Bogotá’s Teatro Colón rolls out the red carpet for Beethoven 250

0
978

Orchestras around the world are fine-tuning their musical repertoires to mark the 250 years of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth as part of a global celebration called Beethoven 250. Joining the most prestigious concert halls with tributes that include the German composer’s symphonies is Bogotá’s Teatro Colón and home of the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia (OSNC). With performances from March 5 to November 26, the OSNC’s musical director Olivier Grangean has invited renowned international conductors to lead musicians beginning with Scott Terrell (USA) and pianist Giorgi Lasto (Georgia) interpreting Beethoven’s beloved Concerto No.5 – The Emperor. Grangean will conduct two of eleven concerts at Teatro Colo?n.

The next important date at the theatre is June 11 when the German conductor Henrik Schaefer will accompany Colombian pianist Esteban Labrador with Symphony No.3 “Eroica,” a work that reveals how Beethoven’s music was ahead of its time and symbolic of his time. On June 18, Colombia’s Adrián Chamorro will deliver audiences two other Beethoven classics: Symphonies No.2 and No.4.

Chamorro returns to the stage at Colón on July 9 with Symphony No.1 written for his patron Baron Gottfried van Swieten. The last Beethoven concert of the summer takes place on July 14 with Chamorro conducting the iconic Symphony No. 5 and No.6 – “Pastorale.”

Beethoven’s symphonies are so ensconced in musical history that audiences will feel a great sense of familiarity with the composer during the Beethoven 250 year. After Teatro Colo?n takes a four-month respite from its symphony series, on November 5, Israel’s Noam Zur and marimba soloist Conrado Moya will interpret Symphony No.8. Zur is the musical director of the State Symphony Orchestra of Salta (Argentina) and was invited to conduct the waltzes of Dubrovnik’s 2020 New Year’s Day concert.

Beethoven’s cheery Symphony No. 7 is in the hands of Olivier Grangean, appointed to the OSNC in 2015 and whose concerts are always energetic and ebullient. Maestro Grangean will be accompanied by the Italian cellist Giovanni Gnocchi.

And no Beethoven 250 is complete without the “Ode to Joy” of the Ninth, a date that has yet to be announced by Teatro Colón and OSNC. We can only speculate that the composer’s most famous symphony will be performed during the Christmas season. So stay tuned with The City Paper.

All concerts at Teatro Colón start at 7:30 pm and tickets are available at the box office (Calle 10 No.5-32) or online at tuboleta.com. The admission price for each performance is listed on the website: www.teatrocolon.gov.co

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here