Quad City Symphony Orchestra Masterworks I: “Beethoven Symphony No. 1" at the Adler Theatre -- October 3 and 4.
Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
With the musicians' 2020-21 season a celebration of composer Ludwig van Beethoven's 250th birthday, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra returns to live performance (with a virtual option) in the first Masterworks concert Beethoven Symphony No. 1, a tribute to that classic composition – and some additional works, as well – taking place at Davenport's Adler Theatre October 3 and 4.
Dedicated to Baron Gottfried van Swieten, an early patron of the composer, Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 was published in 1801 by Hoffmeister & Kühnel of Leipzig. It is not known exactly when Beethoven finished writing this work, but sketches of the finale were found to be from 1795. The symphony is considered to be indebted to Beethoven's predecessors, particularly Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Beethoven's teacher Joseph Haydn, but boast characteristics that mark it uniquely as Beethoven's work, among them sudden shifts in tonal centers and the prominent, more independent use of wind instruments. The's symphony's premiere took place in Vienna on April 2 of 1800, and effectively served to announce Beethoven's talents to Vienna, with NPR stating, “Contemporaries reacted to the work by using the word 'masterpiece' repeatedly and praising its originality.”
Although the QCSO's Masterworks I concert closes with the composer's spirited and victorious Symphony No. 1, the repertoire also opens with Beethoven – specifically, the composer's dramatic, heroic Coriolan Overture. Also included in the first program of the season are performances of Jessie Montgomery's Banner, a rhapsody on “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and George Walker's somber, peaceful reflection Lyric for Strings.
In addition to the live performances at the Adler Theatre, a digital version of Saturday night's concert will air on Sunday via the QCSO's Uscreen Channel. The digital-access option can be purchased for a single event or as part of a pick-three or full QCSO subscription, and only one $40 ticket is required per household. Digital access for Beethoven Symphony No. 1 will begin at 2 p.m. on October 4, and be made available to stream for 30 days.
Live performances of Masterworks I will take place at the Adler at 7:30 p.m. on October 3 and 2 p.m. on October 4, face masks and social-distancing measures are required, and tickets must be purchased in advance, with concessions not available for these particular performances. Admission is $10-65, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)332-7276 or visiting QCSO.org.
