Concerts with works by

Edward Elgar

Concert de midi et demi avec Ye XIN, Spyros THOMAS, Jianyu SONG

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…

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…

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Kirill Petrenko and Frank Peter Zimmermann

What Jean Sibelius is to Finland, Edward Elgar is to England: both composers gave their country its own national musical language. With his Lemminkäinen Suite, Sibelius transports us to the world of Finnish legends. He tells of the adventures of a young, high-spirited hero in music that is as impassioned as it is sincere. Edward Elgar’s violin concerto reflects the values of Victorian England – profound, romantic, noble. The violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, widely acclaimed for his selfless musicality, performs the concerto under the direction of Kirill Petrenko.

Enigma

Intoxicating sounds

Anyone who has ever danced the Viennese Waltz will know that an air of royal-imperial grandeur and stylistic elegance is not the only sensation that overcomes you. A profound sense of dizziness and centrifugal force are part of the deal. What in the beginning seems cheerful and buoyant quickly turns into sensual frenzy, much like a spinning top gone crazy. There is no piece that shows these two aspects of waltzing in such a poignant and Viennese way as Ravel’s La Valse, so much so that even the famous impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who had commissioned the work, felt it was a bit over the top for his ballet company. But Ravel’s orchestral dance is so mesmerizing, so colourful and rhythmically bizarre that it is easy to visualize the frenzy on an imaginary dancefloor: »You can see a huge hall with countless people spinning in circles,« said the composer about La Valse. In less than 14 minutes, the illusive bliss of waltzing turns into apocalyptic ecstasy. A piece that eventually did fulfill its purpose as ballet music is Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariadne, music to the ancient Greek myth – beautiful, almost fragrant sounds which the Frenchman and Ravel-contemporary later distilled into two suites for orchestra. Seduction, enchantment, orgiastic celebrations intoxicated with love, these substances are better enjoyed on a purely musical level. Bacchus, whose full-time occupation as God of wine-making rarely leaves him without a motley entourage of party guests, snatches the mortal Ariadne who was stood up by her ex-lover Theseus on the island of Naxos. Bacchus, aka Dionysus, and his Ariadne celebrate a triumphant Bacchanal together which Albert Roussel sets as sweeping, dazzling party for orchestra. From Ariadne to Alice: Edward Elgar was in need of a muse when he started to work on his violin concerto. Conveniently, she had the same name as the wife. »My work has me burning & I am composing like mad. You should come & see it (& hear it).« Having started out as a violinist, Elgar knew the instrument like the back of his hand. Surely, that is one reason why his opus 43 shows the perfect balance between the soloist and the orchestra. Star violinist Fritz Kreisler had commissioned this luscious, opulent work: a mosaic of countless ideas and melodies, a stream of yearning thoughts, led by the violin and painted in a variety of nuanced colours by the orchestra. Together, they indulge in an ecstatic final movement, including what might be the most touching solo cadenza ever. Thanks to our soloist, the world-famous violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, the enormous technical difficulties fade away in the light of the musical rush of emotions. »Herein is enshrined the soul of..…,« Edward Elgar, prone to the enigma, wrote in the score. Five dots – perhaps they stand for the name Alice. But if yes, then which?

