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QPO marks Beethoven’s 250th birthday with online musical series

Published: 18 Dec 2020 - 11:55 am | Last Updated: 01 Nov 2021 - 08:47 pm
An online performance of “La Ci Darem del Mano” variations as part of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra’s musical series marking the sestercentennial anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth.

An online performance of “La Ci Darem del Mano” variations as part of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra’s musical series marking the sestercentennial anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth.

By Raynald C Rivera | The Peninsula

Doha: Peerless classical music composer Ludwig van Beethoven had gifted the world with music quite like no other great composers had, inspiring every generation of composers and leaving an indelible mark in the music world. 

This month marks the sestercentennial anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, and Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra joins the celebrations around the world by kicking off an online series yesterday.

“The World is celebrating the 250th birth year of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the most important and prominent figures in music history. As Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra we are also participating in these celebrations worldwide with our “Happy 250th Birthday, Beethoven!” musical series,” read a recent post in Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra’s social media channels.

For this series, melophiles can listen to a number of breathtaking compositions by Beethoven played by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra streamed via its social media channels. The series looks into the milestones of Beethoven’s life more closely delving into some interesting historical facts and recordings of his timeless masterpieces starting off in the 18th century Vienna examining the strong influence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music on his early compositions. Beethoven held Mozart in great esteem, evident in some of his compositions inspired by the latter’s work such as several variations on Mozart’s themes, one of which was a trio on the theme of “La Ci Darem del Mano” aria from Mozart’s two-act opera” Don Giovanni.” 

“La Ci Darem del Mano”  Variations was written by Beethoven in 1792 originally for oboe trio . For this series, it has been given “a very rare and special arrangement” featuring chamber music performance of German Diaz Blanco (oboe), Jihoon Shin (flute), and Hassan Moataz ElMolla (cello). Born in December 1770, Beethoven is considered one of the greatest composers of classical music. One of the foremost figures in music history, Beethoven had been a tremendous influence across all genres of Western music extending for a long period of the 19th century.