Beethoven and Blue Jeans

Orion Weiss, piano
Geoffrey Robson, conductor

PROGRAM

Marina Lopez - Moño

Third Performance Of A Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissioned Piece 

Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4

Silvestre Revueltas (arr. Hindemith) - Suite from La noche de los Mayas

Arturo Márquez - Danzón No. 2

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Pre-Concert Street Party!

Before the concert, the ASO will host a street party on West Markham Street in front of the Robinson Center from 5:30-7:00 pm on Saturday and from 1:00-2:30 pm on Sunday. There will be food trucks, a cash bar, and live music. Admission to the street party is included with a patron’s concert ticket. Patrons are encouraged to dress casually in blue jeans and enjoy the show!

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Moño / Marina López
b. Mexico City, Mexico 

In this commissioned piece, 18th-century classical form collides with Mexican popular music in the mid-20th century. A meditation on the music from her grandparents’ youth and the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Lopez’s work follows the shape of its namesake, for “Moño” means “bow” in Spanish. The piece uses the full range of the orchestra in the beginning, thins to a point in the middle, and grows back to full orchestra to complete the figure. 

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Piano Concerto No. 4 / Ludwig von Beethoven
b. Bonn, Germany / December 1770-March 26, 1827

Premiered alongside his Fifth and Sixth symphonies, Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto was his first that truly demonstrated his mature compositional voice as both a pianist and a visionary. From the first beat, Beethoven breaks convention, as the piece opens with solo piano–gently and improvisatory –before the orchestra enters, a reversal of the usual roles in which the orchestra welcomes the soloist. The entire concerto unfolds as a love letter to dialogue: an intimate, at times dramatic conversation between soloist and orchestra. Tender, daring, and inventive, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 remains one of his most expressive and tender works to date.

Meanwhile, in 1809…

• American inventor Robert Fulton received the first patent for the steamboat
• U.S President James Madison was sworn in as the fourth president of the United States,
• In Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln, future 16th president of the United States, was born. 
• Elsewhere, Louis Braille, responsible for developing the writing system for visually impaired readers, was born in Coupvray, France. 
• Arkansas was yet to become a territory for another 10 years!

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Suite from "La noche de los Mayas" / Silvestre Revueltas (arr. Hindemith)

b. Santiago Papasquiaro, Mexico / December 31, 1899 - October 5, 1940

Arranged as a suite by German composer Paul Hindemith, the film score for the 1939 movie La noche de los Mayas (The Night of the Mayas) vividly illustrates a Mayan civilization living in seclusion until the arrival of outsiders disrupts their world. The two-movement suite perfectly captures the original spirit of composer Silvestre Revueltas—raw, intimate, and deeply expressive. 

Meanwhile, in 1946…

• The first General Assembly of the United Nations convened, marking a new era of global diplomacy following the end of World War II.
• In Mississippi, young Elvis Presley received a guitar for his 11th birthday– a gift that would unknowingly shape the future of American rock and roll. 
• In Arkansas, future President Bill Clinton was born in Hope, while in Forrest City, soul singer Al Green was also welcomed to the world. 
• Riceland Foods– now the world’s largest rice miller and marketer–began advertising its products under the Riceland label for the first time. 

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Danzón No. 2 / Arturo Márquez
b. Alamos, Mexico / December 20, 1950 -

Danzón No. 2, perhaps Mexican composer Arturo Márquez’s most well-known work, is a fiery crowd favorite. It brings the sensual elegance of the Cuban dance hall to life. Audiences will be spellbound as they experience the lush melodies, smoldering syncopated rhythms, and bursts of bold color that abound throughout this piece. 

Meanwhile, in 1994…

• Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first Black president.
• Arkansas’ own Bill Clinton was elected as the 42nd President of the United States.
• Forest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, and Schindler’s List dominated the silver screen. 
• An unforgettable moment for Arkansas sports fans, the Razorbacks basketball team claimed its first NCAA national championship.