Intoxicating sounds

Anyone who has ever danced the Viennese Waltz will know that an air of royal-imperial grandeur and stylistic elegance is not the only sensation that overcomes you. A profound sense of dizziness and centrifugal force are part of the deal. What in the beginning seems cheerful and buoyant quickly turns into sensual frenzy, much like a spinning top gone crazy. There is no piece that shows these two aspects of waltzing in such a poignant and Viennese way as Ravel’s La Valse, so much so that even the famous impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who had commissioned the work, felt it was a bit over the top for his ballet company. But Ravel’s orchestral dance is so mesmerizing, so colourful and rhythmically bizarre that it is easy to visualize the frenzy on an imaginary dancefloor: »You can see a huge hall with countless people spinning in circles,« said the composer about La Valse. In less than 14 minutes, the illusive bliss of waltzing turns into apocalyptic ecstasy. A piece that eventually did fulfill its purpose as ballet music is Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariadne, music to the ancient Greek myth – beautiful, almost fragrant sounds which the Frenchman and Ravel-contemporary later distilled into two suites for orchestra. Seduction, enchantment, orgiastic celebrations intoxicated with love, these substances are better enjoyed on a purely musical level. Bacchus, whose full-time occupation as God of wine-making rarely leaves him without a motley entourage of party guests, snatches the mortal Ariadne who was stood up by her ex-lover Theseus on the island of Naxos. Bacchus, aka Dionysus, and his Ariadne celebrate a triumphant Bacchanal together which Albert Roussel sets as sweeping, dazzling party for orchestra. From Ariadne to Alice: Edward Elgar was in need of a muse when he started to work on his violin concerto. Conveniently, she had the same name as the wife. »My work has me burning & I am composing like mad. You should come & see it (& hear it).« Having started out as a violinist, Elgar knew the instrument like the back of his hand. Surely, that is one reason why his opus 43 shows the perfect balance between the soloist and the orchestra. Star violinist Fritz Kreisler had commissioned this luscious, opulent work: a mosaic of countless ideas and melodies, a stream of yearning thoughts, led by the violin and painted in a variety of nuanced colours by the orchestra. Together, they indulge in an ecstatic final movement, including what might be the most touching solo cadenza ever. Thanks to our soloist, the world-famous violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, the enormous technical difficulties fade away in the light of the musical rush of emotions. »Herein is enshrined the soul of..…,« Edward Elgar, prone to the enigma, wrote in the score. Five dots – perhaps they stand for the name Alice. But if yes, then which?

3rd Youth Concert

Intoxicating sounds

Anyone who has ever danced the Viennese Waltz will know that an air of royal-imperial grandeur and stylistic elegance is not the only sensation that overcomes you. A profound sense of dizziness and centrifugal force are part of the deal. What in the beginning seems cheerful and buoyant quickly turns into sensual frenzy, much like a spinning top gone crazy. There is no piece that shows these two aspects of waltzing in such a poignant and Viennese way as Ravel’s La Valse, so much so that even the famous impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who had commissioned the work, felt it was a bit over the top for his ballet company. But Ravel’s orchestral dance is so mesmerizing, so colourful and rhythmically bizarre that it is easy to visualize the frenzy on an imaginary dancefloor: »You can see a huge hall with countless people spinning in circles,« said the composer about La Valse. In less than 14 minutes, the illusive bliss of waltzing turns into apocalyptic ecstasy. A piece that eventually did fulfill its purpose as ballet music is Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariadne, music to the ancient Greek myth – beautiful, almost fragrant sounds which the Frenchman and Ravel-contemporary later distilled into two suites for orchestra. Seduction, enchantment, orgiastic celebrations intoxicated with love, these substances are better enjoyed on a purely musical level. Bacchus, whose full-time occupation as God of wine-making rarely leaves him without a motley entourage of party guests, snatches the mortal Ariadne who was stood up by her ex-lover Theseus on the island of Naxos. Bacchus, aka Dionysus, and his Ariadne celebrate a triumphant Bacchanal together which Albert Roussel sets as sweeping, dazzling party for orchestra. From Ariadne to Alice: Edward Elgar was in need of a muse when he started to work on his violin concerto. Conveniently, she had the same name as the wife. »My work has me burning & I am composing like mad. You should come & see it (& hear it).« Having started out as a violinist, Elgar knew the instrument like the back of his hand. Surely, that is one reason why his opus 43 shows the perfect balance between the soloist and the orchestra. Star violinist Fritz Kreisler had commissioned this luscious, opulent work: a mosaic of countless ideas and melodies, a stream of yearning thoughts, led by the violin and painted in a variety of nuanced colours by the orchestra. Together, they indulge in an ecstatic final movement, including what might be the most touching solo cadenza ever. Thanks to our soloist, the world-famous violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, the enormous technical difficulties fade away in the light of the musical rush of emotions. »Herein is enshrined the soul of..…,« Edward Elgar, prone to the enigma, wrote in the score. Five dots – perhaps they stand for the name Alice. But if yes, then which?

