Preview on Beethoven’s “Eroica” and Dett’s “The Ordering of Moses.”

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:01][music] >> Beethoven is dealing with how music itself is changing and how music should better represent and reflect the people, reflect the the passions and the fire >> [music] >> within people. And truly this is one of the first symphonic representations of a revolutionary spirit that we get.

[00:00:32]>> [music] >> The Eroica is to me one of the first pieces of revolutionary music that we [music] get as classical musicians. Both in its political nature and in its musical nature. Beethoven himself had great ideas about [music] liberty, about freedom, about what it meant to be a member of society, [music] to be a community member.

[00:00:54]Outside of the political influences and revolution that you find [music] in this piece, there's also the musical revolution in the piece. And he starts off with two very striking bombastic chords calling the audience's attention.

[00:01:11]Beethoven originally dedicated the piece to Napoleon and once he realized that Napoleon was not the leader that he hoped that Napoleon would be, he very quickly scratched [music] out, violently scratched out the dedication.

[00:01:24]I love the score. I love the history. I love knowing what Beethoven intended.

[00:01:28]What I bring to [music] it may be my rhythmic sense. You know, growing up listening to funk and jazz and hip [music] hop or rock music, being able to bring those influences of rhythmic precision [music] and rhythmic drive to this classical piece is always such a fun thing and to find >> [music] >> where our contemporary musical influences might influence how we look at Beethoven [music] in the 21st century.

[00:01:53]The Ordering of Moses which Nathaniel Dett composed [music] in 1932 but didn't see its premiere until 1937, is a 50-minute work telling the story of Moses and parting the Red Sea. It's a piece for four vocal soloists.

[00:02:08]A great lineup of soloists that we have joining us, our Oakland Symphony Chorus, who I have great affection for, and their tenacity and their spirit and what they bring to our organization.

[00:02:19]My discovery of Nathaniel Dett came while I was doing a lot of my own personal work and research around uncovering black composers, voices, and works that for so many decades have been neglected and forgotten about. And the first time that I heard this piece, I was absolutely knocked off of my feet.

[00:02:40]Early in the season, we performed Verdi's Requiem, one of these true masterworks for the choral orchestral forces, and I truly believe that Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses is another one of those masterworks for choir and orchestra. In its storytelling, in its composition, in its inception, Nathaniel Dett brings the influences of the spiritual, literally quoting spirituals in the piece. Some of the great spirituals, Go Down, Moses.

[00:03:14]>> [music and singing] >> The lushness and richness of his orchestrating and choral [music] and vocal writing remind you of the music of Rachmaninoff or the music of Dvořák. It truly just shows what a true mastermind and true academic and scholar and brilliant composer that Nathaniel Dett was.

[00:03:33]And really grateful that we can pay tribute to him by doing this piece.

[00:03:42]>> [music]