Boston University School of Music presents the Boston University Chamber Orchestra in a concert at BU's Marsh Chapel on February 3, 2026. The School of Music's Beethoven Institute presents a “Beethoven Special” featuring the Director of Choral Studies at Boston University, Dr. Daniel Parsley, and the Co-Director of the Center for Beethoven Research. This event is free an open to the public.

This program begins with Elegischer Gesang (“Elegiac Song”), Composed in 1814, which is one of Beethoven’s most intimate and seldom-heard works. Scored for string quartet and four voices, it is a quiet meditation on loss and transience, dedicated to a friend’s late wife. The music's restrained, hymn-like beauty reveals Beethoven's deeply personal side, far removed from his more dramatic symphonic voice. Next, Beethoven's Mass in C major was commissioned in 1807 by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II, and it marked his ambitious entry into large-scale sacred music. Though initially met with lukewarm reception, the work showcases Beethoven’s evolving voice, balancing classical structure with expressive depth and dramatic contrast. Its lyrical moments and bold harmonic choices foreshadow the grandeur of his later Missa Solemnis.