Livermore-Amador Symphony
December 3, 2011
Beethoven, Wagner, and Sibelius
Doors open at 6:45 p.m.
Prelude talk from 7–7:30 p.m.
Concert begins at 8 p.m.
Bankhead Theater, 2400 First Street, Livermore, California
Wagner: Overture to Rienzi
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy
Ben Malkevitch, piano
Pacific Masterworks Chorus
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2
To read the concert program insert, including program notes, click here (512K pdf).
Dr. Arthur Barnes and the orchestra open the season with three works by musical giants. Richard Wagner’s overture to Rienzi was written for an opera which celebrates a champion of the Roman people. For the Choral Fantasy of Ludwig van Beethoven, the orchestra will be joined by piano soloist Ben Malkevitch and the Pacific Masterworks Chorus. The Choral Fantasy is a unique mix of solo piano, orchestra, and voice which bears a striking resemblance to the “Ode to Joy” in Beethoven’s 9th symphony and speaks of “when love and strength are united.” The Symphony No. 2 of Jean Sibelius, once called “a struggle between death and salvation” by the composer, became a symphony of liberation in the hearts of his Finnish countrymen.
Pianist Ben Malkevitch is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a master's degree in Collaborative Piano.
The Pacific Masterworks Chorus is directed by Dr. Greg Lyne and embraces a wide repertoire ranging from works of the a cappella tradition through accompanied compositions including choral masterworks.
© Livermore-Amador Symphony Association
2011–12 Season
February 2012 Concert