October 25 - Off the Cuff: R.Strauss' Ein Heldenleben

Join our Johns Hopkins School of Medicine group for an insightful evening of music followed by a dinner reception at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra!

Guests are encouraged and do not need to be Hopkins affiliated themselves. Please choose the ticket level that matches your own!

This event is generously supported by the Office of Cultural Affairs, the Office of Student Affairs, the Medical and Surgical Alumni Association and the Housing Office.

General timeline of the evening:

6:00-7:00pm Arrival, ticket pick-up, getting seated

7:00-8:30pm  Concert

8:30-9:00pm  Q&A session

9:00-10:00pm Catered reception in the Meyerhoff Lobby

Ein Heldenleben (A Hero's Life), Op. 40 is a symphonic (or tone) poem by Richard Strauss considered by some a musical autobiography. Mirroring Beethoven's Eroica symphony in many ways, including its key of E-flat major, Ein Heldenleben was designed to be a work of epic proportions. Its 6 sections (The Hero, The Hero's Adversaries, The Hero's Companion, The Hero at Battle, The Hero's Works of Peace, The Hero's Retirement from this World and Consummation) are generally performed without breaks. With 8 horns and 5 trumpets, the brass section is sure to impress!

As part of the Off the Cuff series, Music Director and Conductor Marin Alsop will enlighten, educate and entertain the audience as she frames the piece in its appropriate musical, social and historical context. Her unique style and format could be described as a combination of a scholarly lecture and stand up comedy. Her presentation will also include excerpts played by the orchestra, which help the listener know what to focus on once they play the piece in full.

Our group of 150-200 people sits together in the Terrace level, the highest of the concert hall, which has clear acoustics that help pick instruments apart and also a great perspective on the layout of the orchestra. Once the concert is over, we all move down to the Orchestra level to listen to the Q&A - you are welcome to participate by asking your own questions! After that, we all convene in the Meyerhoff lobby (main floor, underneath the big straircase) for an informal dinner reception (grilled veggies, steak, wraps, fruit, coffee etc) that presents a great opportunity to get to know other members of the Hopkins community at large. Food is catered by the Greenhouse Cafe.