Conductor Jos茅 Luis Gomez will lead the 蜜柚直播 Symphony Orchestra this weekend in the finale of its season-long ode to Beethoven.
The orchestra will perform Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No. 3 鈥淓roica鈥 鈥 the eighth of his symphonies that the orchestra has programmed this season. The idea was to do all but one of Beethoven鈥檚 nine symphonies 鈥 they skipped No. 9 since they did it in 2018 and will do it again next season 鈥 to commemorate the composer鈥檚 250th birthday.
Gomez, the TSO鈥檚 music director, paired the 鈥淓roica鈥 with Mozart鈥檚 lovely Concertone for Two Violins and Orchestra, featuring TSO Concertmaster Lauren Roth and Associate Concertmaster Michelle Abraham Kantor.
鈥淓roica鈥 is largely regarded as the landmark symphony that bridged music鈥檚 Classical period and Romantic era, but Gomez said he saved it for last because it is 鈥渢he most complete鈥 of Beethoven鈥檚 symphonic output.
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It also is the most daring, the symphony in which Beethoven ditched many of the symphonic conventions of the times and took big risks with his writing, stretching the work out to nearly an hour 鈥 twice as long as his previous symphonies 鈥 and infusing it with emotions that were absent in his earlier works.
The opening passage sets the collision course for joyful triumph and bitter despair, which is how, according to historians, Beethoven had been feeling when he wrote the work in 1803 as he tried to wrap his head around his increasing deafness. At the same time, he seemed energized with all these musical ideas that he wove into the 鈥淓roica鈥 with abandon, and in the process created a palpable humanity to the symphonic form that was alternately triumphant and humbling.
In the 鈥淓roica,鈥 Beethoven put a bigger emphasis on rhythm and dynamics, building up to thunderous heroic climaxes that transition into haunting and soothing melodies that are interrupted by horn passages that give you goosebumps on your goosebumps.
The TSO will perform the concert four times this weekend at Catalina Foothills High School.