Spokane Symphony continues New Year tradition of Beethoven’s Ninth

Dec 15, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow

SPOKANE – The Spokane Symphony and the Spokane Symphony Chorale, led by Music Director Eckart Preu, will celebrate New Year’s Eve in the German tradition by performing the inspirational Ninth Symphony by Beethoven on Dec. 31, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. This is the second New Year’s Eve celebrated this way, due to the outstanding popularity of last year’s celebration.

Spokesman Review correspondent Travis Rivers calls Beethoven’s Ninth “extreme symphony” and praises the way Preu and the performers “rose to meet Ludwig von Beethoven’s extreme challenges in a way that brought as much excitement to this 185-year-old work as when the ink was fresh on its pages.” He also recounts how the “audience responded to this splendid performance with an immediate, well deserved and prolonged standing ovation.” ^{(Spokesman Review, May 10, 2009)}

Beethoven’s famous symphony, sometimes called “the ultimate Symphony,” has inspired millions of people around the world, with its themes of freedom and brotherhood. In fact, Eckart Preu remembers hearing it as a young soldier in East Berlin during the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Musically, no other piece in history has had a greater impact on later composers. What makes its influence even more remarkable is the fact that the composer was totally deaf by the time he completed the symphony; truly this work stands as a testament to Beethoven’s genius as a composer. As an anonymous review of the work’s premiere stated, “Beethoven's inexhaustible genius had shown us a new world, revealing the magical secrets of a holy art that we had never before heard or imagined!”

Soloists are Christina Major, soprano; Patty Blankenship-Mortier, mezzo-soprano;  J. Raymond Meyers, tenor; and Charles Robert Austin, baritone.

The Spokane Symphony Chorale was established in 1955 as a volunteer organization and has been an official entity of the Spokane Symphony since 1978. They are under the new musical leadership of Dr Julián Gómez Giraldo, Director of Orchestras at EasternWashingtonUniversity. The chorale enjoys a dedicated volunteer base of more than 80 singers from the Spokane area; including many who commute from Coeur d’Alene, Davenport, Sandpoint, and Pullman to participate in the over 100 hours of volunteer rehearsal and performance time for each season.

Tickets for the concert are $20 and $25 and $14 for children 12 and under. A package containing a concert ticket and a First Night Button is also available for $28 and $33 ($22 for children 10-12; children under 12 can attend First Night Events for free). Tickets may be purchased at the Spokane Symphony Ticket office, 1001 W. Sprague, or by calling 509-624-1200. Tickets are also available at all TicketsWest outlets or online at spokanesymphony.org.

This concert is underwritten by Mercer, and Northern Quest Resort and Casino and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.

CALENDAR LISTING:

Beethoven’s Ninth for New Year’s Eve; Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony; Spokane Symphony Chorale; Dec. 31 at 7:30 pm in Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. Tickets for the concert are $20 and $25; $14 tickets are available for children 12 and under. Tickets may also be purchased with a First Night Button for $28 and $33. Call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200; tickets are also available at www.spokanesymphony.org and through all TicketsWest outlets.