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Violinist Yoonshin Song to play Beethoven with NMPhil
Violinist Yoonshin Song will perform with the New Mexico Philharmonic on Saturday, March 9.
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The serenity and majesty of Ludwig van Beethoven鈥檚 famed 鈥淰iolin Concerto鈥� belies the turmoil of its time: Vienna was under French occupation and Beethoven was coming to terms with his increasingly profound deafness.
Despite its popularity today, the piece did not receive a warm reception at its 1806 premiere. The soloist, Franz Clement, received his part days before the performance, and Beethoven鈥檚 nearly illegible writing in the orchestra鈥檚 parts undoubtedly contributed to an underwhelming performance.
Violinist Yoonshin Song to play Beethoven with NMPhil
The New Mexico Philharmonic will accompany soloist Yoonshin Song on what is now considered a masterwork on Saturday, March 9, at Popejoy Hall. The musicians also will play Johannes Brahms鈥� tortured 鈥淪ymphony No. 1,鈥� a work that took him 21 years to finalize, as well as sa国际传媒官网网页入口 composer and Pulitzer Prize-winner Raven Chacon鈥檚 鈥淎shdia鈥�.鈥�
Soloist Song is the concertmaster for the Houston Symphony. The show marks the violinist鈥檚 second sa国际传媒官网网页入口 performance.
鈥淲e are thrilled to have her back,鈥� said Roberto Minczuk, New Mexico Philharmonic music director. 鈥淲ith Beethoven, there is nothing that is not a showstopper. It鈥檚 one of the most beautiful concertos ever performed; it鈥檚 just sublime.鈥�
Beethoven cast an intimidating shadow across Brahms.
鈥淗e was afraid to be compared to Beethoven and that paralyzed him,鈥� Minczuk said.
Both Brahms鈥� friends and the public expected him to continue Beethoven鈥檚 massive inheritance. His self-critical fastidiousness led him to destroy many of his early works.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 such a pity,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really not up to the artist to judge. If every composer did that, we wouldn鈥檛 have Tchaikovsky鈥檚 鈥�1812 Overture.鈥� He didn鈥檛 like it very much.鈥�
Chacon鈥檚 鈥淎shdia鈥欌�� is more of an abstraction.
鈥淗is music is very experimental and so is this piece,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淗e creates with sound effects. A lot of people will love it; a lot of people won鈥檛 care for it. It鈥檚 like modern art.鈥�
鈥淚t turned out to be a magnificent symphony,鈥� Minczuk said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 held as one of the most wonderful symphonies of all time.
鈥淏eethoven was the inspiration, but at the same time, the big threat.鈥�
