KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Embark on a journey to Beethoven’s early music years with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) as it’s set to present an all-Beethoven programme at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) this Friday.
The concert themed "The Early Symphonies," has a neat symmetry to it.
It features Beethoven’s first two symphonies (No 1 and 2), framed by his two Romances for violin and orchestra, all of which are dated from the 1790s to the first years of the 19th century.
Premiered at Vienna in 1800, his Symphony No 1 is a work that proclaimed a bold new voice in music.
The symphony is considered a landmark event that not only initiated the great canon of nine symphonies from him, but also has the repercussion on the genre that reverberated across the span of the entire century.
The repertoire also includes his Romance No 1 and 2, the works that exude classical poise and elegance.
Both pieces are eminently charming works, richly imbued with the sunny disposition and gentle lyricism.
The first was published in 1803 in Leipzig and the second in 1805 in Vienna.
The concert will close with his Symphony No. 2, the music that vows to leave the audience surprised, thrilled and amazed.
The work has been recognised as the one that paved the way for a whole new world for the symphony.
Performing together with the MPO will be German-South Korean violinist, Clara-Jumi Kang.
An artist of impeccable elegance and poise, she has performed with numerous leading orchestras across Asia, North America and Europe such as Leipzig Gewandhaus and Rotterdam Philharmonic as well as major Korean orchestras.
She has also collaborated with renowned conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Lionel Bringuier and Andrey Boreyko.
Kang was awarded the Daewon Music Award in 2012 and was named Kumho Musician of the Year in 2015.
The concert will be conducted by German conductor Jun Märkl.
Journey with the MPO into the world of Beethoven’s music on March 13 at 8.30pm.
For more information and ticket rates, click here.
