Abu Dhabi Classics – Hamburg Symphony Orchestra – Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

From world cinema to modern music – Beethoven continues to make his mark in the world of new age entertainment      

From the Beatles and the Wu Tang Clan through to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, German composer’s music is still going strong as the world celebrates his 250^th birthday

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, xx January 2020: Ludwig van Beethoven’s music has been delighting audiences for hundreds of years, and will continue to captivate music fans when his famous 9^th Symphony is performed live by the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra at the du Arena in Abu Dhabi on February 5 as part of the Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 series.

Over 100 musicians and 70 vocalists will combine on the night to perform one of the world’s best-known pieces from the classical music canon. While some experts can immediately tell the difference between Beethoven and other great composers, we can all identify classical pieces that the German composer Beethoven wrote, feeling the nostalgia every time we hear these pieces as they evoke memories of  blockbuster movies or pop songs we grew up listening to.

Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony has featured in no less than seven films, including Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 dystopian classic A Clockwork Orange and Dead Poets Society, the 1989 coming of age drama featuring Robin Williams, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, as well as Bruce Willis action flick Die Hard (1988) and even Jim Carrey’s goofball comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). The wide variation in movie genre that adapted Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony highlights the timeless message and values the German composer covered when he released his last Symphony in 1824.

Symphony No.9 is not the sole Beethoven piece to find its way into modern day cinemas. His symphony No3 featured on Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation, while Symphony No.5 accompanies John Hughes’ teen drama The Breakfast Club (1985), as well as Academy award-winning romantic drama Howards End (1992), comedy Goldmember (2002) and Charlie Brown and the gang in The Peanuts Movie (2015).

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.8 has featured in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) among others while Für Elise, which was published 40 years after his death in 1867, features in a wide variety of movies – from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), through to Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained (2012), Patch Adams (1998) and cult horror Rosemary’s Baby (1968).

In addition, the cinema industry celebrated the life and talent of Beethoven in Immortal Beloved of 1994. Director Bernard Rose sampled some of the greatest pieces that Beethoven produced throughout his life to complement the plot of the biography film.

Away from the big screen, Beethoven’s works have featured in contemporary music, with hip hop artists Wu Tang Clan sampling Sonata No. 8 Pathétique in Impossible (1997) and rapper Nas using the Für Elise in I Can (2002), with British electronic dance duo The Chemical Brothers incorporating the Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major for The Salmon Dance (2007).

Billy Joel’s This Night (1983) uses the same melody as Beethoven’s Sonata no.8 Pathétique while the late, great Beatles legend John Lennon also revealed that Abbey Road track Because was put together after listening to the Moonlight Sonata with Yoko Ono.

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LISTINGS INFORMATION:

Tickets for the below events are on sale exclusively from www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. For further information please visit www.abudhabimusic.ae and www.dctabudhabi.ae.

Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 also offers special packages for its audience to attend multiple concerts:

Social Handles: Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @abudhabimusic

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM – ABU DHABI

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The organisation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. TCA Abu Dhabi supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

ABOUT ABU DHABI CLASSICS

Now in its ninth season, Abu Dhabi Classics opened this season with the Grammy Award-winning Russian National Orchestra. Previously they have hosted the Bayreuth Festival, Camerata Salzburg Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the finest violinists in the world including Gidon Kremer and Renaud Capuçon, along with the No.1 harpist in the world Xavier de Maistre, award-winning pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and the Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra. The Classics have also hosted the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden and South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho as well as the Le Corsaire Ballet with Bolshoi Soloists, Ivan Vasiliev and Maria Vinogradova, and a special appearance from Alia Al Neyadi, the first Emirati Ballerina.

A highlight in the UAE’s cultural calendar, Abu Dhabi Classics concert goers can expect a rich and diverse programme including orchestras from Europe, world renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed soloists. One of a kind ballet and classic operas will also be performed across the Emirate in a range of eclectic venues.

ABOUT FLASH ENTERTAINMENT

Flash Entertainment is the Middle East’s leading entertainment company pioneering the future of events and experiences across sporting events, music concerts, community events and more.

Since launching in 2008, Flash Entertainment has built a peerless global reputation by always putting fans first – hosting hundreds of major concerts, major sporting events and community and cultural events across thousands of event days for more than 7.5 million people.

A key partner in the development of Abu Dhabi tourism and entertainment sector, developing and producing memorable experiences for fans and partners alike.

Flash Entertainment manages a multi-million-dirham portfolio of assets, including the du Arena and du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and the multi-purpose state-of-the-art Yas Bay Arena.

For more information visit www.flashentertainment.com or email info@flashentertainment.com

Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 Celebrates 250 years of Beethoven’s Legacy

The Hamburg Symphony Orchestra Performs Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the du Arena on 5 February 2020

Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates, xx December 2019: Abu Dhabi Classics is committed to bringing the biggest names in the world of Arabic and Western classical music to the UAE capital, and this year’s edition promises something truly special as it celebrates the 250th anniversary, and the eternal musical talent, of acclaimed German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven’s name will forever be synonymous with great symphonies, and to celebrate its ninth edition, Abu Dhabi Classics will bring music fans a special performance of one of the most famous classical pieces of all time – Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Over 100 musicians from the internationally acclaimed Hamburg Symphony Orchestra will be joined by over 70 vocalists on stage on Wednesday February 5 for this unique performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at a truly special concert venue – the du Arena on Yas Island.

