Beethoven Tremate, Empi, Tremate (Trio for soprano, tenor and bass with orchestra) 9′ | Symphony No.8 * 25′ | Fidelio: Act II 44′
Cast includes: Simon O’Neill tenor (Florestan) | Rachel Nicholls soprano (Leonore) | Brindley Sherratt bass (Rocco) | Gemma Summerfield soprano (Marzelline) | Stuart Jackson tenor (Jacquino) | James Platt bass (Don Fernando) | Hallé Choir
Sir Mark shares the podium for the next instalment of the Beethoven symphonies with Ben Gernon, Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic. Three of the stellar cast of singers open the concert with a real rarity Tremate, Empi, Tremate, a setting, unusually for Beethoven, of an Italian text. It is a dramatic trio with orchestra written, when studying with Salieri, as a preparation for writing operas. Later revised, it was first performed in the same concert as the Eighth Symphony in 1814, the year when Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, was also premiered in its final version. Supposedly based on a true incident during the French Revolution, it’s an uplifting story of a wife’s heroism in rescuing her imprisoned husband from the jaws of death. Beethoven takes every dramatic opportunity to give us music of courage, love and, ultimately, celebration.
Thursday Series sponsor: Siemens
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