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Fate & Liberty concert on January 25, 2025

Saturday
January 25, 2025

3 pm

The opposing forces of Fate & Liberty

Fate suggests a predetermined course of events and Liberty evokes both free will and personal choice. The interplay between these concepts raises interesting questions about the extent to which our lives are governed by destiny versus our ability to shape our own paths.

Empty Orchestra Stage

Program

Verdi: Nabucco Overture
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18

Soloist:  Aristo Sham
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, Op. 67
Piano on Stage

Featuring internationally acclaimed pianist, Aristo Sham.

Aristo Sham Headlines Jan 25 2025 Concert

About Aristo

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Aristo Sham, a Hong Kong-born pianist, has established an extraordinary musical career since beginning piano lessons at age three. He gained international recognition early on, winning first prizes in numerous competitions including the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in 2006 and the Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition in 2008. By age 14, he had relocated to Britain to attend Harrow School and continued developing his musical talents, performing on five continents and collaborating with prestigious orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Minnesota Orchestra.

Throughout his career, Aristo has performed for notable dignitaries including King Charles III of of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and former Chinese President Hu Jintao. He has been featured in the BBC documentary, "The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies," and continues to balance his musical pursuits with academic studies, currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Juilliard School while holding degrees from Harvard University and the New England Conservatory. Critically acclaimed by The New York Times for his "clarity, elegance and abundant technique," Sham has won multiple international competitions and continues to establish himself as a world-class pianist with "boundless potential."

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Verdi's Overture to Nabucco

The power of Faith over Fate

Verdi’s Nabucco speaks to the power of faith over fate: the Babylonian King’s hubris in declaring himself God leads to his punishment and madness, but his eventual prayer to the Hebrew God restores his sanity and power, suggesting that faith can overcome seemingly insurmountable fate.


The Israelites' prayers are ultimately answered when Nabucco frees them, implying that liberty can come through divine will, even in the face of oppression. The famous chorus "Va, pensiero" poignantly expresses the longing for freedom and the pain of exile, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of oppression.


We will be performing the overture to Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Nabucco" that echos many of the opera's central themes. The overture serves as an introduction to the opera, setting the stage for the dramatic and emotional narrative that follows.

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Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2

Triumph & liberty over personal struggles

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a renowned concerto for piano and orchestra composed between June 1900 and April 1901. This work marked Rachmaninoff's recovery from a period of depression following the poor reception of his First Symphony, and it established his fame as a composer.


While not explicitly programmatic, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 can be seen as a powerful musical representation of the composer's personal journey from creative imprisonment to artistic freedom, reflecting broader themes of fate and liberty through its emotional depth and triumphant spirit:

  • The concerto's creation itself represents Rachmaninoff's triumph/liberty over a debilitating period of depression and creative block.

  • The hypnotherapy treatment that enabled Rachmaninoff to compose again resulted in music that expresses a sense of emotional freedom and catharsis.

  • This work showcases Rachmaninoff's liberated creativity, featuring lush melodies, virtuosic piano writing, and innovative harmonies that broke free from some conventional constraints.

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The concerto's enduring popularity and emotional impact speaks to a universal human experience of struggling against adversity and finding liberation through artistic expression.

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Beethoven's Symphony #5

Fate knocking at the door

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, also known as the "Fate Symphony," is one of the most famous and frequently performed compositions in classical music. Composed between 1804 and 1808, it premiered on December 22, 1808, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, conducted by Beethoven himself.


The symphony is particularly renowned for its iconic four-note motif, often described as "fate knocking at the door," which opens the first movement and recurs throughout the piece.


This monumental work speaks to Fate & Liberty in other ways:

  • The symphony was composed when Beethoven was struggling with hearing loss, which to us symbolizes overcoming fate or personal challenges.

  • The dramatic structure, moving from C minor to C major in the finale, is often interpreted as a journey from darkness to light or struggle to victory.

  • Beethoven was influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution, including liberty. The symphony's energy and triumphant ending reflect these revolutionary aspirations.

  • The symphony was experimental for its time, with Beethoven taking liberties in form, harmony, and orchestration, demonstrating artistic freedom.

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While not explicitly about fate, the emotional power of the music speaks to a universal human experience of struggling against adversity. Ultimately, listeners and performers bring their own experiences to the music, relating it to their own sense of fate or liberty.

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Free concert!

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