Brahms Symphony No. 1

Athenaeum Center 2936 North Southport Avenue Chicago, IL, 60657 United States (map)

Lakeview Orchestra
Eli Chen Guest Conductor
Kathleen Carter violin
Wendy Lin & Allie Deaver-Petchenik flute

Dvorak: “My Home” Overture
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Dvorak’s 1881 “My Home” develops two song-themes associated with famous Czech playwright Josef Kajatán Tyl, one of which (“Where My Home Is”) eventually became the Czech national anthem.
The lightest and wittiest of the Brandenburgs, Concerto No. 4 has a mysterious notation of two flauti d’echo (“echo flutes”). It’s suggested that Bach might have been referring to the sopranino recorder, or the label may pertain to the second movement where the flute parts give an “echo” effect.
A lot of pressure was placed on the already self-critical Brahms to continue “Beethoven’s inheritance” with his first symphony. As a result, from sketches to finishing touches, Brahms took 21 years to complete Symphony No. 1.