Chilliwack – Experience the dynamic energy of an ensemble of exceptional musicians playing a repertoire of songs that celebrates the prolific body of work of Ludwig van Beethoven when Young Beethoven comes to Chilliwack! On April 10, the West Coast chamber players will perform works seldom heard to extremely well known pieces in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth!
While the actual anniversary was in November 2020, along with other concert organizations around the world, The Chilliwack Cultural Centre delayed the performance because of the pandemic. Tour organizer George Zukerman, who will accompany Young Beethoven as host-narrator commented on the programme. “Beethoven waited two hundred and fifty years for this occasion. If he had to wait one more year it will not make the celebration any less significant!”
Young Beethoven features a programme of early works written by Ludwig van Beethoven before he was thirty years of age. In his home city of Bonn, he played viola in the Court orchestra. When he moved to Vienna in 1794 he was best known as a virtuoso piano soloist, but he also began publishing early compositions which reflected the strong influence of Haydn and Mozart.
“The programme shines a light on the composer’s prolific output in those early years,” Zukerman comments. “There are works that many listeners will have never heard before, some that are very seldom heard, and one or two that are extremely well known.”
“I am particularly looking forward to presenting some of these works on tour,” Zukerman, who came up with the concept for the Young Beethoven programme continues. “Not only are they seldom heard they also reflect a youthful cheerfulness that is often belied by the traditional image of Beethoven, tormented by the world around him. This programme will present Beethoven without the scowl.”
Throughout his lifetime, Beethoven was striving towards a liberated 19th century romanticism, and this program will revel in the music he created. Don’t miss this phenomenal night, where you will hear Beethoven’s body of work in a whole new way!
Young Beethoven is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on April 10, 2022 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for youth, and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469). Audience sizes have increased to 75% capacity.
Young Beethoven is generously sponsored by: 98.3 Star FM, The Chilliwack Progress, the British Columbia Arts Council, the BC Touring Council, the City of Chilliwack, the Province of British Columbia and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
