He didn’t’ start the way he ended. The transformation was as dramatic as his symphonies, opening with effervescence, crashing through fury and soaring into triumph.
A simple lock of his hair may have revealed the culprit. Scientists found unusually high lead levels, indicating that the transformation of Ludwig Von Beethoven from cheerful youth into the tormented genius he became may have had physical as well as mental origins.
No one has ever been able to figure out the cause of his deafness.
Whatever the reason, Beethoven’s journey to genius was a difficult one, fraught with the abdominal pain, depression, anger and despair that are trademarks of lead poisoning. His hearing was failing as he penned his last symphony, which is arguably one of the best pieces of music ever written, the incomparable Ninth, Ode to Joy. Out of his ruin came greatness.
The Plymouth Philharmonic will open its 93rd season with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
“There are pieces that become cliché for some, like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony,” Phil Music Director and Conductor Steven Karidoyanes said. “But anybody to have the audacity to say something like that has never heard it live. Then you go, ‘Ah, that’s what makes Beethoven’s Fifth great.’ And Beethoven’s Ninth makes it just that much better.”
To listen and watch as the musicians sweat on the edge of their seats to recreate a masterpiece is truly a beyond-words-experience, Karidoyanes said. Hear it and see it live, and goose bumps raise on your flesh as you try to wrap your mind around the otherworldly power of a creator who taps into divinity the way people make ordinary phone calls.
Renowned soloists Barbara Kilduff, Victoria Avetisyan, Philip Lima and Neal Harrelson will perform, and The New World Chorale will sing the Ode to Joy finale.
“This is the only symphony Beethoven wrote with a chorus,” Karidoyanes said. “It is, in essence, a symphony within a symphony. I’m always excited about people attending who haven’t heard it. They will have their socks handed to them, not just knocked off.”
The concert is set for 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20 at Plymouth’s Memorial Hall, with a pre-concert talk by Karidoyanes at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50, $45, $35 and $20 depending on seating. And join Phil patrons for a Symphony Soiree just down the block at Pilgrim Hall Museum, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., for $20 more ($25 at the door). Senior, youth and group discounts are available. Students may obtain $5 “rush” tickets one hour before the performance if the concert isn’t sold out. Advance tickets may be purchased from the Phil office by calling 508-746-8008.
The concert opens with the National Anthem at 8 p.m., followed by Samuel Barber’s Second Essay for Orchestra. Seeing as it is the Phil’s 93rd season, Karidoyanes said it seemed important to pick a rousing American piece to celebrate America’s Hometown.
“Not only is he (Barber) one of the great American Romantic composers, but being a songwriter and symphonist, he just knows how to handle a melody,” Karidoyanes said. “It’s very American and attractive. We’re the orchestra of America’s hometown. If we celebrate the orchestra, we have to celebrate America’s music.”
The 11-minute Barber piece will help listeners “cleanse their pallet,” Karidoyanes said, in preparation for Beethoven.
And, once the final notes are sounded, Karidoyanes will answer any questions the audience may have.
“Now our entire evening is designed for enlightenment,” Karidoyanes “You don’t have to know a thing about anything in our program. If you want lots of detail, show up at the concert. You’ll get the music delivered to you straight to the heart. Read the program notes. At the end of the concert, when you have the most burning questions to ask, we hang around to answer them.”
And another anniversary will be celebrated Sept. 20. It will be Karidoyanes’ 15th season with the Phil. In all that time, this symphony has never performed a piece of music twice in a concert. So, don’t miss the show. It may be your one and only chance to hear the Phil play Beethoven’s Ninth.
