Haydn’s “Surprise” Symphony

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January 11, 2019 at 7:30 pm Prairie Center for the Arts
January 12, 2019 at 7:30 pm Hemmens Cultural Center
January 13, 2019 at 2:30 pm Hemmens Cultural Center

Stephen Squires, conductor
Isabella Lippi, ESO concertmaster, violin

Haydn Symphony No. 94, “Surprise” Symphony
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
Kodaly Peacock Variations

Adult Price: $30/$55/$75
Youth Price: $10
*Discount Pricing available for Groups of 10 or more! Please call the Box Office at 847-888-4000 for details.
**Build Your Own Series by purchasing 4 or more Classics or Pops concerts and receive 20% off the single ticket price!

NOTEworthy Concert Facts

A friend of Mozart and teacher of Beethoven, Franz Haydn is often called the Father of the Symphony for his original contributions to musical form. He also liked to include “jokes” in his music, like the “surprise” very loud chord played at measure 16 in the 2^nd movement of his Symphony No. 94.

ESO concertmaster Isabella Lippi will perform Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, considered one of the greatest and most difficult of its kind. The piece goes to the extremes of the violin’s range, from a rich depth to pitches almost beyond human hearing- all to be executed with a melodic sweetness of tone. The exquisite and achingly-beautiful 2^nd movement has been called an aria for violin.

Hungarian Composer Zoltan Kodaly studied in Paris and was greatly influenced by the Impressionistic works of Claude Debussy. He was also fascinated with the folk songs of his region. His Peacock Variations are based on a folk tune of that same name. Kodaly was an adept tone-painter: his music always tells a story.