BEETHOVEN, L. van: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" / GINASTERA, A.: Estancia Suite (Dudamel)
Orchestra:
Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
Conductor:
Dudamel, Gustavo
Composer:
Beethoven, Ludwig van
Composer:
Moncayo Garcia, Jose Pablo
Composer:
Marquez, Arturo
Composer:
Ginastera, Alberto
Composer:
Gutierrez, Pedro Elias
Venue: Beethovenhalle, Bonn
Date of Concert: 2007
Festival: Beethovenfest
Playing Time: 01:33:54
Television Director:
Sanchez-Lansch, Enrique
Catalogue Number: A055122390000
The concert given by the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela under its conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the Beethovenfest 2007 in Bonn was a highlight of the musical year. Over 200 young musicians between the ages of 10 and 24, many from underprivileged backgrounds, performed with nearly untamable energy under the baton of a young maestro destined to conduct the most fabled orchestras in the world.
Born in 1981, Gustavo Dudamel is a product of Venezuela's Sistema de Orquestas, which was founded by J. A. Abreu to allow children of all social milieus to learn an instrument and play in an ensemble. After winning a competition in 2004, Dudamel quickly went on to conduct several major orchestras. Critics try to capture Dudamel's effect on musicians and audiences with words such as "electricity," "vibrancy" and "magic," and Sir Simon Rattle has called him "the most astonishingly gifted conductor I have ever come across."
The concert program includes Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony and pieces by Latin-American composers Moncayo, Márquez and Ginastera. At the end of the concert, when the youngsters rip loose in the encores and turn the Beethovenfest into a Latin fiesta, no one will be able to resist tapping the rhythms with their foot and joining in the unbridled and infectious cheer of this singular ensemble!
