This is the symphony that changed all symphonies, Beethoven’s monumental Third. No one had heard anything like it before. The work was originally called “Bonaparte” after Napoleon, but a disgruntled Beethoven hastily changed the title to “Eroica,” meaning heroic. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 breaks free from oppression after the death of Stalin. The program starts with the evocative Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra, composed by John Adams, one of the most performed American composers. A common thread links the three works on the program, each in some way stimulated by the politics of its time.
These program notes include music excerpts.
Masterworks 9 of the 23/24 Season
April 5-7, 2024