The Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus, directed by Nicholas Quardokus, will join the CSO and talented soloists for this uplifting season finale concert weekend. Haydn’s “London” Symphony and Dvorák’s Te Deum are also included in the roster of music from renowned composers.
Antonín Dvorák was no stranger to writing sacred works for orchestra. His Te Deum cantata, however, sounds more influenced by opera and Czech folk melodies than anything else. In his “Choral Fantasy,” Beethoven hinted at the famous “Ode to Joy” theme of his Ninth Symphony, which was composed 16 years later. Building on common Beethoven-beloved themes of goodwill, joy, and brotherhood, the “Choral Fantasy” was based on a poem by German writer Friedrich Schiller. It is, in large part, a creative and virtuosic solo piano piece, along with a stunning chorus-charged grand finale.