A NEW WORLD – Celebrating Long Beach Symphony’s 90th Anniversary!

6:30 PM Pre-Concert Talk
Doors open at 6:00 PM

For more information and tickets call the Symphony box office at (562) 436-3203 ext. 1

Long Beach Terrace Theater
300 E. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, CA 90802

A NEW WORLD – Celebrating Long Beach Symphony’s 90th Anniversary!

Oct 05, 2024 7:30 PM

Eckart Preu, Conductor

Adam Richardson, Baritone

Upcoming Concerts

Beethoven	Egmont Overture, Op. 84 (1^st piece LBSO performed in 1934)
Anna Clyne	Quarter Days WEST COAST PREMIERE
Dvořák. Text by William Arms Fisher	“Goin’ Home”
Dvořák	Symphony No. 9, “From The New World”

RENEW your Classical Subscription here, or Purchase a NEW Classical Subscription starting at just $120.

Individual Tickets will be available soon.

Questions? Call (562) 436-3203 ext. 1

Welcome to this celebratory affair as we open the 2024-2025 Season and 90th anniversary of Long Beach Symphony. Beethoven’s Egmont Overture opens our 90^th Anniversary Season which was the first piece the Symphony performed in 1934. It will be followed by the West Coast Premiere of Anna Clyne’s Quarter Days and Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” (Dvořák).

Egmont Overture, Op. 84, the jubilant opus that inaugurated the Long Beach Symphony in 1934, encapsulates the quintessence of Beethoven’s artistry. Revered as the “Victory Symphony,” its power and thunderous beginning emanates with an almost excessive virtuosic jubilation. Beethoven had a deeply rooted belief in humanistic freedom. He was drawn to protagonists who fought against repressive forces. In this emotional overture – which is part of incidental music composed to accompany Goethe’s play “Egmont” – he depicts the struggle of count Egmont fighting for freedom and liberty. From thunderous chords of oppression to fanfares of victory, with its dramatic turn from tragedy into triumph, Beethoven unleashes some of his most powerful music. This overture showcases the power and virtuosity of music and represents the philosophical and musical ideals of this orchestra.

Cultivating new beginnings, we present the West Coast Premiere of “Quarter Days, a new concerto for solo string quartet and orchestra by the distinguished British violinist, composer, and Emmy nominee Anna Clyne. Her cello concerto DANCE – performed by the Long Beach Symphony in 2022 – has garnered over 10 million plays on Spotify. We are proud to be part of the consortium that commissioned “Quarter Days”. This concerto will be a great opportunity to showcase the principal string players of the orchestra as soloists. Quarter Days is a reflection on the passing of time – both within a minute, a day, and through the seasons of the year. Anna Clyne’s music has an instant appeal – full of lyricism, colors, and emotion.

The evening concludes with Antonin Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony “From the New World”, composed during Antonin Dvořák’s early days in the United States. It is not only one of quintessential symphonies of the entire orchestral repertoire, but it also stands as a testament to his encouragement of American composers to cultivate a national identity in their music. This tour-de-force for the orchestra includes influences of Native-American melodies, spirituals – and of course his indomitable “Czech spirit.” The performance of the “New World” Symphony will be preceded by a presentation of “Goin’ Home”, a song based on the famous melody of the second movement, with a text by William Arms Fisher.

Audiences will enjoy the Classical Series fun and elegant evening surrounded by the Terrace Theater’s dazzling fountains and fire pits, live ensemble in the lobby, 6:30 PM Pre-Concert Talk to gain greater knowledge regarding the evening programming, and the ability to “Sip & Enjoy” in the concert hall. Doors open at 6PM.

Get all the PERKS: RENEW your Subscription here, or Purchase a NEW SUBSCRIPTION

Eckart Preu, Conductor

Eckart Preu (Eck-art Proy) began his tenure as Music Director of Long Beach Symphony in 2017. Critics, the orchestra, and audiences alike have celebrated his ability to combine well-loved masterworks with rare or newer works in programs offering dimension, sophistication, and spirit. Preu also currently serves as …