Florida composers show Beethoven’s influence
In honor of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth,
The Florida Orchestra is partnering with Florida colleges
and universities to co-commission five short fanfares
inspired by Beethoven. The works, which premiere at the
start of select Tampa Bay Times Masterworks concerts,
reflect the enduring influence of Beethoven and promote
music as a living art form. The next two are on the Mozart
& Tchaikovsky and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3
concerts.
This is the fourth year in a row that TFO has featured
Florida composers – a passion of Music Director Michael
Francis – including an annual Student Composer
Competition, the winner of which is featured on the final
Masterworks concert of the season.
The next two are:
Paul Richards: Return the Echo
Professor of music and head of the composition and theory area at University of Florida School
of Music
Premieres Dec. 6-8 on Mozart & Tchaikovsky concert
From the composer: A notorious lover of nature, Beethoven once wrote, “woods, trees and
rocks return the echo man wishes to hear.” Many, myself included, find that Beethoven’s music
itself “returns the echo” we wish to hear. In that spirit, I have written this piece as a celebration,
or echo, of a fleeting moment from the final movement of his Ninth Symphony that occurs
just before the baritone soloist enters for the first time. All of the material in my fanfare is
drawn from this five-measure passage, which is quoted toward the end of my piece, just after a
brief, slow chorale.
Orlando Jacinto Garcia: the impending silence
Program coordinator, professor of music composition and composer-in-residence at the
Florida International University School of Music
Premieres Jan. 17-19 on Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 concert
From the composer: The title is a reference to Beethoven’s loss of hearing and my ongoing
interest in the exploration of sound and its progression towards silence. In addition, structural
and conceptual aspects of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony have an underlying, albeit abstract,
influence on the creation of the work.
For information on all five Florida fanfare project composers, visit the TFO Blog at
FloridaOrchestra.org/blog.
THE FLORIDA OR 40 CHESTRA | 2019-2020
/blog