February 25, 2016 Woolsey Hall. Program Notes for. Beethoven & Brahms. Nick van Bloss, piano William Boughton, conductor. NewHavenSymphony.

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1 February 25, 2016 Woolsey Hall Program Notes for Beethoven & Brahms Nick van Bloss, piano William Boughton, conductor NewHavenSymphony.org

Beethoven & Brahms Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, Emperor Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D Major Johannes Brahms Before the concert begins: Welcome to the NHSO!

2 Beethoven & Brahms Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, Emperor Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D Major Johannes Brahms Before the concert begins: Welcome to the NHSO! Turn off any device that makes noise. Read the Program Notes for Kids. Locate the restrooms and exits. Look around at the architecture of the theater. Listen to musicians warm-up their instruments. During the concert: Clap as people enter the stage. Listen quietly as the orchestra plays. Wait for every section (called movements) of a piece to be played, then clap. (Hint: the conductor will turn to face you when it s time.) During intermission, you are free to get up. At the end of the concert, people may stand up to show their appreciation. This is called a standing ovation. ENJOY! Words & Music Literacy Project supported by:

3 Instruments of the Orchestra NewHavenSymphony.org

Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, Emperor Written by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1809 and 1811. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, Emperor I. Allegro in Eb Major II.

4 Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, Emperor Written by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1809 and Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, Emperor I. Allegro in Eb Major II. Adagion un Poco Mosso in B Major III. Rondo: Allegro ma non Trappo in Eb Major Help!: What s a concerto?! A concerto is a piece of music, usually in three movements, written to have one musician (or a small group of them) play in front of an orchestra and show the audience all the cool things that their instrument(s) can do. At the end of the first movement, the entire orchestra will stop playing and the soloist will get to show off in front of the orchestra and audience! This is called a cadenza, and sometimes soloists even write their own. In this piece, Beethoven wanted the cadenza to be VERY short - it lasts about 30 seconds! Make sure not to blink, or you might miss it! Ludwig van Beethoven Born in Bonn, Germany in 1770 and died in Vienna, Austria in He was a gifted pianist and composer who wrote symphonies, an opera, concertos, Church masses, and chamber music. He began losing his hearing in 1798 at the age of 28, and was almost completely deaf by Beethoven wanted to play this piece at its world premiere in 1811, but his hearing was so far gone that he couldn t perform anymore. His student, Carl Czerny, played the premiere instead. Nobody is 100% sure why this piece was nicknamed the Emperor concerto. The best guess is that it sounds heroic, and sometimes the key of Eb Major represents nobility (kings and queens). Nick van Bloss Nick van Bloss was born in London, England in He didn t start playing the piano until he was 11 years old. By age 15, he began attending the famous Royal Academy of Music for lessons, and started studying there full time when he was 17 years old. He began touring and playing the piano in different cities, but stopped playing in public when he turned 26. Instead, he wrote a book called Busy Body, which told the story of his life up until then. As people read the book, it got very popular, and more attention was drawn to him and his playing, which made Nick want to start playing again. Luckily for us, Nick now tours the world and shares his talent with us!

Symphony No. 2 in D Major Written by Johannes Brahms in the summer of 1877. Symphony No. 2 in D Major I. Allegro non Trappo II. Adagio non Trappo III. Allegretto Grazioso IV.

5 Symphony No. 2 in D Major Written by Johannes Brahms in the summer of Symphony No. 2 in D Major I. Allegro non Trappo II. Adagio non Trappo III. Allegretto Grazioso IV. Allegro con Spirito Johannes Brahms Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1833 and died in Vienna, Austria in Became very good friends with famous composers Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Antonín Dvorák over the course of his life. Brahms began playing piano at age 7 and also played the cello. He developed into a very good piano player, often playing his own works in concerts. The first movement of this symphony is based on his famous lullaby. Listen for it to start around 2 minutes into the movement; It will start in the cellos. Can you i m a g i n e? In 1853, famous composer Robert Schumann wrote that the younger Brahms would be a major composer of his time. This made Brahms very nervous! In response, he told Schumann that by publishing his thoughts in a magazine, his words will arouse such extraordinary expectations by the public that I don t know how I can begin to fulfill them... Brahms became a perfectionist, meaning he tried very hard to make everything he wrote absolutely perfect. But nothing ever seemed good enough to him...he spent 15 years writing his first symphony! Can you imagine working on something for 15 years?! Beethoven/ Brahms Connection Perhaps the composer that Brahms respected the most was none other than Ludwig van Beethoven! On Beethoven, he said You have no idea what it s like to hear the footsteps of a giant like that behind you. How do you think he d react to being on the same concert with Beethoven tonight? Would he be excited? Nervous? A mix of both?

6 Scavenger Hunt How many questions can you answer?! 1. How many columns are there around Woolsey Hall? 2. How many organ pipes are there behind the stage? 3. How many violins are on stage? 4. How many trombones are on stage? 5. How many lights are hanging from the ceiling? 6. Do the movements in Beethoven s Emperor Concerto start and end forte (loud) or piano (soft)?: Beginning Ending Movement 1: Movement 2: Movement 3: 7. Check all the things you hear in Brahms Symphony No. 2: An allegro (fast) tempo A largo (slow) tempo A cymbal crash Every musician on stage playing tutti An instrument trill (flutter between 2 notes) A violin solo All the strings playing tutti (together, all at once) All the brass playing tutti The music crescendo (go from piano to forte) Music in a minor key (it sounds sad) 8. Did you prefer listening to Beethoven s Emperor Concerto or Brahms Symphony No. 2? Why?

Concert Review Write about your experience at the concert tonight. Who did you see? What did you hear? What did you think about the music and the experience?

7 Concert Review Write about your experience at the concert tonight. Who did you see? What did you hear? What did you think about the music and the experience? What would you like to tell the Maestro and the musicians? We would love to know what you think! Scan or copy this page and send it to us: Did You Know? KidTix Kids go FREE to ALL NHSO concerts! The NHSO offers free KidTix for children ages 7-17 with the purchase of an adult ticket. Additional child tickets available for $10 each. KidTix must be purchased by phone by calling the NHSO box office at x20. Education Department New Haven Symphony Orchestra 545 Long Wharf Drive, Sixth Floor New Haven, CT 06511

Education Concerts Peter and the Wolf Saturday, March 5 2:00pm Davis Street School Sunday, March 6 2:00pm Shelton Intermediate School Our final Family Concert highlights the woodwind section,

8 Education Concerts Peter and the Wolf Saturday, March 5 2:00pm Davis Street School Sunday, March 6 2:00pm Shelton Intermediate School Our final Family Concert highlights the woodwind section, showcasing Prokofiev s Peter and the Wolf with professional storyteller Michael Boudewyns from Really FREE! Inventive Stuff. NHSO \ Hear and Now Featuring hip-hop violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain Tuesday, May 3, :30 and 11:30am \ Woolsey Hall A fresh take on Classical music! Celebrate contemporary diversity with the music of Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and international violin sensation Daniel Bernard Roumain.

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH 6 Minute English The Proms

BBC LEARNING ENGLISH 6 Minute English The Proms This is not a word-for-word transcript Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm and I'm. Hello. Now,, are you doing anything interesting tonight? Well,