Sublime Delights: Music of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart and Sibelius, Programme Notes
by Trevor Rines Musician and actor Trevor Rines shares stories and thoughts about OT's Sublime Delights programme. Listening Landmarks (special spots to listen for in the music) are in boldface. Johannes Brahms, Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80, 1880 Johannes Brahms, 1887 This concert begins with a joke. Almost exactly 140 years ago, Johannes Brahms himself mounted the podium (likely wearing a mischievous smirk), to conduct the premiere of his brand new composition, the Academic Festival Overture. He’d already sent the University of Breslau, in Poland, a nice thank-you postcard, for the lovely Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy they’d given him the previous year. But apparently that just wasn’t enough for them. They’d insisted that he compose a musical thank you and requested that he write them “a fine symphony.” Brahms was known to be a bit of a joker. For this new piece, he had assembled the largest orchestra he ever employed. There were even a bass drum and cymbals, whic