Mo., Ill. groups combine to perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

Several area groups will collaborate later this month to perform one of the most famous pieces of music in the world.

The Southeast Missouri Symphony, University Choir and Choral Union, in collaboration with the Southern Illinois Symphony and the Southern Illinois University--Carbondale Choir, will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony on April 27 at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus.

The composition will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall with more than 180 musicians on stage, including more than 80 instrumentalists and more than 100 choral singers. It will feature Southeast's Department of Music faculty Lori Shaffer, Leslie Jones, Christopher Goeke, and Timothy Schmidt as vocal soloists.

Sara Edgerton, also of the Department of Music, will conduct the performance.

"We are so excited about this upcoming performance," Edgerton said in a news release. "This, to my knowledge, will be the first performance ever of Beethoven's 'Ninth Symphony' here in Cape Girardeau, and I think audiences will be very moved by the power and beauty of this great work. We are also looking forward very much to combining with the orchestra and choir from SIU-C in the presentation of this memorable work. The large number of instrumentalists and choral singers on stage should truly do justice to this marvelous composition. This will also be an amazing learning experience for our students, who will be performing in the large orchestra and choir."

The concert will open with a trumpet concerto by Giuseppe Tartini. The trumpet soloist in this work will be SIU trumpet professor Robert Allison, who has performed in England, Latvia and Sweden, as well as throughout the United States. He presents concerts as a member of the SIU Faculty Brass Quintet, Faculty Brass Trio and the New Arts Jazztet.

Following the brief concerto, the symphonies and choirs will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

As stated by the scholar Nicholas Cook, "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is acknowledged as one of the supreme masterpieces of the Western tradition. More than any other musical work, it has become an international symbol of unity and affirmation."

The famous last movement, with the memorable "Ode to Joy" melody, is one of the most recognized melodies in classical music. The text of this melody (from a poem by Friedrich Schiller) is a hymn of praise for the beneficent power of human friendships, watched over by the benevolence of a kindly Creator.

The Ninth Symphony was premiered in 1824, three years before Beethoven's death; Beethoven himself was present on stage for the first performance, and helped conduct the work. It was received with acclaim, and has remained a beloved and inspiring work ever since. It was performed at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1989 to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall, and is frequently performed for major festivals and commemorative events throughout the world.

Tickets may be purchased by calling 651-2265, by visiting the River Campus box office during office hours, or online at RiverCampusEvents.com.

Pertinent address:

518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.