DSO Forsyth Barr Concert: Heroic - Dvorak & Beethoven

The perfect way to celebrate the first 2020 orchestral concert by Dunedin’s own orchestra!

The programme is designed to display the outstanding talents of the DSO’s players. In the first half, the woodwinds and French horns shine in Richard Strauss’s Serenade. Then it’s the turn of the strings in Dvorak’s Serenade which is packed with a seemingly endless chain of melodies.

Beethoven’s "Eroica" symphony brings the orchestra together to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. This was a very significant work as it signalled the start of the Romantic movement in music. Here, for the first time, the composer was determined to take his listeners on a sublime musical journey. The degree to which the Eroica was inspired by Napoleon is something that musicologists continue to debate today. But the real question is: can we hear what Beethoven is communicating from deep within his soul? Can we hear the themes of struggle and triumph in this victorious music? Beethoven’s status as the most important composer of his time was pretty much confirmed in an instant with this one mighty work.

Kenneth Young is a multi-faceted musician who excels in all branches of music. He currently resides in Dunedin as he was appointed as the 2020 Mozart Fellow at the University of Otago. The DSO is thrilled to feature him as conductor for these special performances.

Programme

Richard Strauss: Wind Serenade Op. 7
Dvorak: Serenade for Strings Op. 22
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, 'Eroica'

Conductor: Kenneth Young