program
Piano Concerto No. 5
performances
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These concerts, a part of The Barbro and Bernard Osher Masterworks Series, are made possible by a generous gift from Barbro and Bernard Osher.
THESE CONCERTS ARE GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY ANDY AND TERI GOODMAN.
THURSDAY MATINEE CONCERTS ARE ENDOWED BY A GIFT IN MEMORY OF RHODA GOLDMAN.
Event Description
Igor Levit begins his residency with the San Francisco Symphony with Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, a work that rose from the ravages of the Napoleonic wars as a musical testament to the people’s heroism and resilience. Then, Esa-Pekka Salonen leads Beethoven’s expansive Symphony No. 3, Eroica, where the struggle between good and evil plays out in the orchestra as heroic themes battle inner demons that lurk not far below.
At A Glance
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, might be the first true Romantic Symphony—here is full-fledged Beethoven moving well beyond the Classical models of Haydn and Mozart symphonies. He originally dedicated it to Napoleon, who the composer viewed hopefully as a liberal reformer and even a savior of Europe in an age of revolution. But when Napoleon crowned himself Emperor, Beethoven vigorously erased the dedication from his manuscript and it was published as the Eroica (Heroic) Symphony “in Memory of a Great Man.”
The San Francisco Symphony is thrilled to welcome renowned pianist, Igor Levit, for a two-week concert residency. Levit, Gramophone's 2020 Artist of the Year, will join the Orchestra for performances of concertos by Ludwig van Beethoven and Ferruccio Busoni, along with chamber performances with members of the SF Symphony, and a solo recital on the Great Performers Series. Levit became a household name in 2020 when he presented a daily concert online from his home for fifty consecutive days, bringing music, hope, and connection to people around the world during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
