Symphony No. 6 in F major, known as the Pastoral, was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1805 and 1808. Evoking nostalgia for the rustic life at a time of dramatic shift to urbanization, Beethoven imagined pastoral settings where people were in harmony with their natural environment. Beethoven’s Pastoral coincided with the decline of instrumental works, the essential purpose of which was to evoke the sounds of nature. However, this work also depicted the psychological state of humans in a context of pre-industrial change. An essential part of learning to play orchestral music, the Pastorale is conducted here by Maestro Alexis Hauser, at the helm of the McGill Symphony Orchestra, composed of course of students. The Orchestra will also perform the Cello Concerto in E minor by Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian, with soloist Braden McConnell, winner of the 2018-2019 McGill Concertos Competition. Also on the program is a premiering work by Kit Soden, winner of the 2017-2018 Andrew Svoboda Composition Prize.
PROGR
McGill Symphony Orchestra
Alexis Hauser: artistic director and conductor
Kit Soden: composer
Braden McConnell: cello
Works:
Kit Soden: new work
Aram Khachaturian: Cello concerto in E minor
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 6 en F Major, Op. 68 (Pastoral Symphony)
