Final Concert from the 13th to 15th of Next Month
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Kumho Art Hall will conclude its Beethoven chamber music marathon, which began in 2017 under the title 'Beethoven's Time '17'20',' next month.
In 2017, the 190th anniversary of Beethoven's death, Kumho Art Hall embarked on a four-year journey to perform Beethoven's extensive chamber music repertoire. This journey was set to conclude in 2020, the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. Over 25 performances, they presented the complete Beethoven string quartets, piano trios, cello sonatas, violin sonatas, and piano sonatas.
The concert marking the end of this four-year marathon will be held from October 13 to 15 under the theme 'Beethoven's Birthday Party.' The program was carefully selected with the question in mind: what music would Beethoven's contemporaries?such as Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Ries, Cherubini, and Schubert?who were close senior and junior musicians to Beethoven, perform to celebrate his birthday?
Cellist and Yonsei University professor Yang Sung-won serves as the music director. Alongside Artistic Director Yang Sung-won, the stage will be graced by pianists Kim Young-ho, Kim Tae-hyung, Moon Ji-young, and Lee Chae-yoon; violinist Christel Lee; violist Lee Hanna; the Abel Quartet string quartet; clarinetist Chae Jae-il; oboist Hong Soo-eun; bassoonist Lee Min-ho; horn player Yoo Hae-ri; and bassist Kim Seok-jun.
The first day’s concert on October 13 will focus on Beethoven’s musical beginnings. It will open with Beethoven’s 12 Variations on a Theme from Handel’s oratorio 'Judas Maccabaeus,' followed by Mozart’s piano and wind quintet, which greatly influenced Beethoven’s chamber music instrumentation. Haydn’s String Quartet No. 63 'The Sunrise' and Beethoven’s Piano Trio No. 3, Op. 1, published in 1795 when Beethoven was 25, will also be performed.
The second concert on October 14 moves to the early 1800s, showcasing Beethoven’s middle-period major works. The first half features compositions by Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven’s friend and student, and Luigi Cherubini, whom Beethoven recognized as a great contemporary composer besides himself, followed by Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 3 'Eroica' arranged for piano quartet. The second half presents Carl Czerny’s piano sonata, who contributed to promoting Beethoven’s works, and core movements from Beethoven’s middle-period masterpieces: Piano Sonata No. 21 'Waldstein,' String Quartet No. 8 'Rasumovsky,' and Piano Trio No. 7 'Archduke.'
The final concert on October 15 will focus on Beethoven’s late music. Rossini’s 'Una voce poco fa' from 'The Barber of Seville,' and Schubert’s lied 'Der Mensch lebt und bestehet' based on Goethe’s poetry, will be performed alongside Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13, 4th movement, and his six bagatelles. The second half features Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 5, Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 5, Piano Sonata No. 30, and concludes with the third movement 'Song of Thanksgiving from a Convalescent to the Deity' from Beethoven’s late String Quartet No. 15 'The Song of the Holy Thankfulness,' bringing the three-day musical feast to a close.
Prior to the main performances, there will be three pre-lectures. Laura Tunbridge, a musicology professor at Oxford University, will deliver 20-minute video lectures about Beethoven and his contemporaries at 7:30 PM before each concert.
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