Overview
Virtuosic violinist Alex Gonzalez will leave the audience breathless with his spirited rendition of a Mozart classic and cornerstone in violin repertoire. Then transcend into the spiritual lyricism of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7, justifiably considered one of the greatest symphonies ever written.
This concert is dedicated to the memory of our concertmaster, Charles “Chas” Wetherbee.
Schedule
Sunday, January 22, 4:00 PM
There will be a Pre-Concert Talk at 3 PM.
Venue
Macky Auditorium – Boulder, CO
Program
Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Butterman, conductor
Alex Gonzalez, violin
MOZART
Violin Concerto No. 5
BRUCKNER
Symphony No. 7
Please note online ticket sales end at 12 PM the day of the concert. Tickets may be purchased at Macky Auditorium on the day of the concert starting at 2:30 PM.
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For $10 Student/Youth Tickets and personalized assistance with your ticket order, call the Boulder Phil Box Office at 303.449.1343 or email chris@boulderphil.org.
Beyond the Performance
Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7 receives a 15-minute standing ovation
Premiered on December 30, 1884, in Leipzig, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony no. 7 was a triumph from the first. Its premiere in Leipzig was significant, as Bruckner avoided performing his works in Vienna where critics had often savaged his works. The Leipzig audience, however, was rapturous, granting Bruckner a quarter-hour ovation, and the evening’s conductor, Arthur Nikisch (1855 – 1922), even observed there had been nothing like it since Beethoven.
How Mozart’s No. 5 became known as the “Turkish Concerto”
For the final movement, Mozart begins in a moderately slow mood with an aura of the ballroom, as the tempo indication specifies, but after this opening the energy picks up, with various contrasting melodies appearing and reappearing in turn. One later theme offers a strong beat suggesting soldiers on the march: hardly a “menuetto” sort of mood. Moreover, minuets are supposed to use a waltz-like triple meter, and this one does not do so. However, Mozart does not state that this movement is a minuet, only that it should be played at the tempo of a minuet. This aggressive interlude earned the concerto its “Turkish” nickname, for it reminded some observers of Turkish military bands. The high contrasts of the concerto give the music a varied spirit that both performers and audience members can enjoy.