Celebrate Spring with Beethoven and Symphony NB

SymphonyNB
Symphony New Brunswick explores the great outdoors with Beethoven’s descriptive Pastorale Symphony, Vaughan Williams’ idyllic Thomas Tallis Fantasia and Richard Strauss’ fiendishly difficult Horn Concerto No. 1 with soloist, Ulises Aragón.

What better harbinger of spring than Beethoven! The storm, the thunder, the flashes of lightning, the shepherd and his love: it’s all here in Beethoven’s 6th Symphony called the Pastoral. Inspired by the German composer’s love of nature and his daily walks through the countryside, this well-known piece will be performed by Symphony New Brunswick, in its fourth concert of the season.

“This is music of the outdoors,” observes Michael Newnham, Music Director and Conductor of SNB. “Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony is a journey in music to the countryside, but also a great spiritual voyage. There is no better way to begin spring.”

Audiences from Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John will also have a chance to hear the iconic Horn Concerto No. 1 composed by Richard Strauss. Strauss wrote this horn concerto when he was just 18 years old and it gives the audience a glimpse into the life and loves of the young Richard before he became one of symphonic music’s biggest innovators, explorers and icons. The fiendishly difficult horn solo will be played by Ulises Aragón, a young man originally from Venezuela, who has played throughout the world with many orchestras and has chosen New Brunswick as his home.

“Ulises Aragón is a true master of that ultimate outdoor instrument,” says Mæstro Newnham.

The concert program will also include Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis, one of the most recognized and beloved pieces of string music. Often featured in popular culture, this work is relaxing in its familiarity and exciting in its precise beauty.

There is something for everyone in this concert: Fantastic music, well-loved melodies, virtuostic solos and huge amounts of New Brunswick talent!

Beethoven’s Pastoral Concert Schedule
Moncton – April 8, 2013 – 7:30 pm – Capitol Theatre
Fredericton – April 9, 2013 – 7:30 pm – The Playhouse
Saint John – April 10, 2013 – 7:30 pm – Imperial Theatre

Tickets are on sale at the Capitol Theatre in Moncton (www.capitol.nb.ca), at The Playhouse in Fredericton (www.theplayhouse.nb.ca) and at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John (www.imperialtheatre.nb.ca). Adult: $40 – Student: $10.