Relayed from THE QUEEN'S HALL, LONDON
(Sole Lessees, Messrs. Chappell and Co., Lid.)
Beethoven
ODA SLOBODSKAYA
SOLOMON
THE B.B.C. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
(Principal First Violin, CHARLES WOODHOUSE)
Conducted by Sir HENRY WOOD
ORCHESTRA
Overture, Leonora, No. 2
BEETHOVEN wrote in all four separate overtures for his opera Fidelio. Three of them are known by the title of Leonora, the heroine of the opera, and the fourth is called the Fidelio Overture. The one used on the production of the opera in 1805 in Vienna was Leonora No. 2, the one to be performed tonight. The actual production took place at an unfortunate time, for seven days before, on November 13, the French army had entered Vienna. Napoleon had taken up his quarters near the city, while the Austrian Emperor, followed by all the wealthy people, had deserted the city. These, of course, were just the people on whom Beethoven counted to fill his house, and so disappointing was the booking that the opera was withdrawn after three performances. At a meeting held later at Prince Lichnowsky's house, other reasons for its failure were put forward ; the music was too advanced, the opera was too long, and it was suggested Beethoven should cut it. He fought the proposal for six solid hours, and at the end agreed to cut three of the whole numbers. Subsequently, the libretto was revised, the opera was reduced from three acts to two, and another overture, Leonora No. 3, substituted for No. 2. In this form Fidelio was put on again the following year. For a time the receipts were good and the houses appreciative, but it was suddenly withdrawn as a result of a quarrel Beethoven had with the intendant of the theatre. There were no further performances for at least seven years after that.
ODA SLOBODSKAYA and Orchestra Scena and Aria, Ah !
Perfido SOLOMOX and Orchestra
Pianoforte Concerto No. 3 in C Minor
1. Allegro con brio; 2. Largo; 3. Rondo (Allegro)
ORCHESTRA
Symphony No. 4 in B Flat
1. Adagio, Allegro vivace : 2. Adagio ; 3. Minuet : Allegro vivace, Trio : Un poco meno allegro ; 4. Allegro ma non troppo
IT was held by a number of Beethoven's admirers that he had not had the best of good fortune with his opera Fidelio, and with the idea of compensating him for his disappointment, a concert was organized for his benefit. The subscriptions for the performance were gratifying, and it must be admitted that the subscribers were given very good value for their money. A new work, the Fourth Symphony, was to be performed, and as well, the First, the Second, and the Third (the long Eroica) were included. The performance of these four symphonies alone, without breaks, was calculated to take two and a half hours.