Considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century and a perennial favorite of Pacific Symphony, André Watts returns to the stage with one of Beethoven’s most beloved works—his Fifth Piano Concerto, “Emperor.” A work prized for its serene and tender second movement, Beethoven’s last piano concerto is a testament to the composer’s emotional range. From sheer beauty to dazzling grandeur, the “Emperor” requires extreme virtuosity from its soloist, making it an ideal centerpiece in the hands of the talented Watts. Complementing the evening is Shostakovich’s electrifying Symphony No. 10, full of tragedy, terror and—ultimately—triumph, when the orchestra, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, delivers an unforgettable night of deeply contrasting music.
Watts Plays Beethoven” includes image magnification during the performance to enhance the experience and provide a closer look at the artists at work. The concert takes place Thursday through Saturday, May 3-5, at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Tickets are $35-$126. A preview talk with Alan Chapman begins at 7 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit PacificSymphony.org.
“André is an American treasure as an artist and musical ambassador,” says Maestro St.Clair. “What a joy and honor to perform with him. He has never stopped searching or finding deeper and deeper meaning in all the repertoire he performs. This, combined with his virtuosity and vast experience, makes him the consummate musician we all know him to be. We have performed Beethoven’s Third and Fourth Piano Concertos together in past seasons. So, I thought why not do the ‘Emperor?’ Lastly, we are dear friends with mutual trust and respect for one another’s musicianship. This is a rare gift in our musical world.”
As the Symphony’s 2017-18 season begins to wind down, Watts revs it up, as he returns for his seventh stunning performance with the orchestra to play Beethoven’s last completed piano concerto, the “Emperor,” which opens with exalted solo flourishes. The regal, heroic work is considered to be one of the most famous piano concertos of all time—no other is more regaled, and none more powerfully combines nobility of expression with sublime beauty. Beethoven completed the work in 1811, about one year before his Symphony No. 7. For lovers of his music, the “Emperor” is perhaps the cornerstone of fandom.
“This is the only one of his concertos that Beethoven himself never performed and did not premiere,” says St.Clair. “This is why there are no long cadenzas in this concerto. At this point in his life, he was simply unable to perform as a pianist. I can only imagine how painful this must have been for our great Beethoven.”
While Beethoven greatly admired Mozart’s piano concertos with their consistent qualities of spontaneity and delight, he did not pursue these in his own concertos. Instead, they get progressively weightier, until by the fifth, what is heard is some of the most noble music ever written. The listener is given the impression that all of human dignity is at stake. Although the concerto will always be linked to Napoleon, who was emperor at the time, the nickname more aptly describes Beethoven’s elevated expression and his musical exploration of the individual (soloist) versus society (the orchestra). Beethoven felt passionately about human freedom and the ideals of the Enlightenment, and he saw Napoleon as a champion of the common man who betrayed this noble cause by using the power and privileges of monarchy for his own gain.
Completing the program is the electrifying 10th Symphony by Shostakovich, full of memorable musical ideas showcasing his greatest work. The biggest influence on Shostakovich and the Russians of his generation was the Soviet culture (1930-53), which included the reign of Stalin, the impact of Hitler and decades defined by the horrors of war. It was a time that left people craving an outlet for their fear and grief. But the state-sponsored arts imposed cheer and optimism and therefore didn’t follow the Soviet aesthetics of “Socialist Realism,” whose sole purpose was to further the goals of socialism and communism. With the Nazi invasion came a desperate need by the Russian people to express their fear, sadness, and mourning.
“This work is one of the most immense symphonic statements in the entire repertoire,” states St.Clair. “To fully understand it, one must go back to the performance of Shostakovich’s 1934 opera, ‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.’ On one particular evening after over 62 successful performances, Stalin decided to see what this opera was all about. After the first act, he walked out. The next day in Pravda there was a scathing critique, supposedly written by Stalin himself. From that moment forward, the most famous and beloved Russian composer, Shostakovich, was persona non grata. Even his friends avoided being seen with him on the streets.
“This was in 1936. Fast forward to March 5th, 1953, the date of Stalin’s death,” St.Clair continues. “Almost immediately, Shostakovich began composing his 10th Symphony. It is an outpouring reflecting the immense pain and grief the people were subjected to during Stalin’s decades-long reign of inhumanity.”
In the wake of Stalin’s death, Shostakovich’s symphony charts a trajectory evolving from pain and terror to giddy release. Its first performances were an act of purging. Counteracting the ‘music lovers’ Hitler and Stalin, it redeems music as a moral factor in the tortuous annals of 20th-century culture. The first movement is dark and grey, without hope, expressing an avalanche of grief. The second movement is a short portrait of Stalin himself.
“It is fierce, rash, devilish—pure sonic evil,” says St.Clair. “The third movement, which is normally a fun-loving, lighter moment in symphonies, with dancelike qualities, is a dance movement that has been crippled and limps and staggers. There is a sense that the joy of the dance has long faded and there is only a sketchy memory of what that joy once felt like. But the last movement is one of triumph! This is the connection with the ‘Emperor’ Concerto of the first half—triumph and strength prevailing as both Beethoven and Shostakovich so mightily did.”
Pacific Symphony’s Classical Series is made possible by the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation, with additional support from The Westin South Coast Plaza, KUSC and PBS SoCal.
Photo Credit: Pacific Symphony
