KINGSPORT, TN – Celebrate Oktoberfest with an afternoon of music, food, and local brews! Join us for Beethoven’s spirited Symphony No. 4 paired with polka music, plus a selection of local craft beers and traditional German bratwurst.

Event Features:

• Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 and traditional polka music
• Local craft beer (ages 21+)
• Fresh bratwurst

This relaxed concert event welcomes music lovers and casual listeners alike. Whether you come for the classical repertoire or the authentic German atmosphere, it’s a perfect fall afternoon for the whole family.

Tickets: $40 

 

PROGRAM NOTES

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)

Overture in D major, TWV 55: D21

Overture Harlequinade
Espérance Menuet I & II Réjouissance

Georg Philipp Telemann was arguably the most prolific composer in history, producing over 3,000 works during his long career. More famous than Bach or Handel during his lifetime, Telemann held prestigious positions in major German cities and was celebrated for his ability to blend German craftsmanship with the elegant French style that dominated European courts. His orchestral suites, which he called “Overtures” following German tradition, represent some of his finest instrumental writing.

Telemann’s Overture in D major follows the established pattern of a substantial opening movement followed by a collection of contrasting dances. The opening Overture itself is written in the French style popularized by Jean-Baptiste Lully, featuring the characteristic slow-fast-slow structure. The stately opening section, with its distinctive “dotted rhythms” (where short notes are followed by longer ones, creating a jerky, ceremonial effect), gives way to a lively fugal middle section where different parts of the orchestra chase each other with the main melody, creating the interweaving texture called “counterpoint.” The movement concludes by returning to the ceremonial grandeur of the opening.

The playful “Harlequinade” that follows takes its name from Harlequin, the mischievous masked character from Italian commedia dell’arte theater. Telemann captures the character’s wit and agility through quick, light-hearted melodies that seem to dart about the orchestra, occasionally pausing for comic effect before scampering off again.

In striking contrast, “Espérance” (meaning “Hope”) presents one of Telemann’s most beautiful slow movements. The gentle, flowing melody seems to float above a quietly supportive accompaniment, creating an atmosphere of peaceful contemplation. This movement showcases Telemann’s gift for melody and his sensitivity to the expressive capabilities of the orchestra.

The paired Menuets provide the kind of elegant ballroom dancing that would have been familiar to Telemann’s aristocratic audiences. The first Menuet is gracious and stately, while the second (sometimes called the “Trio”) offers a contrasting character which feels more intimate or playful before the first Menuet returns to round out the dance.

The suite concludes with a “Réjouissance” (meaning “Rejoicing”), a movement type that became popular in Baroque orchestral music as a festive finale. Here Telemann pulls out all the stops, creating music that is genuinely joyful and celebratory, with bright fanfare-like passages and energetic rhythms that bring the work to a triumphant close.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60

Adagio – Allegro vivace Adagio
Allegro vivace – Trio – Allegro vivace Allegro ma non troppo

Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, completed in 1806, occupies a unique position in his symphonic output. Sandwiched between the revolutionary “Eroica” and the dramatic Fifth Symphony, it has sometimes been overlooked, yet many consider it his most perfectly balanced work, a synthesis of Classical elegance and Romantic expression that represents Beethoven at his most refined.

The symphony opens with one of the most mysterious introductions in all of classical music. Beginning with a single held note in B-flat major, the music soon ventures into darker, more ambiguous harmonies, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and uncertainty. Beethoven builds tension through unexpected harmonic twists and sudden dynamic contrasts, as if he’s leading us through a musical labyrinth. Just when we think we might be lost, a delightful clarinet solo emerges to guide us toward the light, and suddenly the clouds part as the main Allegro vivace bursts forth in brilliant sunshine.

This main section of the first movement bubbles with irrepressible energy and good humor. The primary theme, announced by the violins, has an almost conversational quality which feels friendly and inviting. Beethoven develops this material with his characteristic ingenuity, tossing the theme between different sections of the orchestra and exploring its possibilities with playful enthusiasm. A brief development section provides some dramatic tension before the themes return in the recapitulation, now familiar friends welcoming us home.

The slow movement (Adagio) creates an atmosphere of profound beauty and reflection. Beethoven marks it “at a walking pace,” creating music that moves with the unhurried grace of a peaceful evening walk. The principal theme, first heard in the strings, flows with the natural phrasing and expressive warmth of a beautiful song. Beethoven provides subtle variations and decorations to this melody as it passes through different sections of the orchestra, creating a movement of remarkable intimacy and beauty. Even when the music becomes more animated in the middle section, it maintains its essential character of peaceful reflection.

The third movement returns us to the world of elegant social dancing, but with Beethoven’s characteristic wit and surprise. What begins as a traditional minuet quickly reveals itself to be far more spirited than its courtly ancestors. The main section has an infectious energy, while the central Trio section provides a moment of rustic charm, which could be Beethoven’s nod to the folk dances of his Austrian homeland. The return of the main section brings the movement full circle, but with added embellishments that keep us smiling.

The finale (Allegro ma non troppo—”fast, but not too much”) perfectly caps this symphony of good cheer. Beethoven gives us music that is both sophisticated and exuberant, opening with a theme that seems to skip along with excitement. The movement unfolds with the energy and logic of a great conversation among friends, full of witty remarks, sudden insights, and moments of pure joy. The symphony concludes with a burst of triumphant celebration that leaves audiences grinning.

Robert Schumann famously described this symphony as “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants,” referring to its position between the massive Third and Fifth Symphonies. Yet this “Greek maiden” possesses a perfect balance of grace and strength that makes it one of the most purely enjoyable symphonies ever written.