“ ‘It had been a wonderful evening. And what I needed now, to give it the perfect ending, was a little of the Ludwig Van,’ ” writes Lawrence Toppman in Sunday’s (2/10) Charlotte Observer (N.C.). “Every serious classical music lover will soon echo Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’: Orchestras all over will celebrate the 250th birthday of Beethoven in 2020…. The Charlotte Symphony pays him homage in 2019-20, playing six of his masterworks and packing the upcoming season with composers believed to have influenced him or been influenced by him.” Beethoven works during the season will include the Missa Solemnis; Symphony Nos. 4, 6, and 8; the Leonore Overture No. 3; and Piano Concerto No. 5 with soloist Conrad Tao. “Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees conducts Barber’s Adagio for Strings, William Brittelle’s ‘We’re Still Here’ and Copland’s ‘Appalachian Spring’ … full-length ballet score…. Jeannette Sorrell conducts Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos 2 and 3, Vivaldi’s ‘La Folia’ (in Sorrell’s arrangement), Handel’s Suite from ‘Terpsichore,’ Haydn’s Overture to ‘The Uninhabited Island’ and Mozart’s Ballet Music from ‘Idomeneo.’ ” Works by living composers will include Kristin Kuster’s Moxie and Gabriella Smith’s tone poem Field Guide. Christopher Warren-Green is the Charlotte Symphony’s music director.
Posted February 13, 2019
