Beethoven 1 and The Firebird

Duration of performance: approx. 50 minutes (no intermission)

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1
STRAVINSKY The Firebird

NEAL GITTLEMAN artistic director and conductor
DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Composed on the threshold of a new century, Beethoven’s First Symphony broke free from the influence of Haydn and Mozart and was certainly viewed as iconoclastic by the Viennese audience of 1800. The DPO concludes a two-year celebration of the 250th Anniversary of Beethoven’s birth with this visit to Symphony No. 1. Composed for the renowned Ballets Russes, Stravinsky’s sumptuous Suite from The Firebird is filled with the stuff of legends: a prince, captive princesses, the Firebird’s magic feather, and the evil ogre Kastchei. Vibrant colors and rich harmonies glitter and pulse with fantastic effects, ending with a shimmering climax proclaiming a happy ever-after.