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Camberwell Chorale: Beethoven’s Mass in C Major and “The Ruins of Athens”
May 7, 2023 @ 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Prepare to be moved, delighted and inspired by two of Beethoven’s captivating choral works – “The Ruins of Athens” and his Mass in C Major, performed by Camberwell Chorale.
The concert will open with Beethoven’s “The Ruins of Athens”, the incidental music to a play written in 1811 for the opening of a new theatre in Pest, Hungary the following year. From the dramatic overture to the final chorus, Beethoven captures the spirit of August von Kotzebue’s play. The 4th movement’s colourful and spirited Marcia alla turca quickly became popular. Franz Liszt’s Capriccio alla turca is based on two movements from this work.
Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, written three years earlier, is one of his most significant works in the choral repertoire. The work’s grandeur, power, and spiritual depth make it an enduring masterpiece that continues to inspire and move audiences. The peaceful serenity of the opening Kyrie to the joyful, triumphant Credo, the drama and intensity of the Agnus Dei bring us closer to understanding why Beethoven wrote, ‘I think I have treated the text in a manner in which it has rarely been treated’.
Conducted by Douglas Heywood OAM, featuring the Camerata Orchestra and esteemed soloists Lauren Oldham, Kerrie Bolton, Paul Biencourt, and Jerzy Kozlowski.
Sunday 7 May, 2:30pm; Hawthorn Arts Centre
Tickets $30 – $60