PREVIEW: One Night and Three Centuries of Classics with the Albany Symphony
1/17 @ Palace Theater, Albany
Photos provided by The Albany Symphony
André Raphel laughs easily when talking about music, especially when the conversation turns to who is sitting in the audience. “That third movement of the Beethoven Violin Concerto is pretty infectious,” he says. “It really takes hold, even of young children.” It is not a throwaway comment. For Raphel, that idea, music that grabs people wherever they are in life, sits at the heart of the Albany Symphony’s upcoming January 17 concert.
The Palace Theatre will bring together Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, and Jennifer Higdon’s Tenfold, with Midori as soloist and Raphel leading the way. It reads like a heavyweight program, but in practice, Raphel sees it as an invitation. “I hope people leave feeling uplifted,” he says. “Music can transport us away from whatever daily issues we’re dealing with, even just for a few hours.”
That release of energy begins immediately with Higdon’s Tenfold, a short, gleaming fanfare of brass and percussion. At just three minutes, it is the shortest piece on the program, but Raphel considers it essential. “It’s alertful, quick, and brilliant,” he says. “It’s a great way to enter the night.” A longtime collaborator and friend of Jennifer Higdon, Raphel has seen firsthand how her music connects. “Her voice always speaks to audiences,” he says. “Even in a very short work, it makes a real impact.”
From there, the concert opens into Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, performed by Midori, whose relationship to the piece spans decades. For Raphel, her involvement shaped the entire evening. “The idea to do the Beethoven came from Midori,” he says. “That really set everything in motion.” Her approach to the concerto emphasizes clarity and expression over spectacle, allowing the work to come forward naturally.
It is also a piece that feels timeless in the most literal sense. Written in 1806, the concerto still speaks easily across generations. Raphel points to Beethoven’s gift for melody as the reason. “That electrifying theme in the final movement is one of the great themes in classical music,” he says. “You hear it once and it stays with you.” The second half of the night turns inward with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, a work shaped by fear and survival. Composed in 1953 after the death of Joseph Stalin, the symphony marked Shostakovich’s return after years of political denunciation. “It’s a snapshot of where he was in his life and his development as a composer.”
Raphel describes the symphony as emotionally layered, capable of being felt immediately or understood more deeply over time. “Shostakovich wanted listeners to receive the music for what it is,” he explains. “You can experience it purely as music, or you can engage with the deeper meaning.” The ferocity of the second movement, often interpreted as a portrait of Stalin, contrasts with movements filled with mourning and reflection. “In the finale,” Raphel says, “you just want to get up and applaud. It’s that rousing.”
That duality feels particularly resonant in Albany, a city shaped by history and civic life. Raphel believes Capital Region audiences understand the power of music that reflects both personal struggle and collective experience. “There’s a through line in this program,” he says. “Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Higdon are all using music to respond to the world around them.”
As the city settles into winter, January 17 offers something rare. A chance to sit together, listen deeply, and leave a little lighter than when you arrived. “It’s an inspiring program,” Raphel says. “The orchestra belongs to the community. That’s what makes nights like this meaningful.” The Albany Symphony’s role in that conversation extends beyond the stage. In partnership with Midori, local string students will attend rehearsals, seeing how an iconic work like the Beethoven concerto is prepared. It is a reminder that this music is not distant or reserved, but alive and shared.
For details and to buy tickets, visit www.palacealbany.org