Olympia Chamber Orchestra Celebrates 30 years

Olympia Chamber Orchestra launches its 30th season with a concert aptly named “Celebration…!”
Maestro Nickolas Carlson, now in his second full season conducting the Olympia Chamber Orchestra (OCO) has programmed another diverse and flamboyant season, beginning on this concert with Beethoven’s third symphony,”Eroica”, Saint-Saëns’ “Havanaise”, opus 83, for violin and orchestra, and Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks”.

Beethoven’s (1770-1827) third symphony is known as “Eroica”, and there has been speculation that Beethoven wrote this symphony for his mysterious “eternal beloved”, who has never been identified conclusively. He actually wrote “Eroica with someone else he admired in mind: Napoleon. Beethoven’s admiration for the diminutive French ruler disintegrated when Napoleon declared himself emperor. Incensed, Beethoven scratched out Napoleon’s name from the dedication on the front page of the first manuscript so vigorously he left a hole in it. Some printings of the 3rd symphony actually included a hole in the first page. “Eroica” marked changes in style from the first two symphonies, as Beethoven said he was “taking a new path”. It was misunderstood in the first performances, a situation Beethoven endured often as he moved his compositions into unfamiliar territory. One critic even said the horn players entered in the wrong place halfway through the first movement even though it was correct!

Olympia boasts many fine musicians and concertmaster Steven Lovinger is one of the best. A frequent soloists in chamber music concerts, he has been a soloist with the OCO, including remarkable performances of Paganini and Beethoven. The “Havanaise”, opus 83 by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns (1835- 1921) provides plenty of opportunities for a violinist to show off. Written in 1887 for Cuban violinist Rafael Diaz Albertini, the rhythms of a habanera give this bravura work tremendous appeal.

A gala performance of Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks” rounds out the program. Originally written for an outdoor performance with fireworks in 1749, it celebrated the end of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48). King George II commissioned this work for military band and the original instrumentation was twenty four oboes, twelve bassoons, nine trumpets, nine horns, six kettledrums, and two side drums. Maestro Carlson loves the overture of “Fireworks”, and the principal oboist lobbied for a performance with lots of oboe players. OCO is not playing this orchestration for all winds. OCO’s performance includes eight oboes, three bassoons and a contrabassoon, three horns, three trumpets, timpani, and side drum, as well as the full string section Handel added for indoor performances.

The Olympia Chamber Orchestra is proud to perform in St. John’s Episcopal Church in its beautiful sanctuary, and to have the support of the wonderful people there.
Olympia Chamber Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization