Rossini | Overture to the Barber of Seville

Mozart | Piano Concerto No. 17

Brahms | Symphony No. 2

Overture to The Barber of Seville

Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868)

The Barber of Seville is one of Gioachino Rossini’s most popular works, and is one of the most famous operas overtures of all time. It is instantly recognizable to many around the world.

Rossini was the most important composer of 19^th-century Italian opera. The Barber of Seville was composed in 1816 and is classified as an opera buffa, or a comic opera that draws from everyday life. Like many of Rossini’s overtures, the overture to The Barber of Seville starts out slowly, with the melody in the woodwinds, and is followed by a fast and energetic theme. The overture makes use of the “Rossini crescendo,” most often in the winds, where the main motive is repeated while it gradually gets louder. The Barber of Seville has been described as “the greatest comic opera ever written” and it is still immensely popular over two-hundred years later.

Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, KV. 453

W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)

Mozart composed twenty-seven piano concertos in his lifetime. His Piano Concerto No. 17 was composed in 1784, when Mozart was twenty-eight years old. Mozart’s student Barbara Ployer premiered the concerto.

The concerto is notable for the theme at the beginning of the third movement, which was famously sung by Mozart’s pet starling. Mozart was fond of this starling, and when it died three years later, Mozart buried it with full honors in his garden.

The Piano Concerto No. 17 is written in the standard three movement form of a concerto of the Classical era. The first movement begins in a light and expressive manner, with the woodwinds prominently featured. It was unusual in Mozart’s time for the woodwinds to have a major role. The slow second movement follows. The woodwinds are again in the spotlight in this movement. There are dramatic pauses throughout, which mirrors the technique Mozart used in many of his operas. The final movement is written in a theme and variations style. The beginning theme, which is the one sung by Mozart’s starling, is followed by five variations. To this day, it is not known if Mozart taught the tune to the bird, or if the bird already knew the tune and therefore gave the compositional idea to Mozart.

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 was composed in the summer of 1877. Buoyed by the success of his first symphony, Brahms completed the Symphony No. 2 within a year after the premiere of his first symphony. In comparison, it took Brahms 21 years to complete his Symphony No. 1. The Symphony No. 2 is often described as “pastoral” and is considered one of Brahms’ most cheerful and optimistic works, especially in comparison to his first symphony. However, Brahms infused it with a similar sort of gravity, describing it as a “deep reflection of the human condition.” The Symphony No. 2 was premiered by the Vienna Philharmonic in 1877. Of the four symphonies Brahms wrote in his lifetime, he described the second as being his favorite.

The symphony follows a traditional four-movement form. The first movement begins idyllically with a simple four-note motif. It contains multiple references to the theme known as Wiegenlied or “Brahms’ Lullaby.” The second movement is slower, with a brooding and pensive quality throughout. This is offset by a brief third movement, which makes use of pizzicato, or plucking of the strings, for a light sound. This movement has a bucolic quality and evokes the beauty of the outdoors. Although the final movement begins quietly, it quickly adopts a more vibrant tempo and ultimately ends in a triumphant finish. This ending has been described as one of the most glorious in the standard musical canon.

Approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes with intermission

Whenever you want! Seriously, the tradition of clapping only at the end of pieces was only for a short time in the history of music. Typically, people like to clap after a great solo in a jazz tune, an impressive dance move, or after a great movement (section) in a symphony. If you really like a piece, clap at the end of the movement and yell "encore" if you want to hear more. (we love playing encores!)

Tickets start at $11 for adults and $5.50 for students and go up to $53 based on the seat location. The least expensive seats are at the back of the balcony and the front closest to the stage.

Here are some other helpful tips you should know as well:

1. The best deal comes when you don’t wait until the very last minute to order tickets. We never offer last minute discounts because we don’t want to undercut patrons who already purchased their seats. Whenever you see a concert you’d like to attend, you get the best seats by not waiting.

2. Another way to save is to buy a subscription. This can be in the form of season tickets, where we often have deals. Subscriptions are now available for the 23-24 season.Contact us at 269-963-1911 and we'd be more than happy to find a deal for you.

3. If you’re a student on a budget, be sure to bring your student ID for great discounts.

More than anything, we want you to have fun and express your own style when you come to the Battle Creek Symphony, so dress in a way that works for you. Some people love dressing up and going out—if that’s you, do it and you won’t be the only one, we promise. If you prefer to be more casual, then you probably won’t be the only one dressed casually, either. In short, you do you, and we’re just glad you’re joining us.

The most popular option is the library parking lot right in front of WK Kellogg Auditorium, or the school parking lot in the back.  We have entrances open on both sides beginning at 6:30.

For the Big Band Christmas concert, you might want to plan ahead because downtown will be busy. Think about coming early and enjoying a meal at one of our wonderful local restaurants.