Charleston Symphony Orchestra Beethoven Plus
Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 4:00pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
Ticket Release: Kiawah 2/2 Public 2/5
Beethoven Plus Performed by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Music Director Ken Lam and featuring Natalia Khoma, cello Yuriy Bekker, violin Volodymyr Vynnytsky, piano
The CSO returns to Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Sunday, February 21st at 4 pm with Music Director Ken Lam on the podium. Not only will Maestro Lam conduct the program, but he’s designed it specifically for his first concert at Holy Spirit. The program begins with Beethoven’s Overture to the Creatures of Prometheus ballet, and the bristling allegro section will gain your attention almost before you’re settled in your seats.
The concert title, Beethoven Plus, relates to programming Dmitri Shostakovich’s intensely emotional Chamber Symphony in C minor, as our second selection. The Chamber Symphony is based on Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet, and was transcribed with the composer’s permission by violist and conductor Rudolf Barshai. The original string quartet was composed by Shostakovich in 1960 over a three day period after he viewed the World War II destruction of Dresden. The official Soviet line said the quartet was a memorial to the victims of the Axis powers, but many close to Shostakovich felt it was autobiographical in nature relating to his depression after having joined the Communist Party in the preceding months. Many also believe it expressed his view against wars in general. Make your own judgment after listening to this not to be forgotten work.
The concert concludes with our three featured musicians and the orchestra performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto for piano, violin and cello. You’ve had the pleasure of hearing each of our featured artists as soloists and as a piano trio in recent Arts Council performances; and now you have the opportunity to hear them play the rarely performed Triple Concerto. The piano part apparently was written by Beethoven for his student Archduke Rudolph of Austria, who later became his patron. This is the only concerto composed by Beethoven where multiple soloists are featured, and in this case the cellist often takes the lead. The grand opening segment is followed by a short largo movement, which sets the stage for the thoroughly entertaining third and concluding movement.
The concert is sponsored by the Town of Kiawah Island, and is open to the public free of charge. Tickets will be available at the Kiawah Town Hall on February 2nd, 2016 for Kiawah residents, and on February 5th, 2016 for the general public. E-tickets will also be available on February 5th by accessing this site: http://www.kiawahisland.org/special-events.
(Photo credit: Kiawah Arts Council website)
-Submitted by Tidelines Editor