Welcome everyone to tonight’s conductor’s orchestra concert.

Thank you so much for coming whether it is

in this room or on the livestream. The orchestra and we conducting students are so excited to share with
you our hard work that we’ve put into this program.

BABA
My name is Raban Brunner and I have the honor to conduct the first piece on tonight’s program which is
Beethoven’s Egmont Ouverture. From the moment Beethoven read Johann Wolfang von Goethes play
Egomont he was fascinated and very enthusiastic about this piece. The play represented a lot of what
Beethoven himself stood for in life, a heroic persona who fights against an oppressor and dies for a greater
good.

The overture became the most famous piece of the incidental music for Goethe’s play and it could been
seen as a plot summary of the entire story.

We begin in a dark cave. Our hero, the Dutch Count Egmont, is empoisoned by the Spanish troupes who
invaded Egmont’s country. In the bass instruments we hear a slow Sarabande representing the Spanish
occupation. Egmont decides to stay. He awaits the Spanish Duke and enters a dramatic fight with ups and
downs. He mocks his opponent, he wins several battels, he holds inspiring speeches to his followers. But in
the end, he knows that he will be killed. You’ll hear it clearly in the music. Daaa da.

You might think now the piece ends very sad and dark. But no. Egmont hasn’t died in fear. He has
considered it to be of the highest values to die for his people’s freedom and that he would be remembered
as a fighting hero. Could this piece be more relevant today. As people in various countries in this world, in
this very moment, are fighting for their freedom and against injustices. Beethoven provides in this overture
both lesson and hope. Please enjoy the Egmont Overture.