was aligned to the ideals of Enlightenment thought and free-thinking political liberals . Mozart composed a number of pieces for use within his lodge , but in The Magic Flute he employed Masonic imagery and symbolism in a public entertainment .
The number three holds mystical significance to Freemasons . The overriding key of Die Zauberflöte is accordingly E-flat major , with three flats in the key signature , and the Overture opens with a grand proclamation ( Adagio ) of each of the three notes of the tonic triad . Following this grave introduction , the orchestra skips off in a gleeful , fugal Allegro , only to be interrupted by another solemn assertion of the three chords . The remainder of the Overture is filled with brilliant counterpoint and dynamic contrasts , building a considerably more complex piece than one might expect from what is really just a single theme .
Instrumentation : Two flutes , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , three trombones , timpani , and strings .
Béla Bartók
Born March 25 , 1881 , in Nagyszentmiklós , Hungary ( now Sânnicolau Mare , Romania ) Died September 26 , 1945 , in New York , New York
PIANO CONCERTO NO . 3 [ 1945 ]
The major works of Béla Bartók ’ s last years — the Concerto for Orchestra ( 1943 , revised 1945 ), Sonata for Solo Violin ( 1944 ), Piano Concerto No . 3 ( 1945 ), and Viola Concerto ( 1945 ) — were glorious pendants to a career the composer himself viewed as over . He grew increasingly desperate as National Socialism overtook Central Europe in the 1930s , but he felt compelled to stay in his native Hungary to look after his adored mother . When she died in 1939 , Bartók prepared his quick exit , and in the fall of 1940 he and his family arrived in New York City , where he would spend the five years that remained to him . He felt depressed and
Sing for Joy !
Choral favorites from London to Baltimore , featuring works by Whitacre , Vaughan Williams , and Britten .
May 18 , 2025 | 3:00 PM | Cathedral of Mary Our Queen
BaltimoreChoralArts . org 410-523-7070 Tickets start at $ 25
PEABODY
2024 – 25 CONCERT SEASON
Peabody ’ s FREE in-person and online performance season this spring spans from classical to contemporary , from jazz to dance .
Highlights include : Peabody Wind Ensemble Mar 1 Peabody Chamber Orchestra Mar 6 Peabody Wind Ensemble Apr 12
Peabody Symphony Orchestra May 2 with NEXT Ensemble , Peabody Hopkins Conservatory Choir , and Peabody Camerata
Find your favorites at peabody . jhu . edu / events .
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