NEC Symphony + Loebel

Once again I ventured into Boston on a cool November evening to enjoy a concert at
Jordah Hall

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The Program:

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 Bela Bartok (1881-1945)

Dance Suite

*

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Billy the Kid Suite

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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

 Symphony No.2 in D, op. 36

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David Loebel, Associate Conductor of Orchestras, lead the NEC Symphony in a program that delighted the audience with its good humor and color.

*

 

Written in 1923, the Bartok Dance Suite was composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unification of the cities of Buda and Pest to form the modern capital of Hungary, Budapest.

In five sections, it features lively melodies, colorfully orchestrated from Arabic, Wallachian and Hungarian folk traditions. 

* 

Copland's Billy the Kid Suite is taken from his 1938 ballet,

commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein and choreographed by Eugene Loring

for Ballet Caravan. 

Like the Bartok, it plays with folk idioms, borrowing actual cowboy tunes

and

American folk songs.

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Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 was described by Berlioz as smiling all the way though. This despite the health problems and failing hearing that the composer was suffering at the time. Among the words often used to describe the music are

"rowdy,"

"humorous,"

and

"vitality".

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And  * THAT *  it WAS !

 

 A Good Time Was Had By All !