Violinist Yoonshin Song to play Beethoven with NMPhil

The serenity and majesty of Ludwig van Beethoven’s famed “Violin Concerto” belies the turmoil of its time: Vienna was under French occupation and Beethoven was coming to terms with his increasingly profound deafness.

Despite its popularity today, the piece did not receive a warm reception at its 1806 premiere. The soloist, Franz Clement, received his part days before the performance, and Beethoven’s nearly illegible writing in the orchestra’s parts undoubtedly contributed to an underwhelming performance.

Violinist Yoonshin Song to play Beethoven with NMPhil

The New Mexico Philharmonic will accompany soloist Yoonshin Song on what is now considered a masterwork on Saturday, March 9, at Popejoy Hall. The musicians also will play Johannes Brahms’ tortured “Symphony No. 1,” a work that took him 21 years to finalize, as well as Albuquerque composer and Pulitzer Prize-winner Raven Chacon’s “Ashdia’.”

Soloist Song is the concertmaster for the Houston Symphony. The show marks the violinist’s second Albuquerque performance.

“We are thrilled to have her back,” said Roberto Minczuk, New Mexico Philharmonic music director. “With Beethoven, there is nothing that is not a showstopper. It’s one of the most beautiful concertos ever performed; it’s just sublime.”

Beethoven cast an intimidating shadow across Brahms.

“He was afraid to be compared to Beethoven and that paralyzed him,” Minczuk said.

Both Brahms’ friends and the public expected him to continue Beethoven’s massive inheritance. His self-critical fastidiousness led him to destroy many of his early works.

“That’s such a pity,” Minczuk said. “It’s really not up to the artist to judge. If every composer did that, we wouldn’t have Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture.’ He didn’t like it very much.”

Chacon’s “Ashdia’” is more of an abstraction.

“His music is very experimental and so is this piece,” Minczuk said. “He creates with sound effects. A lot of people will love it; a lot of people won’t care for it. It’s like modern art.”

“It turned out to be a magnificent symphony,” Minczuk said. “It’s held as one of the most wonderful symphonies of all time.

“Beethoven was the inspiration, but at the same time, the big threat.”