29/11/2024 RNCM Chamber Orchestra: Beethoven’s Eighth Symphony
The perfect introduction to the world of classical music, this evening of music showcases its diversity, richness, and sheer enjoyment. Dive in and explore these masterpieces with the next generation of musicians.
Programme
Franz Schubert arr Anton Webern Deutsche Tänze *
Igor Stravinsky Danses concertantes
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 8 in F major Op 93
Performers
Edward Gardner, Benjamin Huth * conductors
RNCM Chamber Orchestra
first violins
Chris Karwacinski (leading in first half)
Mafalda Galante (leading in second half)
Georgina Bloomfield
Audrey Doyle
Fionnghuala Drumgoole
Sam Lawson
Emily Ampt
Pia Bromby
Elanor Leydecker
Cameron Jackson
second violins
Ricardo Brown Roger
Bruno Robalo
Charlotte Sweeney
Orin Jacob Syer
Christina Maxfield
Iona Frenguelli
Orla McGarrity
Charlie Roberts
Carola Gennaro Cecchelli
violas
Peter Whitehead
Michaela Jones
Mari-Carmen Morris
Ilana Tapper
Estelle Gonzalez
Yupeng Cai
Emma Farnsworth
cellos
Andrea Kim
Cillian Hennessy
Maya Tucker
Tom Ellison
Finley Spathkey
basses
Saulo Da Silva Martins
Marcelo Nunes Rodrigues
Joana Moura
flutes
Isabeau Hansen
Natalie Ngai
oboes
Anna Turner
Imogen Morris
clarinets
Abigail Martin
Cara Smith
bassoons
Leonardo Bizzotto
Connor Huss
horns
Barry Lo
Leo Penny
Jason Cheung
trumpets
Josh McKeague
Erin McLellan
trombone
Adam Warburton
timpani
Arthur Barras
About
In 1824, Schubert composed his six German Dances for his student and infatuation, Countess Caroline Esterházy. The music remained hidden in a private collection for nearly 70 years until it resurfaced decades after his death. Upon rediscovery, Universal Edition commissioned Anton Webern to arrange the work for chamber orchestra, resulting in a transformation praised as a ‘miracle of precision, tonal differentiation, and glowingly shaded colours’.
Premiering in 1941 and made into a choreographed ballet in 1944, Stravinsky’s Danses concertantes are full of motion, elegance, and athleticism, and are deliberately short. Why? Well, Stravinsky explained their brevity to a San Francisco Chronicle critic, saying: ‘The attention span of today’s audience is limited, and the present-day composer faces the challenge of condensation.’
Reportedly Stravinsky’s favourite, Beethoven’s spirited Eighth Symphony – nestled between his epic Seventh and Ninth – is filled with rhythmic ferocity and witty ingenuity. From the thrilling start, it captivates and delights with lively tunes and playful musical pranks and jokes, concluding with a boisterous and unconventional 19th century finale.
