O'Colly: OUS’s Symphonic Orchestra plays Beethoven’s Fifth

Ludwig van Beethoven has been dead for 191 years, but Oklahoma State University's Symphonic Orchestra brings one of his most famous pieces to life this week.

The orchestra is presenting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, along with scores from Gioachino Rossini and Charles Gounod, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Serentean Center for Performing Arts.

"Beethoven’s Fifth," also referred to as the victory symphony since World War II, was created during a troubling time in Beethoven’s life. During the early 1800s, the Napoleonic wars were in full swing. Beethoven, then in his 30s, faced increasing hearing loss along with family issues.

“(Beethoven) is the person that everyone thinks of as someone who is wrestling with demons while overcoming societal pressures and trying to stretch the limits and push boundaries,” said Thomas Dickey, OSU's director of orchestral studies. “You see this really clearly with the 'Fifth Symphony.'”

Dickey’s plan for this year’s performance itinerary was to have the orchestra perform a concert at least every four weeks. Beethoven’s "Fifth Symphony" is the first of 10 performances this school year. Each piece played at every concert is carefully selected, and "Beethoven’s Fifth" is no exception.

Despite Beethoven's difficulties and constant distractions, the symphony premiered in 1808 and grew in popularity during the next four decades. Through the past couple of centuries, it has been played countless times and is even traveling in space on the Golden Record in the Voyager One probe.

Although this is a popular symphony, no two performances are the same.

“I promise that I will bring something new to the interpretation of 'Beethoven Five' that you will have never heard before," Dickey said. "And I know people are going to like it.”

Although the highlight piece of the night will most likely be "Beethoven’s Fifth," the orchestra will play two well-known selections before it. The concert will open with Rossini’s overture from "The Barber of Seville," which is a comedic opera, and Gounod’s ballet music from the French opera "Faust."

“These pieces are oddly connected,” Dickey said. “Beethoven actually met Rossini one day and told him that his opera would be popular as long as comedic operas were popular, and Charles Gounod was inspired to create operas after seeing one of Rossini’s operas.”

The orchestra practiced regularly for four weeks.

“Every first rehearsal can be a bit rough, but the energy in the room was great,” Dickey said. “We have a very large and talented freshman class. I feel like it’s going well, especially with all the momentum we built from last semester.”

Leading up to performance day, Dickey said the “stars are aligned” for the orchestra to have a successful concert.

“A little over 200 years ago, 'Beethoven Five' was written," Dickey said. "It's the 200th anniversary of Gounod’s birth, and it is the 150th anniversary of Rossini’s death. So not only are the three connected, but three major events kind of conveniently align for this concert, which I think is really cool."

Tickets for the concert are $7 for students and $10 for general admission.

“I’m very excited for this concert, and I’ve been doing my best to try and promote it," Dickey said. "I’m proud of the orchestra, I love these pieces and I know the audience is going to love them … This is a rare concert to hear in Oklahoma, and I know people will want to come out for such a well-recognized symphony."