Composed between 1821 and 1824, the 9^th Symphony marks a turning point in musical history, signaling the culmination of the Vienna Classical Period and the beginning of the 19th century Romantic period. The piece represents something of a musical revolt against the traditions of the classics thanks to its fast transitions and first uses of voices in a symphony. With words taken from Ode to Joy, a poem by Friedrich Schiller at the end of the 18th century, Beethoven’s 9th still represents the values of humanity, tolerance and friendship to this day.

Through his life, Beethoven left to the world five piano concertos, 32 sonatas, 16 quartets, and an Opera, among 722 pieces of music composed over a 45-year period beginning when he was only 12 years old.

Celebrated pianist David Fray will open Abu Dhabi Classics 2020 with a performance titled ‘Bach Concertos for 2, 3 and 4 Pianos’ featuring four of the world’s leading pianists. Fray, Emmanuel Christien, Audrey Vigoureux, and Jacques Rouvier will play Bach’s Concertos for two, three and four pianos alongside the Geneva Chamber Orchestra at the Cultural Foundation on January 28. Elsewhere, Fray’s compatriot, Lise de la Salle, will bring her captivating signature style to Abu Dhabi Classics with an exclusive performance at the Cultural Foundation on February 1.

The Middle East will be represented by Magida El Roumi, one of the Arab world’s greatest female vocalists, who headlines Abu Dhabi Classics for the first time on February 7 at du Arena, while emerging Egyptian singer Sanaa Nabil will make her Abu Dhabi Classics debut by performing ‘Laylat Saltana’ with members of Cordes Croisées, a group of elite Egyptian musicians, on February 6 at the Cultural Foundation..

Tickets for Abu Dhabi Classics 2020, which is presented by DCT Abu Dhabi and produced by Flash Entertainment, the Middle East’s leading entertainment company, are selling fast on www.ticketmaster.ae and Virgin Megastores across the UAE. The diverse schedule of events and concerts represent the ideal festive gift for classical music enthusiasts.

-Ends-

LISTINGS INFORMATION:

Tickets for the below events are on sale exclusively from www.ticketmaster.ae  and Virgin Megastores across the UAE.

For further information please visit www.abudhabimusic.ae and www.dctabudhabi.ae.

Social Handles: Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @abudhabimusic

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM – ABU DHABI

The Department of Culture and Tourism conserves and promotes the heritage and culture of Abu Dhabi emirate and leverages them in the development of a world-class, sustainable destination of distinction, which enriches the lives of visitors and residents alike. The organisation manages the emirate’s tourism sector and markets the destination internationally through a wide range of activities aimed at attracting visitors and investment. Its policies, plans and programmes relate to the preservation of heritage and culture, including protecting archaeological and historical sites and to developing museums, including the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. TCA Abu Dhabi supports intellectual and artistic activities and cultural events to nurture a rich cultural environment and honour the emirate’s heritage. A key role is to create synergy in the destination’s development through close co-ordination with its wide-ranging stakeholder base.

ABOUT ABU DHABI CLASSICS

Now in its ninth season, Abu Dhabi Classics opened this season with the Grammy Award-winning Russian National Orchestra. Previously they have hosted the Bayreuth Festival, Camerata Salzburg Orchestra and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the finest violinists in the world including Gidon Kremer and Renaud Capuçon, along with the No.1 harpist in the world Xavier de Maistre, award-winning pianist Khatia Buniatishvili and the Kremerata Baltica Chamber Orchestra. The Classics have also hosted the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden and South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho as well as the Le Corsaire Ballet with Bolshoi Soloists, Ivan Vasiliev and Maria Vinogradova, and a special appearance from Alia Al Neyadi, the first Emirati Ballerina.

A highlight in the UAE’s cultural calendar, Abu Dhabi Classics concert goers can expect a rich and diverse programme including orchestras from Europe, world renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed soloists. One of a kind ballet and classic operas will also be performed across the Emirate in a range of eclectic venues.

ABOUT FLASH ENTERTAINMENT

Flash Entertainment is the Middle East’s leading entertainment company, pioneering the future of events and experiences across sporting events, music concerts, community events and more.  Since launching in 2008, we have built our peerless global reputation by always putting fans first – hosting hundreds of major concerts, major sporting events and community and cultural events across more than thousands of event days for more than 7.5 million people.

A key partner in the development of Abu Dhabi tourism, we are leading the region’s rapidly changing entertainment landscape, bringing unmissable and unique moments to employees, fans and partners.

Flash Entertainment manages a multi-million-dirham portfolio of assets, including the du Arena and du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and the soon to be launched Yas Bay Arena.

For more information visit www.flashentertainment.com