Beethoven and the Book
The University of Virginia Department of Music presents a concert on the theme of Beethoven and the Book on Saturday, February 3rd at 8pm in Old Cabell Hall. UVA Music Performance Faculty will perform solo and chamber works by Ludwig van Beethoven and contemporary composers. The concert will explore connections between music and literature, music and text, and the idea of nature as a sacred book. This free concert is made possible by the UVA Music Synergies Initiative, sponsored by the Music Department and Vice Provost for the Arts.
Featuring Ayn Balija, Viola; Adam Carter, Violoncello; Peter D’Elia, Piano; Chris Owens, Voice; Daniel Sender, Violin
Beethoven and the Book brings together works by Beethoven, UVA faculty, and students. The organizational principle of the book has been construed here in a broad sense to encompass various media and themes. Poetry, live performance, fixed sound media, and video have all been intermixed to bring various perspectives on the uses of the word in art. Beethoven, who is more famous for his music without words, nevertheless often set poetry to music and occasionally used literature as inspiration. Some of his works have also become posthumously associated with authors or poets, including the “Ghost” trio, being performed tonight. Some of his song settings also used poetry that read nature as a sort of “book,” a venerable method of understanding the complexities of the natural world that dates back to medieval Christianity. Several of the new pieces you will hear tonight similarly read nature as a book, while others explore the possibilities of combining text and sound in various ways. Tonight’s concert was organized by Leah Reid, Peter D’Elia, and Eli Stine as part of the Department’s Music Synergies initiative.
Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda (map). Parking is available in the Central Grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Road, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner.
Please call the Music Department at 434.924.3052 for more information.
All events are subject to change.
