Beethoven & Strauss

Music Director Guillermo Figueroa conducts The Santa Fe Symphony in two glorious works from the 19th century. The concert opens with Beethoven’s 1st Symphony, featuring elegant strings and rich winds. Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote: Fantastic Variations on a Theme of Knightly Character, performed by GRAMMY® award-winning cellist David Finckel, concludes the program. The piece was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ ageless novel. Strauss gave the cello the role of the knight, Don Quixote de la Mancha, providing musical lines that evoke nobility and a rueful grace as the knight travels through the battles and challenges that enrich his fantasy life.