THE WORLD OF BEETHOVEN

SYMPHONIES AND AN OPERA

Beethoven is known for his symphonies – but did you know that he also wrote an opera? In my early years as a pianist, and I mean early, like middle school all the way through graduate school,

I played a lot of Beethoven: 12 out of the 32 piano sonatas, three out of the five piano trios, six out of the 10 violin sonatas, the song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, a cello sonata, and a couple of piano trios.

If I wasn’t practicing or performing Beethoven myself, I was listening to his music played by the Minnesota Orchestra or Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in the concert hall when I was a kid, the Boston Symphony Orchestra during a transformative summer at Tanglewood in 1985, or the Cleveland Orchestra when I was studying at Oberlin. Beethoven was a constant in my early musical life.

After grad school at Yale, I veered off my path to be a pianist/ conductor and found myself in love with opera. Beethoven, Schubert, and Chopin were replaced by composers like Puccini, Verdi, and Rossini. As I prepared for Kentucky Opera’s September 2014 production of Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera, I felt like I was re-engaging an old friend and rediscovering his amazing genius.

Beethoven had three compositional periods. Fidelio was composed during his middle period, from 1803-1814. At this point in his life, Beethoven was coming to terms with his encroaching deafness and decided to travel to Heiligenstadt for potential treatments to reverse his deafness.

While there, he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament. In this piece, he poetically speaks about his own deafness and his willingness to not end his life, but to continue to live. Musically, this period mirrors the theme in the Heiligenstadt Testament: the struggle against adversity and the concept of the hero. These ideals served as a foundation for his instrumental compositions, and his pieces took on a narrative aspect.

We are all familiar with Beethoven’s music. Whether it be his Fifth or Ninth Symphony, or “Moonlight” Piano Sonata— we hear him everywhere.

Below are some musical examples to get you into his middle period and the musical world of Fidelio. You will hear Beethoven’s signature harmonic tension, rhythmic syncopation, sublime melody and sharp dynamic contrasts. Most important is the integration of the narrative of the hero’s struggle over adversity, a major theme within Fidelio.

 VIDEO: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica,” Movement 1, Allegro con brio.

 Beethoven. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

[Beethoven] was a musical revolutionary that bridged the classical and romantic periods. All the aspects and traits of Beethoven’s great musical transformation are in his opera Fidelio.

Beethoven was fond of Napoleon and the ideals of the French Revolution for a period of time, and he instilled within this symphony a narrative describing the portrait of a hero. With this symphony, the audience no longer focused on the compositional technique of Beethoven, but the meaning and interpretation of the work.

 VIDEO: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 “The Emperor,” Movement 3, Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo.

This piece is regarded as the “culmination” of his heroic phase. I have selected one of my favorite pianists, Alfred Brendel. - Joseph Mechavich  VIDEO: Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata.”

In this sonata, Beethoven is shedding light on nature’s forces and the power of man to overcome them (struggle over adversity).

Beethoven composed Fidelio and fleshed out the many versions of his magnificent score over the course of 12 years — or the entire span of his middle period. He was a musical revolutionary that bridged the classical and romantic periods. All the aspects and traits of Beethoven’s great musical transformation are in his opera Fidelio.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS

TELEVISION PREMIERE OF AS YOU LIKE IT ON KET COINCIDES WITH ALBUM RELEASE

entucky Shakespeare is pleased to partner with KET, the state's network of PBS member stations, to broadcast an encore production of its 2019 production of As You Like It. Performances will air on Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. on KET KY: The Kentucky Channel. K

The production was filmed live on the Kentucky Shakespeare

Festival stage in Louisville's Central Park in the summer of 2019. Matt Wallace, Kentucky Shakespeare’s Producing

Artistic Director, directed the production featuring live music with original songs composed by Kentucky singer-songwriter

Aaron Bibelhauser.

Coinciding with the TV broadcast premiere is the release of a new album, As Y’all Like It, Songs from Kentucky Shakespeare, featuring Bibelhauser and guest artists performing his original songs created for the production.

“We are excited by this new opportunity to reach Kentuckians throughout the state, further removing access barriers to art, thanks to KET,” says Wallace. “We set this production in 19th century Kentucky, as a celebration the Commonwealth. We certainly couldn’t have predicted how extra meaningful this production would be at this time, giving us the opportunity now to reminisce, laugh, and experience another beautiful Central Park evening together under the stars.”

As You Like It is Shakespeare’s beloved, gender-swapping romantic comedy set in the Forest of Arden, where lives can be transformed when you least expect it. The production ran May 29- July 22 at the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Central Park in Old Louisville and stars Hallie Dizdarevic as Rosalind, with Jon Becraft as Orlando, Gregory Maupin as Touchstone, Abigail Bailey Maupin as Jacques, Crystian Wiltshire as Silvius, Jon Patrick O’Brien as Oliver, and making their Kentucky Shakespeare debut, Amber Avant as Celia and Angelica Santiago as Phebe.

The new album release, As Y’all Like It, Songs from Kentucky Shakespeare, contains five original tracks featuring Bibelhauser and guest artists including Grammy-winning musician Michael Cleveland. "We set this production in 19th century Kentucky, as a celebration of the Commonwealth. We certainly couldn’t have predicted how extra meaningful this production would be at this time, giving us the opportunity now to reminisce, laugh, and experience another beautiful Central Park evening together under the stars."

Cover art by Karl Anderson. Graphic design by Kyle Ware.

 2019 production of As You Like It in Central Park. Photo by Bill Brymer.

Bibelhauser is a singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist from Louisville. In addition to writing songs recorded by award winning bluegrass artists including Balsam Range and Del McCoury Band, he's taken first place in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest and earned a nomination for the IBMA's prestigious Song of The Year Award. He has also had song placements in television, film, and theater. A charttopping solo recording artist, radio broadcaster, session player, and record producer, Bibelhauser fronts the Kentucky based bluegrass band, Relic, along with his twin brother, Adam.

“I am so excited to share these new songs and even be so bold as to turn a few Bluegrass fans into Shakespeare fans... and vice versa. It’s been an honor to work with all the talented folks at Kentucky Shakespeare, and to incorporate their mission and vision in the production of these recordings,” says Bibelhauser. “I was initially dumbfounded with the opportunity to essentially, co-write songs with one of the most profound, timeless, and influential humans to ever scribble words on a page. Exploring Shakespeare’s universal truths, is an immensely powerful experience and has become a great source of inspiration for me. I want to extend a huge ‘thank you’ to Michael Cleveland, for his continued friendship and encouragement, and to Matt Wallace.”

“Aaron’s soulful and foot-stomping tunes help make the timelessness of Shakespeare even more relevant, as if these words were written today. And to now be able to experience his tunes in this new way, with world class bluegrass musicians, is truly a delight,” says Wallace.

The upcoming encore performances of As You Like It can be streamed live on KET’s website.

CDs of the new album will be available for purchase on the Kentucky Shakespeare website at kyshakespeare.com/merch starting Sept. 10, and sales support Kentucky Shakespeare. Digital downloads will also be available where music is sold.