Concerts with works by

Ludwig van Beethoven

Concert de midi et demi avec Cristo HARIJAN, Timothée MOSER et Benjamin BRUNET

Festival Élite 2025 – Quatuor Moser

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.«

JUILLIARD STRING QUARTET

According to Jörg Widmann, Beethoven’s Opus 130 represents the “string quartet of string quartets.” His own Eighth and Tenth Quartets were written in response to the Viennese master’s late work, in particular its famous slow movement, titled “Cavatina.” The New York–based Juilliard String Quartet frames Widmann’s “Beethoven Studies” with their historical model, including both its traditional version and the Grosse Fuge, the work’s original finale.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jan Lisiecki | Academy of St Martin in the Fields | Tomo Keller

This season, Jan Lisiecki presents a special project: three concerts featuring all of Beethoven's piano concertos and the Triple Concerto. The series begins with the contrasting pair of Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 3 in C major and C minor. Lisiecki already shone with the Academy in 2018, stepping in for the ailing Murray Perahia. The result: a magnificent concert and some of the most exciting Beethoven albums of recent years.

Clarinet Trio

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.

FABIAN MÜLLER

When Fabian Müller made his Pierre Boulez Saal debut in January 2022, his memorable performance of Beethoven’s monumental “Hammerklavier” Sonata confirmed his reputation as one of the outstanding pianists of his generation. Now the ARD Competition winner, who was born in 1990 in Beethoven’s hometown of Bonn, takes on the challenge of presenting all the composer’s sonatas as a complete cycle. Dubbed the “New Testament” of piano music by Hans von Bülow— Bach’s Well-tempered Clavier was known as the “Old Testament”—the 32 works will be heard over the course of eight Sunday-afternoon concerts. Completing the individual programs are short pieces newly composed by Müller himself, in which he expresses his reflexions on Beethoven’s sonatas.

Guest performance

Jan Lisiecki | Academy of St Martin in the Fields | Tomo Keller

Am zweiten Abend des groß angelegten Beethoven-Projekts von Jan Lisiecki und der Academy of St Martin in the Fields stehen mit den Klavierkonzerten Nr. 2 und Nr. 4 zwei weitere Klassik-Highlights auf dem Programm.Sie sind ein eingespieltes Team: Jan Lisiecki und die Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Das war bereits 2018 zu spüren, als Lisiecki mit allen fünf Beethoven-Konzerten für den erkrankten Murray Perahia einsprang. Die Verbindung zwischen Pianist und Ensemble ist seitdem eine besondere. Und der Wunsch von beiden Seiten, Beethovens Konzerte ein weiteres Mal in die Konzertsäle zu bringen, wird im Januar 2025 endlich Realität. An drei Abenden können Sie erleben den kompletten Beethoven-Zyklus erleben!

Guest performance

Jan Lisiecki | Daniel Müller-Schott | Academy of St Martin in the Fields | Tomo Keller

Jan Lisiecki präsentiert in dieser Saison gemeinsam mit der Academy of St Martin in the Fields sämtliche Klavierkonzerte Beethovens – und als Sahnehäubchen auch noch das nicht allzu häufig aufgeführte Tripelkonzert. Jan Lisiecki geht (mal wieder) aufs Ganze. Der sympathische Kanadier mit dem »profilscharfen Individualstil« (Der Spiegel) spielt in dieser Saison sämtliche Klavierkonzerte Beethovens – und als Sahnehäubchen auch noch das nicht allzu häufig aufgeführte Tripelkonzert. Zur Seite steht ihm dabei die Academy of St Martin in the Fields, mit der er bereits 2018 – als Einspringer für Murray Perahia – alle fünf Konzerte aufführte.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Jan Lisiecki and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields radiate pure joy of playing. This was already evident in 2018, when the young pianist saved a concert tour of the traditional British ensemble and stood in for Murray Perahia, who was ill, with all five Beethoven concertos - including at the Konzerthaus Berlin. The applause was enormous and the album with the live recording was a great success. Since then, this connection has been a very special one. Experience the Academy and the Canadian-Polish pianist once again with Beethoven: the fifth and final piano concerto and the triple concerto, in which concertmaster Tomo Keller and cello star Daniel Müller-Schott join Jan Lisiecki.

Beethoven and Pejacevic

Beethoven was drawn to figures, fictional or real, who dared to stand up against injustices. Egmont in Goethe's drama of the same name was one such fictional but clearly influential figure for Beethoven. In the overture, he summarizes the drama, from the slow introduction through tragedy to a triumphant conclusion.The orchestra is led by the young and increasingly renowned Czech conductor Jirí Rozen, who is making his debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.In Dora Pejacevic's music, traces of Wagner, Brahms, and Bruckner can be found, but it is also strongly personal with rich colors and profound seriousness. After a cautious, slow introduction, the contrastive and determined music of this symphony from 1918 unfolds, painting vivid natural scenes. The music also contains exuberant pirouettes that are swept away by dazzling outbursts towards the end. It is an impressive work by a composer who was long neglected.