Symphonic Concert

Geoffrey Paterson, photo: Benjamin Ealovega It sometimes happens that an artist dedicates his work not to one person, but to a whole collective. When Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov arrived for the first rehearsal of his Capriccio espagnol, the St Petersburg orchestra was said to have applauded him repeatedly. The touched composer decided to repay the ensemble with an equally spontaneous dedication of this famous Iberian-inspired piece. Somewhat forgotten today, Saverio Mercadante was one of the most important figures in Italian opera of the nineteenth century. He created more than 60 works in the genre, winning praise from the likes of Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini. Mercadante, later director of the famous conservatory in Naples – a city vying for the title of one of Europe’s operatic capitals – also wrote a set of six concertos for flute, of which he himself was a virtuoso. Particularly popular with performers and listeners was the second of these works, in the key of E minor, preserved in versions for various forces, from chamber to symphonic. Full of technical acrobatics and representing a considerable challenge for the soloist, this work abounds in showstopping passages and phrases full of distant intervallic leaps, but does not shy away from bel canto operatic lyricism either. Edward Elgar’s second and last completed Symphony, in E flat major, is among his most personal works. It was dedicated to the memory of the late king and the composer’s namesake, Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria. First performed in 1911, this late Romantic work is full of Elgar’s characteristic short, repeated motifs and attempts to cross the boundaries of tonality. The second movement is a poignant funeral march, an elegy perhaps related not only to the death of the sovereign, but probably also mourning the composer’s more personal losses – the passing of two close friends.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Frank Peter Zimmermann / Andris Poga

»If you want to know who I consider to be the most important living composer, I say without hesitation: Elgar... I put him on the same level as my idols Beethoven and Brahms.« This is how the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler enthused about Edward Elgar in 1905 – and added a personal request: »I wish Elgar would compose something for the violin.« The flattered man was happy to fulfil this wish. Albeit with a few years’ delay. Edward Elgar completed his violin concerto in 1910. The piece was tailor-made for Fritz Kreisler: Elgar placed an extremely demanding solo part in his hands. The sheer abundance of virtuosic cascades and furiously fast arpeggios are such a great challenge that many soloists avoid them. Frank Peter Zimmermann, on the other hand, has taken it on several times and performed the fifty-minute mammoth work with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, for example. In February 2025, he will join the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra to savour the rapturous glow and late Romantic colours of the concerto under the direction of Andris Poga.

Symphonic Concert

Geoffrey Paterson, photo: Benjamin Ealovega It sometimes happens that an artist dedicates his work not to one person, but to a whole collective. When Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov arrived for the first rehearsal of his Capriccio espagnol, the St Petersburg orchestra was said to have applauded him repeatedly. The touched composer decided to repay the ensemble with an equally spontaneous dedication of this famous Iberian-inspired piece. Somewhat forgotten today, Saverio Mercadante was one of the most important figures in Italian opera of the nineteenth century. He created more than 60 works in the genre, winning praise from the likes of Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini. Mercadante, later director of the famous conservatory in Naples – a city vying for the title of one of Europe’s operatic capitals – also wrote a set of six concertos for flute, of which he himself was a virtuoso. Particularly popular with performers and listeners was the second of these works, in the key of E minor, preserved in versions for various forces, from chamber to symphonic. Full of technical acrobatics and representing a considerable challenge for the soloist, this work abounds in showstopping passages and phrases full of distant intervallic leaps, but does not shy away from bel canto operatic lyricism either. Edward Elgar’s second and last completed Symphony, in E flat major, is among his most personal works. It was dedicated to the memory of the late king and the composer’s namesake, Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria. First performed in 1911, this late Romantic work is full of Elgar’s characteristic short, repeated motifs and attempts to cross the boundaries of tonality. The second movement is a poignant funeral march, an elegy perhaps related not only to the death of the sovereign, but probably also mourning the composer’s more personal losses – the passing of two close friends.

