German composer Ludwig van Beethoven is one of the most recognised and influential of all composers. His nine symphonies are among the most famous of his works, and for the last few years the Penang Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) has been performing them one by one, though not in numerical order. On June 10th they will be performing the 2nd Symphony, which was written in 1802 when Beethoven’s deafness was becoming more pronounced and he realised it was incurable. Despite that it is an upbeat work, especially the third movement, the scherzo, and is full of energy. The fourth movement’s unusual motif has been described as a “hiccup, belch or flatulence followed by a groan of pain” attributed to Beethoven’s gastric problems. Well, knowing that, how could you possibly resist coming to listen to it?!
The programme opens with the very well-known and fast-paced Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, child prodigy and prodigious composer who was a role model to Beethoven. This will be followed by Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto in C Major, written in 1778, and the only piece of music he wrote for the harp. The soloists for this beautiful piece are Jin Ta, who is the Principal Flautist of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and Bryan Lee, who plays regularly with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. The entire programme will be conducted by the PPO’s resident conductor Benjamin Ng.
The concert takes place on Sunday 10th of June at 3pm at penangpac, Straits Quay.Tickets cost RM 60 or RM 40 for students and can be purchased at the box office or here:https://