Today, the Furman Symphony Orchestra will perform its first concert of the 2024-25 school year. The program will consist of works by three of classical music’s most successful and influential composers — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
The program will begin with the overture from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” (“The Magic Flute”). This was the last opera Mozart completed, and it continues to be one of his most successful and frequently-performed works. The overture begins with three triumphant chords, and after a mysterious introduction, comes a quick-paced fugue.
Next on the program is Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Four Novelletten,” which is written for string orchestra only. Coleridge-Taylor was a Black composer from England whose talent was widely recognized by the musical elite of his time and, in recent years, whose work has reappeared in concert halls across the world. His work draws from traditional African music and employs a range of interesting colors and rhythms, and “Four Novelletten” is no exception.
To close the program, the orchestra will be performing one of the most well-known pieces in the classical repertoire: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Known for its opening chords (“Da-da-da-dum”), this monumental work serves as a testament to Beethoven’s undying creativity despite the trials he faced throughout his life, including social isolation and his loss of hearing.
This concert is especially exciting as it is not only the first concert of the year, but also the first concert with the newly-hired Director of Orchestral Activities, Professor Stephan Fillare. Fillare, who was selected from a large pool of applicants, says he is “excited to help the orchestra flourish into an entity recognized globally for its great artistry and commitment to the betterment of the world.”
Concerning his programmatic choices, Fillare sought to find pieces that reflect the orchestra’s journey over the past few years.
“‘Die Zauberflöte’ has delighted audiences for centuries,” Fillare said. “The overture remains a staple of regal majesty coupled with lighthearted antics.”
He believes Mozart to be synonymous with the symphony orchestra technically and musically, including the precision of intonation and articulation which is essential to this style.
“Four Novelletten” showcases what Fillare calls “the exceptional playing of the string members of the symphony,” as well as Coleridge-Taylor himself, who Fillare describes as both a personal favorite of his and a “Black voice that needs to be heard more and more frequently in the concert hall.”
Fillare chose to close the concert with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony to showcase the transformative role it has played in the symphonic world.
“From the famous da-da-da-dum that begins the first movement to the series of resounding major chords at the end of the symphony some 35 minutes later, the Fifth Symphony remains a life-changing experience for all audiences and orchestras,” Fillare said.
Fillare says he is thrilled to see the ways in which the orchestra will grow in the year ahead. Rather than focusing on any particular concert or performance, he is “more excited to help build a new culture of belonging, success and artistry.”
The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in McAlister Auditorium and will count for CLP credit.