Beethoven love-in heralds orchestra milestone

BENDIGO Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) 45th anniversary will be celebrated in the form of a three-day, four-orchestra Ludwig van Beethoven extravaganza later this month.

Centred around Ulumbarra Theatre, the quartet of orchestras will take on the considerable task of performing the complete symphonic cycle of the famed German composer and pianist.

The festival gets underway on Friday 29 May with the BSO performing Symphony No. 1 and the adored Symphony No. 6 Pastoral, which is said to paint scenes from nature and rural life but was described by Beethoven himself as ‘more an expression of feeling than painting’.

Over the following two days the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra, The Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra (University of Adelaide) and Melbourne’s Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra will complete the entire set of his works.

It will all come to a crescendo on the afternoon of Sunday 31 May with a combined festival orchestra, the newly formed BSO Chorus and guest soloists performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under the baton of BSO artistic director Luke Severn.

The orchestra’s president Nigel McGuckian encouraged local classical music fans to pick their favourite symphony and buy a ticket.

“Try and go to more than one concert so that you really bury yourself in it,” he said.

“Any seat’s good at Ulumbarra but I think the balcony in particular is amazing for symphonic music because you can see everything so clearly, you can see all the musicians doing their thing.

“Everyone’s got a favorite, the Third is gorgeous, the Sixth everyone knows, the Fifth, the Seventh, they’re all lovely…

“There’s a lot to offer, it’ll be fantastic.”

The BSO Beethoven Festival takes place from Friday 29 May to Sunday 31 May at Ulumbarra Theatre.

Tickets can be accessed through the Bendigo Venues & Events website.