This month, the world has been celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, including the Quad City Symphony.
In all three Masterworks concerts so far this season, the QCSO has featured Beethoven, including the December program, with the Third Symphony (the “Eroica”). Due to Covid, concerts during the last two months have been performed with no live audience, with video recordings available for 30 days after. Composer Jacob Bancks, of Augustana College, who writes the QCSO program notes, admires the orchestra effort.
“I’m aware of what a lot of orchestras have done to cope with the pandemic and keep the music going, and I think the Quad City Symphony’s efforts have been as good as anybody’s. This also from somebody who makes music, as a musician myself -- no one would ever claim that what we have now is superior to a live concert experience."
“I don’t think there’s anything that any orchestra could do, that could replace the intangibles of being in person. It’s the resonance of the concert hall; it’s being in the same room as the musicians. There’s just no substitute for it. That said, I think the symphony has adopted a plan that’s very flexible – that puts the safety of its musician and audience first, and gives us something to keep us coming back.” Bancks also admires the persistence of Beethoven’s herculean personality, overcoming major obstacles, including deafness in later life.