Concert de midi et demi avec Cristo HARIJAN, Timothée MOSER et Benjamin BRUNET

Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1

Beethoven was drawn to characters, fictional or real, who dared to stand up against injustices. Egmont in Goethe's drama of the same name was one such fictional but clear role model for Beethoven. In the overture, he encapsulates the drama, from the slow introduction through tragedy to a triumphant conclusion. The orchestra is led by the young and increasingly renowned Czech conductor Jirí Rozen, making his debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.Triumphant melodies are also found in Max Bruch's first violin concerto, one of classical music's most beloved concertos. It's heavenly beautiful music with irresistible romantic fervor. The soloist is the exceptional South Korean violinist Inmo Yang, winner of two of the world's most prestigious violin competitions: the Paganini Competition in Genoa and the Sibelius Competition in Helsinki. He now debuts with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.In Dora Pejacevic's music, traces of Wagner, Brahms, and Bruckner can be found, but it is also strongly personal with rich colors and profound seriousness. After a cautious, slow introduction, this symphony from 1918 moves into contrasting and determined music, painting vivid natural scenes. The music also features exuberant pirouettes that are swept away by dazzling climaxes towards the end. It's an impressive work by a composer who was long neglected.

Marta Gardolińska Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Joseph Haydn Florence Price Ludwig van Beethoven

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) finished the oratory The Creation in 1798, inspired by great experiences with G.F. Handel's oratorios during his stay in London. The lyrics are based on the first chapters of the Bible, and the opening for the orchestra describes the darkness and emptiness before the creation. In 2009, a couple were cleaning out a run-down building in the small American town of St. Anne when they came across a large collection of sheet music. The collection turned out to be many unreleased works by the composer Florence Price (1887-1953), who had used the building as a summer house. One of the works they discovered, which has experienced a renaissance in recent years, is Florence Price's Piano Concerto in One Movement from 1934. In the work, Price combines a romantic tonal language with Afro-American folk tunes. The composer was the soloist during the premiere in Chicago. "How happy I shall be when I can walk for a while between bushes and woods, under trees, through grass and around rocks,” Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) wrote to a friend in 1810. The composer went out to parks or forests and fields as often as he could. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, with the nickname Pastoral Symphony, is the most apparent expression of his love for nature. The first and last movements describe the joy of being out in the open; in the movements in between, he describes, among other things, a scene by the stream, folk dancing, and a heavy thunderstorm.

Instrumental music at its finest

TRIO CON BRIO COPENHAGEN

Danish composer Louise Alenius challenges the conventions of classical performance practice with her daring and experimental works. Her latest piece now receives its world premiere at the Pierre Boulez Saal: Apatiens anatomi (“The Anatomy of Apathy”) was written for Trio con Brio Copenhagen, which continues its tradition of presenting a new composition from its homeland in Berlin every season. The program also includes Beethoven’s youthful Opus 1 and Tchaikovsky’s romantic Piano Trio, composed in 1882.

Hrůša conducts Beethoven and Shostakovich

The Year 1905: Shostakovich’s monumental symphony meets Beethoven at his brightest. Unchained energy from conductor Jakub Hrůša, pianist Jonathan Biss and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Classical Highlights: Piano Classics by David Kadouch

For lovers of chamber music the Recital Hall is the venue of choice. You can hear the musicians breathe and you can practically touch them. This hall is also cherished by musicians for its beautiful acoustics and direct contact with the audience. In the Recital Hall you can hear the best musicians of our time. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Recital Hall for yourself!

Igor Levit

Every pianist and soloist takes a risk with Franz Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7. Few have dared to tackle this pianistic chunk, which demands everything at once: power, virtuosity, a sense of the piece's architecture, and a keen ear for detail. Igor Levit takes on this task. Liszt has long been a favorite in his repertoire. For a TV documentary, he already traced the composer's footsteps around 15 years ago. Levit's program for the Essen Philharmonic is brilliant: First, he takes us back to the starting point of all romantic piano virtuosity, Bach's "Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue".

Daniel Lozakovich plays Shostakovich’ Violin Concerto

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 5

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

Daniel Lozakovich plays Shostakovich’ Violin Concerto

The Netherlands Philharmonic is one of the most versatile cultural organisations in The Netherlands. The orchestra organises a diverse concert program in The Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and is a welcome guest on foreign stages and festivals. The Netherlands Philharmonic brings classical music to life at the highest level and collaborates closely with international guest soloists and conductors. It takes great pleasure in welcoming and developing new musical talent. Lorenzo Viotti is the principal conductor of Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Philharmonic.

Guest performance