Long Beach Symphony: Beethoven & Beyond

The Long Beach Symphony presents this concert in its Classical Series during the 2025-26 season. For Classical Series subscriptions, visit the LBSO website.

Eckart Preu, Conductor

Featured artists: Silver-Garburg Piano Duo; Roger Wilkie, violin

Houtaf Khoury - The Journey
Martinů – Concerto for Two Pianos
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 In F Major, Op. 68, “Pastorale”

We open this program with a piece by a Lebanese composer, Houtaf Khoury. He studied in Tripoli, Lebanon, and in Kiev, Ukraine. He has composed five symphonies, several concertos for various instruments, as well as chamber and solo music. What you are about to hear is a touching, beautiful, rich, and honest work called The Journey. It is scored for solo violin and strings. It is a magical work that will feature our concertmaster, Roger Wilkie, on solo violin.

Concerto for Two Pianos displays the genius of Bohuslav Martinů in this vibrant and rhythmically dynamic work that he composed in 1943 during his time in the United States. Often compared to Prokofiev and Bartók for his innovative incorporation of Czech folk elements into his music, his music from this period reflects a combination of his European roots and his exposure to American musical life. The Concerto for Two Pianos is particularly known for its energy and rhythmic complexity, typical of Martinů’s neoclassical style.

Our final work of the evening is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, his Pastorale Symphony. In contrast to the dramatic and intense Symphony No. 5, which was written around the same time, this symphony is infused with a sense of peace and tranquility: Beethoven loved nature. He often took long walks in the countryside to think, be alone, and find peace. This symphony vividly depicts rural landscapes, shepherds, and the serenity of the countryside. Beethoven gave titles to each movement. For instance, the first movement is called Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Countryside. Then we have the scene By the Brook, Merry Gathering of Country Folk, the famous Thunderstorm, and finally, the Shepherd’s Song. Beethoven masterfully invents themes that evoke the sounds of nature. You can hear bird calls in the woodwinds, the rustling of leaves, the gentle flow of a brook in the strings, and then the thunderstorm, where the entire orchestra is going crazy.

This symphony represents a search for solace in nature. Composed during a time of personal and political turmoil, it reveals a deeply intimate and personal side of Beethoven, as we accompany him on his journey through the countryside.

Doors open at 6:00 PM when your relaxed and transformative evening begins. Come early and enjoy the dazzling fountains and glowing fire pits of the Terrace Theater. Delight in a live prelude ensemble in the lobby, and at 6:30PM, deepen your concert experience with Eckart Preu’s Pre-Concert Talk offering insights into the evening’s program. For the perfect finishing touch, feel free to “Sip & Enjoy” your favorite beverage right inside the concert hall as your take in this extraordinary music.