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / Frank Peter Zimmermann / Andris Poga

»If you want to know who I consider to be the most important living composer, I say without hesitation: Elgar... I put him on the same level as my idols Beethoven and Brahms.« This is how the violin virtuoso Fritz Kreisler enthused about Edward Elgar in 1905 – and added a personal request: »I wish Elgar would compose something for the violin.« The flattered man was happy to fulfil this wish. Albeit with a few years’ delay. Edward Elgar completed his violin concerto in 1910. The piece was tailor-made for Fritz Kreisler: Elgar placed an extremely demanding solo part in his hands. The sheer abundance of virtuosic cascades and furiously fast arpeggios are such a great challenge that many soloists avoid them. Frank Peter Zimmermann, on the other hand, has taken it on several times and performed the fifty-minute mammoth work with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, for example. In February 2025, he will join the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra to savour the rapturous glow and late Romantic colours of the concerto under the direction of Andris Poga.

Symphoniker Hamburg / Alexander Gavrylyuk / Harry Ogg

Rachmaninov had been living with his wife on Lake Lucerne in his newly built villa »Senar« (Sergei & Natalia Rachmaninov) for four years when he composed his Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini in 1934. The theme comes from the last of the 24 Caprices for solo violin, which are so technically tricky that they contributed significantly to Paganini’s reputation as the devil’s violinist. The curious list of composers who were inspired by Paganini’s theme ranges from Brahms and Liszt to Szymanowski, Blacher, Lutosławski and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Rachmaninov uses the theme as the starting material for a series of 24 variations with an introduction and coda, ingeniously combining the structure of the work with that of a three-movement concerto. Adaptations of the opulent 18th variation (in the rare key of D flat major) can be found in films as well as pop songs and video games. In the seventh variation, Rachmaninov also introduces the »Dies irae« – a cross-reference that appears like a signature in many of his works and also recurs at the end of the variations.

Enigma variations – musical guessing games

At this concert, the RSB presents the Enigma Variations, the most frequently performed work by the English composer Edward Elgar. In this ingenious composition, Elgar describes people from his surroundings. During the concert, the musical character portraits can be diligently guessed. Is Elgar describing himself or a person he loves or rather someone whose piano playing he admires? Juri Tetzlaff leads through the concert in an entertaining and varied way.

Enigma variations – guessing games

At this concert, the RSB presents the Enigma Variations, the most frequently performed work by the English composer Edward Elgar. In this ingenious composition, Elgar describes people from his surroundings. During the concert, the musical character portraits can be diligently guessed. Is Elgar describing himself or a person he loves or rather someone whose piano playing he admires? Juri Tetzlaff leads through the concert in an entertaining and varied way.

NDR Vokalensemble / Simon Halsey

British conductor Simon Halsey leads »SINGING!« 2025 and, together with the NDR Vokalensemble, the award-winning choral conductor wants to breathe new life into the participatory concert after the coronavirus years. Register now to take part!

PhilharmonieLunch

Experience a small break from everyday life at the Cologne Philharmonic Hall – inspiring, touching, authentic. A place full of music, for an unusual lunch break, a break from the city noise or simply a break from everyday life. The Philharmonic Lunch is made possible by KölnMusik together with the WDR Symphony Orchestra and the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne.

Sinfonia Varsovia / Pinchas Zukerman

The legendary maestro Pinchas Zukerman returns to the Elbphilharmonie! He will be joined by the Sinfonia Varsovia, one of the most important symphony orchestras in Europe. Works by Mozart, Elgar and Mendelssohn Bartholdy will be performed in a festive concert. The violinist, violist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv in 1948. In 1961, at the age of 13, he met Pablo Casals and Isaac Stern at the first Israel Festival. A year later, he went to New York to study with Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School of Music and made his concert debut just a short time later. As an internationally sought-after soloist and conductor, Pinchas Zukerman performs with major orchestras including the English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In addition to numerous awards and prizes, Pinchas Zukerman has received two GRAMMY Awards for his more than 100 CD recordings in the categories »Best Classical Performance« and »Best Chamber Music Performance«. His musical partners include Daniel Barenboim, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Yefim Bronfman and Amanda Forsyth, with whom he is also close friends. The Sinfonia Varsovia is one of the most important symphony orchestras in Europe. When the legendary violinist, violist and conductor Yehudi Menuhin came to Warsaw in 1984 to work with the Polish Chamber Orchestra, it was expanded and became Sinfonia Varsovia. Shortly afterwards, Yehudi Menuhin became the orchestra’s first guest conductor. Since then, the orchestra has performed worldwide and recorded more than 300 albums.

