and studied with Stanislav loudenitch at the International Center of Music at Park University, Kansas City, where he is no Artist in Residence. I was also impressed with the concertmaster, Mr. Calin Ovidiu Lupanu. Born in Timisoara, Romania, violinist Calin is the Concertmaster of the Charlotte Symphony. Lupanu completed his undergraduate studies at the Music Conservatory in Bucharest, where he served as the Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra. In that capacity, Mr Lupanu toured extensively in Germany, Denmark, Hungary, and Spain. During his summers as a student, Lupanu performed in festival orchestras in Lanciano, Italy as Assistant Concertmaster and the Young Soloists Orchestra “Fiori Rari” in Lugano, Switzerland as Concertmaster. Upon graduation, Lupanu was appointed Assistant Professor at the Music Conservatory. Like I stated before this being my fist Symphony, I did enjoy the performances. I thought the atmosphere was captivating, all members of the orchestra were committed to bringing a flawless performance, and prior to the performance there was a history of each piece given. I did learn a lot about the music prior to the performance. I guess that is what made it so interesting was listening to the history then seeing it performed live.
Fun Fact #1
Fun Fact #2
Fun Fact #3
Stravinsky’s father was one of the leading Russian operatic basses of his day
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Fun Fact #9
His arrangement of the Star - Spangled Banner (1944) was too severe to become a favorite.
Fun Fact #10
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 is the featured music in this Saturday's cartoon.
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Fun Fact #12
Beethoven wrote his third symphony in honor of a great man, Bonaparte. He was seen as the liberator of the people, opening a door to hope during the French Revolution. When the First Consul declared him Emperor, Beethoven became enraged and scowled out Bonaparte’s name from the score.