180605 – Toronto Concert Orchestra

Our fifth season opens with an evening of audience requests including Ravel’s Boléro, Khachaturian’s Adagio from Spartacus, and of course, the mighty Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven.

PROGRAMME

Meyerbeer | Coronation March from “Le Prophète”
Khachaturian | Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from "Spartacus"
Ravel | Boléro

[Intermission]

Beethoven | Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 6

Approximate Timing | 3, 9, 15 [20] 35

PROGRAMME NOTES

The Coronation March is found in the fourth Act of the grand opera Le Prophète (The Prophet) by Giacomo Meyerbeer. It was first performed by the Paris Opéra in April 1849 with libretto composed after passages from writings by Voltaire.

Khachaturian’s Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from Spartacus Suite No. 2, from the full ballet of Spartacus first staged at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1958, speaks to the enduring human desire for freedom despite spectacular odds, when Spartacus and his men rescue the slave women, including Phyrgia. You may recognize the music, as part of this Adagio was used as the opening theme for the television series The Onedin Line and the film Caligula.

Ravel’s Boléro, another triumphant composition, is a one-movement orchestral piece originally composed as a ballet. It premiered at the Paris Opéra in November 1928. The music begins pianissimo and rises in a continuous crescendo to “fortissimo possibile” (as loud as possible). It is built over an unchanging “ostinato” rhythm played on one or more snare drums that remain constant throughout the piece. This piece was generously sponsored by an anonymous donor, whom has our heartfelt thanks.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 (a natural choice given our 5th anniversary) is comprised of four movements: 1) Allegro con brio (C minor); 2) Andante con moto (A♭ major); 3) Scherzo: Allegro (C minor); and, 4) Allegro (C major). It premiered in December 1808 at a mammoth concert in Vienna directed by Beethoven himself on the conductor's podium. The symphony, and the four-note opening motif in particular, are known worldwide. No. 5 is sometimes referred to as the "Victory Symphony". “V", the Roman Numeral character for the number five, and the phrase "V for Victory", was a campaign of the Allies of World War II, with the rhythm of the opening phrase – "dit-dit-dit-dah" – used for the letter "V" in Morse code.

BOLÉRO & BEETHOVEN

Week 1 | Casa Loma Symphony in the Gardens Series