2013 Travel Guide
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Rockford Symphony - Music of Revolution, featuring Beethoven's 5th
Category: EVENTSIn the late 19th century, music was the catalyst that stirred the ferment of nationalism. Entire nations could be roused into patriotic fervor by music that captured the imagination of the people. And so it was that the Finnish people adopted the stirring anthem of Finlandia, written by their countryman Jean Sibelius, as the symbol of their quest for independence. The source of that power may have been the example of Beethoven, and especially his Fifth Symphony. From the very first performance, audiences agreed that this stirring work meant something, even if they couldn't agree on what. Future generations would hear the Fifth as the embodiment of their hopes, their struggles and their ultimate victory. Sibelius - Finlandia Brahms - Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, op.102; Gernot Winischhofer, violin, Meehae Ryo, cello Beethoven - Symphony No. 5 in C minor, op.67