Overture Magazine 2019-20 BSO_Overture_Mar_Apr_final | Page 14

2019-20 SEASON BEETHOVEN 2020 The BSO celebrates the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth! EVGENY KISSIN IN RECITAL MON, MAY 18, 8 PM MEYERHOFF Evgeny Kissin, piano BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8, “Pathétique” BEETHOVEN Variations and Fugue, “Eroica” BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 17, “The Tempest” BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21, “Waldstein” The BSO is not performing on this program. EVGENY KISSIN MARIN ALSOP PASTORAL SYMPHONY THU, JUN 4, 8 PM STRATHMORE FRI, JUN 5, 8 PM MEYERHOFF SAT, JUN 6, 8 PM STRATHMORE SUN, JUN 7, 3 PM MEYERHOFF Marin Alsop, conductor • Viktoria Mullova, violin BEETHOVEN Coriolan Overture BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral” BEETHOVEN NINTH THU, JUN 11, 8 PM MEYERHOFF FRI, JUN 12, 8 PM MEYERHOFF SAT, JUN 13, 8 PM STRATHMORE SUN, JUN 14, 3 PM MEYERHOFF Marin Alsop, conductor • Wordsmith, spoken word artist Morgan State University Choir Community Chorus of Peabody Voices Rise: A Baltimore Choir of Hope REENA ESMAIL See Me (World Premiere) BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9, “Choral” Featuring new text by Wordsmith WORDSMITH Don’t miss the free Symphony in the City concert at Patterson Park on May 20 at 7 pm featuring the works of Beethoven! BSOMUSIC.ORG/SYMPHONYINTHECITY TICKETS FROM $25 | 410.783.8000 | 1.877.BSO.1444 BSOMUSIC.ORG/BEETHOVEN2020 DISCOUNTS FOR GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE: 410.783.8170 PRESENTING SPONSOR: 12 OFFICIAL INTERNET PROVIDER OF THE BSO: OV E R T U R E / BSOmusic.org SUPPORTING SPONSOR: Austrian-Hungarian border, he often did the work of two or three men. His employer, Prince Nicholas Esterházy, was a fabulously wealthy man who wanted a musical life at his rather remote palaces that would outshine that of the Imperial Court in Vienna. Thus, Haydn found himself in charge of an orchestra, an opera house, a marionette theatre (presenting light operas in German much like today’s Salzburg Marionettes) and the music at the court chapels. He conducted most of the Esterházy performances; hired, fired and supervised the orchestral personnel; and served as head music librarian. And in his spare moments, he composed music of such genius and originality that it changed the course of European music. Haydn is rightly called the “father of the symphony.” In 1779, Haydn signed a new contract with the Prince that would greatly increase both his international fame and his pocketbook. From this time on, the Prince would no longer hold complete ownership of his compositions; Haydn would be free to sell them to outside publishers and to accept commissions for new works from other organizations. And he was soon deluged with such commissions. Meanwhile, the Esterházy Opera House was in full swing, with Haydn constantly needing to prepare and conduct new productions. Not surprisingly, his production of new symphonies slowed for a time. Rarely heard, Symphony No. 80 in D Minor was written in 1784 as the middle of a trio of symphonies commissioned for Lenten performances in Vienna early in 1785. It looks back at the popular “Sturm und Drang” (“Storm and Stress”) style Haydn had explored a decade earlier, but also shows a pronounced experimental side in its harmonies and dramatic effects. This is a work that anticipates the great “Paris” Symphonies that would soon follow. The first movement begins with a furiously climbing theme in the cellos over shuddering strings—pure “Sturm und Drang.” It is followed by a pause; striking pauses will be a major characteristic of this symphony. However, just as we have