Symphony Concert

Guest performance

Guest performance

Jakub Hrůša, Seong-Jin Cho

»To play without passion is unforgivable.« Beethoven famously said – and under the spirited conducting of Jakub Hrůša, emotionally moving concerts happen regularly. In this programme, we delve into the depths of two moving pieces: We start with Beethoven’s last piano concerto, with which he opened the door wide for the incipient Romantic period. He wrote this popular masterpiece at a time of unfavourable circumstances, when Vienna was occupied by the Napoleonic troops. It was premiered in 1811 and features revolutionary, upbeat passages as well as a rich variety of complex emotions. As soloist we welcome the young South Korean artist Seong-Jin Cho, one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation. Our Chief Conductor is always in his element with Martinů’s colourful pieces. He has loved the visionary power of this composer since his childhood and is now President of the International Martinů Circle. The composer was an exceptionally prolific man – and with the Symphony No. 4 we are interpreting one of his impressive instrumental masterpieces: it was written in exile in America in 1945 and reflects his joy over the end of the war as well as his longing for his homeland with folkloristic episodes. Martinů’s Fourth is one of those fascinating pieces that fulfils what Jakub Hrůša once said about the appeal of his Czech compatriot: »It’s wonderful to play Martinů. He is one of those composers who speak directly to everyone – musicians and audience alike. As soon as you put his music on the programme, it’s a success.«

On tour with Hahn und Soltani

Orchestre de Paris / Dima Slobodeniouk

"A trickle of youth": Schumann's phrase about Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream has not aged a day. And then we have the Elgar's Concerto, entrusted to the bow of Frank Peter Zimmermann, where magic is met by mystery…

Gewandhausorchester, Cristian Măcelaru Dirigent

Liszt composed tone poems about Orpheus, who overcomes death with music, and Prometheus, who inspires humanity with art. Orpheus's music is harmonious, while Prometheus's is dissonant, reflecting his suffering. Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto, sometimes called the "Orpheus Concerto," may be inspired by Orpheus. Leó Weiner, a Liszt admirer, orchestrated Liszt's B minor Sonata for the Liszt centenary in 1956.

Rachmaninoff’s stroke of genius

Linie 2: 100 Jahre Pierre Boulez

A concert workshop in Freiburg's E-Werk will feature conductor Oscar Jockel explaining Pierre Boulez's "Polyphonie X" with the SWR Symphony Orchestra. This piece, a scandal at its 1951 premiere, connects Boulez's early and later styles. Following the analysis and full performance, the concert includes Webern's arrangement of Bach's "Fuga Ricerata" and Webern's Symphony Op. 21, highlighting polyphony and musical development, both crucial to Boulez's work. A second performance of "Polyphonie X" concludes the evening.

Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

In their first joint programme, Akamus and the award-winning Basel vocal ensemble Voces Suaves present musical highlights from the generation of German composers before Johann Sebastian Bach and thus the impressive musical world into which he was born. The programme includes works by the extended Bach family as well as by composers who are largely unknown today and who preceded the later Thomaskantor in his important positions in Mühlhausen, Weimar and Leipzig. From the oeuvre of Johann Sebastian Bach, the double-choir motet ‘Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf’ will be performed..

Orchestre de Paris / Dima Slobodeniouk

"A trickle of youth": Schumann's phrase about Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream has not aged a day. And then we have the Elgar's Concerto, entrusted to the bow of Frank Peter Zimmermann, where magic is met by mystery…

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / James Gaffigan

In his mid-forties, James Gaffigan is already music director of two major opera houses: the Komische Oper in Berlin and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. For his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the American conductor has chosen dramatic incidental music for the programme. Gaffigan opens the concert with the beginning of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera »Khovanshchina«. It is a gloomy portrait of the mores of Tsarist Russia, but the composer gave the introduction the idyllic title »Dawn on the Moskva«: soaring string sounds merge into gentle flute tones, which are gradually joined by other wind instruments.

Gewandhausorchester, Cristian Măcelaru Dirigent

Liszt composed tone poems about Orpheus, who overcomes death with music, and Prometheus, who inspires humanity with art. Orpheus's music is harmonious, while Prometheus's is dissonant, reflecting his suffering. Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto, sometimes called the "Orpheus Concerto," may be inspired by Orpheus. Leó Weiner, a Liszt admirer, orchestrated Liszt's B minor Sonata for the Liszt centenary in 1956.

