North Bay Symphony Orchestra

The Heart's Jewel

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ABOUT THE MUSIC..

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.  Born in Bonn in Germany, he moved to Vienna in his early twenties and settled there. His hearing began to deteriorate in the late 1790s, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even after becoming completely deaf.  He wrote the Overture to Coriolan in 1807 to Heinrich Joseph von Collin's 1804 tragedy. The structure and themes of the overture follow the play very generally. The main C minor theme represents Coriolanus' resolve and war-like tendencies (he is about to invade Rome), while the more tender E-flat major theme represents the pleadings of his mother to desist. Coriolanus eventually gives in to tenderness, but since he cannot turn back having led an army of his former enemies to Rome's gates, he kills himself.

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 –1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period.  He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era.  He wrote much of this concerto in 1838, the summer after he got married, but polished it until its first performance in 1845.  This is one of the major romantic violin concertos.  It starts differently from previous works, as the solo violin starts the initial theme.  There are the standard three movements, fast–slow–fast, but they are all linked with each movement immediately following the previous one.  Listen for the bassoon connecting the first and the second movements.  Not being a violinist, Mendelssohn worked with his violinist friend Ferdinand David seeking technical and compositional advice. This violin concerto was the first of many to have been composed with the input of a professional violinist.  The result is a delight.

Beethoven wrote his Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68  in 1808 and it was first performed in Vienna in December that year.  Beethoven was a lover of nature who spent a great deal of his time on walks in the country and in the Vienna Woods. The symphony has five movements, not the normal four, and Beethoven gave them titles to suggest the felling he wanted to give.  The first movement is called “Awakening of cheerful feelings upon arrival in the country” and is placid and cheerful.  Next is “Scene at the brook”, beautiful and serene with the theme imitating flowing water, and bird calls later in the movement.  It is followed by “Happy gathering of country folk", involving dancing and reveling. The movement ends abruptly when the country folk notice that raindrops are starting to fall.  Next “Thunderstorm; Storm”, depicts a violent thunderstorm, starting with just a few drops of rain and building to a great climax. There is, of course, thunder, as well as lightning, high winds, and sheets of rain.  The storm eventually spends itself, with an occasional peal of thunder still heard in the distance and a rainbow.  The symphony ends with “Shepherds' song; cheerful and thankful feelings after the storm”.

I have always known the symphony as ‘Little Horses’, after it was included in the 1940 movie Fantasia.  Walt Disney’s animators set pictures to a concert of music with Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra.  Enjoy the music as you will.