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AN EVENING OF MUSIC FROM PALERMO
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The Music
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): "Overture to Egmont, Op. 84" (1809-1810)
Beethoven's music represents the bridge between the classical era, embodied by Haydn and Mozart, and the Romantic era that exalted the ideals of nature, the nobility of the human spirit, and the grand expression of emotions. His works drew inspiration from many literary sources, most famously Schiller's "Ode to Joy," which Beethoven set to music in his Ninth Symphony. In his historical drama "Egmont," Wolfgang von Goethe, one of the foremost German-language writers, supplied the story of the Flemish aristocrat who defied King Philip II of Spain and was beheaded in 1567. Beethoven recounted the tale in an overture and nine other pieces of incidental music. The overture is a classic Beethovenian journey from darkness to light, from ignorance to illumination.
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): "Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77" (1878)
Like the composer himself, this music has a sort of grave sincerity that wins over the listener because it wears its heart on its sleeve. The deep emotions expressed in the voice of the violin are there for us to feel: solitude and isolation are answered by dialogue with the viola and other instruments. Ultimately, the violin joyously joins the larger ensemble of instruments, finding things to say to almost all of them. In his evocation of the sadness of the human condition made better by friendship, beauty, and love, Brahms aligns himself with a Beethovenian worldview that is hinted at in the "Egmont Overture." He dedicated this work to the violinist Joseph Joachim, who premiered the concerto in Leipzig with the Gewandhaus Orchestra on New Year's Day in 1879.
Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904): "Symphony No. 9 in E Minor ('From the New World'), Op. 95" (1893)
The famed Czech composer's Ninth Symphony is one of the most beloved in all the repertory. It had its debut at Carnegie Hall on December 15, 1893, with Anton Seidl conducting the New York Philharmonic. The composer was in the audience and witnessed the rapturous acclaim his music was accorded. In this period Dvorák was teaching in New York but found peace and inspiration in Spillville, Iowa, which had a large Czech community. There, he heard many types of new music, including spirituals (especially "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"), and the music of Native Americans as well as Czechs transplanted to the Midwest. Taking inspiration from this music, he created the new and original sounds that make his Ninth Symphony so appealing.
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901): Overture to "I Vespri Siciliani" (1855)
The encore in this evening's program comes from "Les Vêpres Siciliennes," an opera Verdi originally wrote in French for the Paris Opera. Completed after his famous successes, "Rigoletto," "Il Trovatore," and "La Traviata," this opera was very popular in its time but is not produced as often today. Full of passionate, rousing music, it tells the story of how 13th-century Sicilians threw out their island's French occupiers. Its most famous aria, for bass, is "O tu Palermo," a tribute to the glories of the Sicilian capital where this opera, and this memorable Europakonzert, took place.
Top banner photos: Palermo's San Cataldo church and featured soloist Gil Shaham. |
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From 1989 to 2002, Claudio Abbado served as principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. |
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The venerable orchestra began with a little more than 50 musicians in 1882. |
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