Gewandhausorchester, Alan Gilbert Dirigent

Brahms' Third Symphony, premiered in 1884, is his shortest and focuses on depth. Hans von Bülow liked it so much he played it twice in one concert. Elgar's Violin Concerto, inspired by Fritz Kreisler's praise, took four years to compose. Its premiere shook Queen's Hall, and a year later, Arthur Nikisch led another impactful performance at the Gewandhaus.

Gewandhausorchester, Alan Gilbert Dirigent

Brahms' Third Symphony, premiered in 1884, is his shortest and focuses on depth. Hans von Bülow liked it so much he played it twice in one concert. Elgar's Violin Concerto, inspired by Fritz Kreisler's praise, took four years to compose. Its premiere shook Queen's Hall, and a year later, Arthur Nikisch led another impactful performance at the Gewandhaus.

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Hindoyan

A Russian in exile, an Englishman in despair, and a Puerto Rican take on fantastical fandangoes: a welcome visit from the RLPO under its charismatic Chief Conductor Domingo Hindoyan.

Konzert für Alle #9

Himmel & Hölle – The Dream of Gerontius

While rarely performed in Germany, Edward Elgar's oratorio "The Dream of Gerontius" follows Handel's "Messiah" and Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in popularity in England. This masterpiece reveals the true side of the English romanticist, known mainly for the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches. The monumental work follows a soul's journey to heaven after death, guided by a guardian angel, until it beholds God's glory.

Silesian String Quartet / British Fantasy on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Andrzej Panufnik

“Music is the expression of emotions and feelings. I hold as my ideal a piece in which poetic content is combined with excellence of musical craftmanship. Poetry alone does not determine the musical value of a piece, just as craftmanship alone risks falling into a pitfall of using worn-out formulas. Enduring beauty is only born from a balance of both” Andrzej Panufnik (1952) Silesian String Quartet – 45 years of experience, more than 150 first performances of chamber works, thousands of concerts in the world's most famous concert halls, more than 60 albums, more than 20 nominations, 10 ‘Fryderyk’ statuettes and the most important – the ‘musical Oscar’, i.e., the Gramophone Classical Music Award. The ensemble specialises in the discovery, promotion and recording of Polish music and is famous for its first performances under the guidance of composers. Ditching the traditional hierarchical model of performing music, the ensemble emphasises exchange and collaboration with other musicians. This season, the artists will introduce the work of Sir Andrzej Panufnik on the 110th anniversary of the birth of the only Polish composer to be awarded a title of nobility by Queen Elizabeth II. The programme will be complemented by works by native British composers Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar, whose String Quartet in E minor, op. 83 is an example of late Romantic aesthetics, demonstrating the composer's ability to combine deep lyricism with expressive formal structure. Hommage à Chopin is one of Andrzej Panufnik's most treasured pieces, demonstrating his deep fascination with the work of the great Polish composer. The original version of this musical homage was for solo piano. Later, Panufnik made arrangements for various instrumental ensembles, including flute and string quintet. The piece contains nuanced references to Chopin's style, both in harmony and melody. Panufnik employs variation techniques, developing the theme to draw on the Romantic tradition while introducing modern rhythmic and harmonic elements. [Alexandra Kozowicz]Concert duration (intermission included): approximately 110 minutes

Himmel & Hölle – The Dream of Gerontius

While rarely performed in Germany, Edward Elgar's oratorio "The Dream of Gerontius" follows Handel's "Messiah" and Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in popularity in England. This masterpiece reveals the true side of the English romanticist, known mainly for the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches. The monumental work follows a soul's journey to heaven after death, guided by a guardian angel, until it beholds God's glory.

Nicholas Carter & MultiPiano