Symphonic Concert

Marzena Diakun, photo: Marco Borggreve Knowing the day or year when a work was composed is the dream of many biographers. Antonín Dvořák was so magnanimous as to record for posterity on the score of his Cello Concerto in B minor not only the date, but also the time (11.30 a.m.) of the work’s completion. Alongside this rather original dating (from the composer’s time in America), there is also an acknowledgement to the Creator. Enthusiasm and gratitude deserted Dvořák, however, when he learned of the death of Josefína Čermáková – his former unrequited love and later sister-in-law. On that occasion, he decided to completely change the ending of the work, adding a coda in the form of a musical epitaph for the deceased actress. In the second movement, written during Josefína’s illness, he quoted his song ‘Kéž duch můj sám’ (‘Leave me alone’), which she particularly loved. As if in keeping with the spirit of the age, unrequited affection lay at the heart of one of the most famous programme symphonies of the Romantic era. The unfulfilled, obsessive passion held by Hector Berlioz towards the English-Irish actress Harriet Smithson permeates the literary and musical content of his Symphonie fantastique. One of the most representative works of the first half of the nineteenth century, it constituted not only an explosion of feelings and fantasies from the author of the Treatise on Instrumentation, but also an explosion of hitherto unknown orchestral colours and motifs harnessed to the service of narrative.

On tour with Hahn und Soltani

Oramo conducts Mahler's Tenth and The Lark Ascending

An evening-long meditation on life and the hereafter, devised by Sakari Oramo and featuring the UK premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s astonishing final masterpiece Hush.

Rachmaninoff’s stroke of genius

Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France / Myung-Whun Chung

Pure symphonic ecstasy, with two monuments in the canon that demand a fully engaged, inventive and visionary orchestra—here, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the baton of he who served as its musical director from 2000 to 2015.

Linie 2: 100 Jahre Pierre Boulez

At the start of the Boulez Year, the Wizemann in Stuttgart will host a unique concert workshop. Conductor Oscar Jockel will introduce Boulez's "Polyphonie X," explaining it with excerpts played by the SWR Symphony Orchestra. This piece, a bridge between Boulez's early and later styles, caused a scandal at its 1951 premiere. The concert also includes Webern's arrangement of Bach's "Fuga Ricerata" and Webern's Symphony Op. 21, both relevant to Boulez's work, and concludes with a second performance of "Polyphonie X."

Eroica

In 1802, Beethoven decided to "embark on a new path", resulting in his deeply personal "Eroica" Symphony. This groundbreaking work aligns perfectly with Pierre Boulez, the revolutionary composer born 100 years ago. Boulez's twelve piano miniatures, "Notations" from 1945, are remarkably inventive, poetic, and surprisingly relaxed. Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, a Boulez expert, will perform these pieces, alongside their orchestral versions. Ravel's "Miroirs" will provide a resonant afterglow.

Kochanovsky conducts Bruckner's Symphony in d

The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!

Drame

A passionate programme from Orchestre Pasdeloup, with an anthology of 19th- and 20th-century works and a new piece by Béchara El-Khoury, with soloists François Dumont on piano and Arnaud Nuvolone on violin.

Symphonic Concert

Marzena Diakun, photo: Marco Borggreve Knowing the day or year when a work was composed is the dream of many biographers. Antonín Dvořák was so magnanimous as to record for posterity on the score of his Cello Concerto in B minor not only the date, but also the time (11.30 a.m.) of the work’s completion. Alongside this rather original dating (from the composer’s time in America), there is also an acknowledgement to the Creator. Enthusiasm and gratitude deserted Dvořák, however, when he learned of the death of Josefína Čermáková – his former unrequited love and later sister-in-law. On that occasion, he decided to completely change the ending of the work, adding a coda in the form of a musical epitaph for the deceased actress. In the second movement, written during Josefína’s illness, he quoted his song ‘Kéž duch můj sám’ (‘Leave me alone’), which she particularly loved. As if in keeping with the spirit of the age, unrequited affection lay at the heart of one of the most famous programme symphonies of the Romantic era. The unfulfilled, obsessive passion held by Hector Berlioz towards the English-Irish actress Harriet Smithson permeates the literary and musical content of his Symphonie fantastique. One of the most representative works of the first half of the nineteenth century, it constituted not only an explosion of feelings and fantasies from the author of the Treatise on Instrumentation, but also an explosion of hitherto unknown orchestral colours and motifs harnessed to the service of narrative.

