Mendelssohn and the Reformation

The evening begins with Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cantata No. 80, also known as “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”). Bach composed this chorale cantata for Reformation Day celebrations, basing the work on Martin Luther’s hymn setting for Psalm 46. 

 

The Philharmonic then performs Choral Fantasy by Ludwig von Beethoven. He wrote this piece in 1808, during what is often called his “middle period” (from 1803 to 1813). It is during this period that Beethoven came to grips with his hearing loss. And it is at this time that his music became stronger, almost heroic. Choral Fantasy was premiered in a four-hour concert that also featured his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, as well as his Piano Concerto No. 4! 

 

For the performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Mendelssohn’s Capriccio Brillant, the DPO will be joined by guest pianist Angela Cheng. This talented musician from Canada has appeared as soloist with more than 100 orchestras both in the United States and around the world. Cheng also holds a position as professor of piano at Oberlin College and Conservatory. 

 

The final two pieces of the evening are works by Felix Mendelssohn. Capriccio Brillant is a charming piece written in 1832, while Mendelssohn was on an extended visit to Paris. It is works such as this Capriccio that helped mark Mendelssohn as one of the “Sunshine Composers”—a group that also included Giaochino Rossini and Camille Saint-Saëns, two other composers of truly optimistic, joyous music. Mendelssohn is lucky to have been recognized for his talent and craftsmanship within his lifetime. He wrote his Symphony No. 5 in preparation for the 300th anniversary of Luther’s Augsburg Confession, an important date in the Protestant Reformation. The composer had become ill during the writing of the work, however, and finished too late for the commission’s deadline. Just as Bach did for his Cantata, Mendelssohn gained inspiration for the symphony from Martin Luther’s hymn “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott.” The hymn also lies as a motif in the third and fourth movements of "Reformation."  

 

“Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea” (Psalm 46). . . . Join us as the music of the evening celebrates our world, physical and spiritual.