Every song has a story, and classical symphonies are no exception. Take, for example, the origins of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, the Sinfonia Eroica (Italian for “heroic symphony”). The composer originally dedicated the composition to Napoleon Bonaparte, greatly inspired by the general’s independent spirit and strength. However, when told that Bonaparte had crowned himself emperor of France, a furious Beethoven tore the title page with Bonaparte’s name on it in half. After this outburst, he titled the work “Heroic Symphony, Composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.” Perhaps this story of Sinfonia Eroica’s genesis is one of the reasons why the Georgetown University Orchestra chose to perform it for their concert this coming Saturday.
Sinfonia Eroica certainly means more to musicians than just a compelling tale. For some, it is the piece’s historical weight that resonates with them. “The Sinfonia Eroica is considered the first large work of the Romantic movement,” said Annie Barbeau (COL ‘16), a cellist in Georgetown’s orchestra. “There’s something very historically relevant about that.”
For others, the piece symbolizes a transition in both the structure and significance of Beethoven’s music. Professor Anna Celenza, head of Georgetown’s music department at, commented, “The Sinfonia Eroica is the first major work where Beethoven went on his new path … [based on] his own understanding of what he thought music could do. He wanted to compose pieces that had … a philosophical message that people of all time can tap into.”
It is in this symphony that Beethoven began to push the boundaries for music so firmly established by the Classical era by greats such as Franz Haydn and Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart. Music was no longer created with the sole intent to bring pleasure; through Beethoven’s genius, the symphony gained the power to take the listener on a journey, to evoke contrasting strong emotions as it progressed. For many musicians, it is the Sinfonia Eroica that established the foundation of how we use and see music today.
Members of the Georgetown community now have a local opportunity to hear the Eroica live. This coming Saturday, the Georgetown University Orchestra, led by conductor Angel Gil-Ordóñez, will be performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in Gaston Hall—with a slight twist. Aimed at entertaining both adults and children, the performance is framed as a “narrated family concert.” Celenza, also an author of children’s books written to introduce classical music to young readers, will join the orchestra in this special performance of the Sinfonia Eroica, narrating her book, The Heroic Symphony, alongside the orchestra’s performance. Illustrations from the book, drawn by JoAnn E. Kitchel, will be displayed on large screens throughout the performance. The performance weaves visual and performing arts together to present Classical music in a new light for both the seasoned listener and those new to the symphonic scene.
Certainly, this is a creative way of presenting a symphony to a wide array of audience members. Yet this arrangement does more than stimulate the senses. It also manages to make classical music more accessible to the everyday listener.
Classical music is often a genre approached with hesitance, an unease that comes with a lack of understanding of this older art form. Both the performers and faculty members associated with this performance have done their best to present the symphony in a softer, less daunting light. Gil-Ordóñez emphasizes the importance of the illustrations in achieving this goal. “For younger generations,” he said, “the visual component is so essential for a deeper comprehension.” Through presenting the symphony in such a dynamic way, the performers at Georgetown demonstrate classical music’s ability to transcend time. Perhaps this is why the Eroica was such an excellent composition to choose, as the music alone tells a fairly clear story that is only accentuated by words and images.
Yet the most impressive element of this performance is not the work or the multimedia, but the Georgetown students who comprise the orchestra. “It’s incredible, really,” Celenza commented. “They’re doing conservatory-level work.”
The task of learning the challenging symphony—a massive undertaking for any orchestra, let alone a non-professional one—was met with enthusiasm by the students, who learned the piece in less than six weeks. “We’re a strong group,” bassist Andrew Kirkpatrick (COL’18) said. “You can always count on your principal—or anyone in your section, really—to have it together.”
Gaston Hall
Feb. 28, 3 p.m.
Free
