Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
What you'll hear
Gabriela Ortiz (b.1964)
Clara
Clara – Robert – My response – Robert’s subconscious – Always Clara
Premiered by the New York Philharmonic in March 2022, Clara is an attempt by the Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz to imagine the shared creative universe of one of music’s most famous married couples: the pianist-composers Robert and Clara Schumann. In her own words:
Except for “My response” all of the five sections are comprised of intimate sketches or imaginary outlines of the relationship between Clara and Robert. In order to clearly identify these sections, I have employed two fundamental musical tools: a brief rhythmic sequence that appears constantly as a leitmotif or idée fixe, acting as a thread to guide me between the sections that correspond to Robert or Clara, and a melodic theme represented by the oboe that, in a more personal way, represents the latter’s private world.
In “My response” I seek first to bring Clara and Robert into my own world, one of a rhythmic strength and colour characteristic of my language; and second, to explore a quote in which Clara wrote: “I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose – there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?” This piece represents an acknowledgement of Clara, a tribute to her, and my definitive, resounding response to her question.
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
Maestoso – Larghetto – Allegro vivace
In the autumn of 1829, Frédéric Chopin was in love for the first time. And in love, as in music, first attempts can be both magical, and extremely awkward. The girl was Konstancja Gladkowska and she was a trainee singer at the Warsaw Conservatoire – talented, popular and very pretty. Meanwhile, the teenage Chopin had discovered his ideal of the piano concerto in the form of Johann Hummel’s concertos, performed by the composer in Warsaw the previous year.
The two infatuations were soon to collide. As a budding virtuoso with great expectations, it could only be a matter of time before Frédéric gave his public the showpiece they demanded. He wrote his first piano concerto (now known as No. 2) in the autumn of 1829 and his parents arranged for it to be tried out in their (obviously capacious) drawing room on 3 March 1830. It was a triumph: from the melancholy opening of the first Maestoso and the proud swagger of its tuttis, to the soft, glowing underscoring of the nocturnal Larghetto (inspired by Konstancja, “my ideal, of whom I dream”). And in the swirling Polish waltz of the finale, listen out for the clatter of strings played col legno (with the wood of the bow) and, just before the finish, a heroic horn call, marked “Cor de Signal” by Chopin.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Allegro con brio – Andante con moto – Allegro – Allegro
What’s left to say about the most famous symphony ever written? From the day of its first performance, in Vienna on 22 December 1808, everyone has had an opinion on Beethoven’s Fifth. It’s acquired its own myths and its first four notes became the morse code symbol for “V” – the musical symbol of Victory in the BBC’s wartime broadcasts to occupied Europe. “Thus Fate knocks at the door”, Beethoven is supposed to have said of them.
Everything in Beethoven’s Fifth can be explained in terms of traditional musical forms and processes. But despite its stupendous formal strength, Beethoven’s stormy first movement isn’t just serious – it’s a human tragedy portrayed in music of torrential force. Listen out for the tiny, heartbroken oboe solo Beethoven slips into one of the music’s few moments of hesitation.
The lilting Andante seems to offer a gentle respite, but ringing trumpets keep sounding a very different note. The struggle continues; the third movement, traditionally the lightest in a classical symphony, eventually sinks to an ominous hush. Drums rumble menacingly until with a sudden crescendo, the skies clear and Beethoven launches the finale in a triumphant blaze of brass. Beethoven wasn’t just battling his own deafness; the whole of Europe was engulfed in war and revolutionary struggle. And this isn’t just a symphony: it’s a triumph of the human spirit.
Boris Giltburg
Boris Giltburg is lauded across the globe as a deeply sensitive, insightful and compelling interpreter. Critics have praised his “singing line, variety of touch and broad dynamic palette capable of great surges of energy” (Washington Post) as well as his impassioned, narrative-driven approach to performance.
Giltburg regularly plays recitals in the world’s most prestigious halls, including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Brussels’ Bozar, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, London’s Southbank Centre and Wigmore Hall, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Prague’s Rudolfinum and Vienna’s Konzerthaus. Throughout the 2024/25 season, he embarked on a series of eight concerts performing the entire cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas at the Wigmore Hall, all of which were live-streamed.
Giltburg is widely recognized as a leading interpreter of Rachmaninov: “His originality stems from a convergence of heart and mind, served by immaculate technique and motivated by a deep and abiding love for one of the 20th century’s greatest composer-pianists.” (Gramophone). To celebrate Rachmaninov’s 150th anniversary in 2023, Giltburg released the last disc in his acclaimed Rachmaninov concerto cycle which received a Choc de Classica award and a 5* review in The Times. In recent years Giltburg has engaged in a series of in-depth explorations of other major composers, including Ravel (performing solo works at Bozar, Flagey, the Amsterdam Muziekgebouw and the Wigmore Hall, and concerti with the Orchestre National de France, Brussels Philharmonic and Residentie Orkest) and most recently Chopin, including three recitals at the Wigmore Hall last season.
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Internationally renowned, calling Gateshead home.
37 musicians at the top of their game. Electrifying music, old and new. All the talent, determination, and creativity of the North East on a worldwide stage. From their home at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Royal Northern Sinfonia share the joy and wonder of orchestral music with thousands of people across the North of England – and beyond – every year.
From symphonies to string quartets, film soundtracks to choral masses, and original performances with awesome artists from Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Self Esteem, the orchestra’s members have got one of the most varied jobs there is. They’re always looking for fresh new sounds from up-and-coming composers, inviting local communities to share a stage, and doing everything they can to inspire and prepare the musicians of tomorrow to one day take their place.
They’re also working hard to smash the barriers that can stop brilliant people getting into classical music. They’ve teamed up with national partners to support women conductors to develop their careers, to help global majority musicians get vital experience in the orchestra world, and to celebrate disabled and non-disabled musicians breaking new ground together in inclusive ensemble RNS Moves. And they bring new musical opportunities to the region, headlining the first-ever BBC Proms weekend outside London.
Because they whole-heartedly believe orchestral music is for anyone – big cities and rural villages, tiny babies and life-long listeners, die-hard fans and curious minds – they travel far and wide to make sure there’s top-notch classical music on offer for anyone ready to say “I’ll give that a go”. You’ll find them in churches, castles, and community venues across the North, as well as leading the charge in Carlisle, Kendal, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland.
With 65 years of success to build on, they’ve signed a dynamic artistic leadership – Music Director Dinis Sousa, Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska, Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti and Associate Conductor Ellie Slorach – to lead the way into a bold, bright future.
Wherever the orchestra play and whoever they share a stage with, every performance is a chance to see, hear and feel the music.