Mozart Week Salzburg

40 Jahre das junge Orchester NRW

Gustav Mahler's 5th Symphony starts with a four-note motif, resembling Beethoven's 5th. Reflecting the era's upheaval, the symphony features stark contrasts, from somber marches to triumphant brass chorales. Mahler's focus on polyphony weaves through the composition. He considered it a "completely new style," possibly influenced by his love for and marriage to Alma Schindler in 1902. The 'Adagietto,' seen as a declaration of love to Alma, gained fame, notably through Visconti's 'Death in Venice.' The junge orchester NRW celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Jan Willem de Vriend

Good news for all fans of Sebastian Knauer - the pianist is back at the Konzerthaus with Mozart's Concerto in D minor, premiered in 1785. Compared to earlier works in this genre, the orchestra is increasingly taking on the role of piano partner, which is of course good news for the Konzerthausorchester.Under the Dutch conductor Jan Willem de Vriend, however, our musicians will first play the inter-act music to a drama about the Egyptian King Thamos, which is set in the sun city of Heliopolis and was first performed in 1774. There is little to say about the plot - apart from the fact that the right people get each other and the schemers die by their own daggers or by being struck by lightning. Finally, Haydn's No. 99 from 1793, one of the „London“ symphonies, is played. In it, he used clarinets for the first time and (whether because of this or anyway is not known) had considerable success with the public.

Fancy some classical music?!

Who's up for classical music? For the third time, the Philharmonie opens its doors to young people when the Gürzenich Orchestra invites them to »Concert & Kölsch«. Two symphonies, one spectacle: Prokofiev and Glazunov, two Russian masters, meet: Prokofiev's 5th Symphony, composed in 1944 in the midst of the chaos of war, sounds heroic, emotional and full of energy. He paints impressive orchestral pictures - sometimes lyrical, sometimes gloomy, sometimes overwhelming. You are in for a real goosebump moment! Glazunov's Symphony No. 5 begins mysteriously, unfolds into a playful scherzo and culminates in a radiant finale that simply sounds monumental. A real highlight of Romantic music! No wonder this piece is celebrated as a masterpiece. This time, Lorenzo Viotti is on the podium - a young, charismatic conductor who turns late Romantic music into pure sound magic. A concert for everyone who loves epic music and is in the mood for an unforgettable live experience! After the concert, you can round off the evening with DJ sounds by Loush and relaxed conversation in the foyer. Free drink included!

Mozart-Matinee

The Konzerthausorchester invites families to the Great Hall on Sundays at 11.00 - croissants and hot chocolate included! A musician always leads through the program. They reveal secrets from everyday life in the orchestra and invite you to join in. Meanwhile, younger siblings between the ages of 3 and 6 are very welcome at the “Musical childcare”.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / James Gaffigan

In his mid-forties, James Gaffigan is already music director of two major opera houses: the Komische Oper in Berlin and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia. For his debut with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, the American conductor has chosen dramatic incidental music for the programme. Gaffigan opens the concert with the beginning of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera »Khovanshchina«. It is a gloomy portrait of the mores of Tsarist Russia, but the composer gave the introduction the idyllic title »Dawn on the Moskva«: soaring string sounds merge into gentle flute tones, which are gradually joined by other wind instruments.

Awakening

Two fifth symphonies from Russia: In 1944, Sergei Prokofiev spent some time in the countryside where he had all the peace and calm he needed in order to compose, while back home in Moscow, people were suffering from hunger and homelessness. What Prokofiev brought to paper is lushly orchestrated, patriotic, and deliberately Russian in its rhythm and melodies. Not to mention a tremendous amount of heroic pathos, in light of the global war against Nazi Germany. In his op. 100, we see the composer as a mature, experienced symphonist, and as grand master of instrumentation. He creates veritable »orchestral paintings« – some lyrical and sumptuous, some dark and warlike. Alexander Glasunow’s fifth symphony, too, has a heroic flavor to it. After a passage of dark fog in the brass section, and an elf-like Scherzo à la Mendelssohn, the symphony grows and eventually culminates in a grand, radiant finale of such majestic splendour that this has become Glasunow’s masterpiece. Both composers personally wielded the baton at the premieres of their fifth symphonies. Unfortunately, we can’t arrange for that to happen this time around. However, the Gürzenich Orchestra is looking forward to continuing its exhilarating collaboration with one of the foremost conductors of the young generation, Swiss-born Lorenzo Viotti. An exceptional talent and magician in the field of late Romantic sound, he most certainly would have appealed to the two Russian symphonists.

Verborgene Tiefe unter der scheinbaren Einfachheit

Bernstein & Strawinsky

"The Age of Anxiety" – Bernstein's 2nd Symphony from the late 1940s could hardly be more topical. Two choral-orchestral works radiate confidence: Stravinsky's striking "Psalm Symphony" and Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms," which oscillate between rhythmic drive and cantilenas.