Keywords: Special Concert, Symphony Concert
| Jakub Hrůša | Conductor |
| Julia Fischer | Violin |
| Bamberger Symphoniker |
| Johannes X. Schachtner | Concert for violin and orchestra |
| Antonín Dvořák | Symphonie No. 9 in E minor, op. 95 “From the New World” |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
Aristotle once said that "The beginning is half of the whole." This concert will present a brand-new creation by Johannes X. Schachtner, who was born in 1985 into a Bavarian family of musicians. This young composer already has an extensive catalogue of works to his credit and collaborates with international artists such as the acclaimed violinist Julia Fischer, for whom the violin concerto we commissioned was written. The concerto refers explicitly to our roots in Prague, nodding to the Bohemian musical tradition that we have continued to cultivate under our principal conductor Jakub Hrůša. The forms adopted by Czech composers such as Dvořák and Janáček have inspired Schachtner to write a sequence of several connected movements rather than employ the traditional classical-romantic solo concerto structure. Jazz influences can be heard in the concerto, too – we can’t wait for its premiere! Dvořák's most famous contribution to the symphonic genre is marked by a similar sense of a new beginning: his cultural mission for his sojourn in the "New World" was to create an American national music – for in contrast to Europe with its centuries-long musical tradition, there had been no major developments in the field of classical music in the “land of unlimited possibilities”.
After the BRSO was invited to perform in Bamberg last October, the Bamberg Symphony has now accepted our invitation to perform a concert. Chief Conductor Jakub Hrůša, a highly popular and regular guest conductor with the BRSO, will lead the Bamberg Symphony in an unusual program, about which he remarks: “I love surprises and breaking with conventions, as long as they are done in a subtle way.” The program includes Shostakovich’s rarely performed Eleventh Symphony that serves as a cautionary and thought-provoking response to the “eternal question of existence” already posed in Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question. In addition, the exceptional Korean violinist Bomsori Kim, winner of the 2013 ARD Music Competition, will appear for the first time in a BRSO concert series and perform Korngold’s Violin Concerto.
The BRSO is giving its début in Gasteig’s Interim Quarter with Jakub Hrůša and the violinist Isabelle Faust, who recently thrilled Munich audiences with her readings of Adámek, Schoenberg, Eötvös and others. Now she will play the Britten concerto of 1939, a work whose symphonic earnestness and luscious violin writing place it among the foremost violin concertos of the 20th century. In addition to the insolent and brilliant First Symphony, an examination piece from the 19-year-old Shostakovich, Jakub Hrůša will introduce us to a composer from his own Czech homeland who suffered the fate of being at the wrong place at the wrong time: Miloslav Kabeláč (1908–1979). Kabeláč was unable to come to terms with the totalitarian regimes under which his country suffered, and has remained a barely heard voice as a result. In its spacious and ingeniously constructed overarching crescendo, The Mystery of Time (1957) has a magnetic power similar to that of Ravel’s Boléro.
The BRSO is giving its début in Gasteig’s Interim Quarter with Jakub Hrůša and the violinist Isabelle Faust, who recently thrilled Munich audiences with her readings of Adámek, Schoenberg, Eötvös and others. Now she will play the Britten concerto of 1939, a work whose symphonic earnestness and luscious violin writing place it among the foremost violin concertos of the 20th century. In addition to the insolent and brilliant First Symphony, an examination piece from the 19-year-old Shostakovich, Jakub Hrůša will introduce us to a composer from his own Czech homeland who suffered the fate of being at the wrong place at the wrong time: Miloslav Kabeláč (1908–1979). Kabeláč was unable to come to terms with the totalitarian regimes under which his country suffered, and has remained a barely heard voice as a result. In its spacious and ingeniously constructed overarching crescendo, The Mystery of Time (1957) has a magnetic power similar to that of Ravel’s Boléro.
Experience a guaranteed sound rush when the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and Ray Chen tackle Tchaikovsky's luscious Violin Concerto. The top violinist presents himself as always both virtuosic and approachable. Ray Chen, also a social media star, believes musicians should be ambassadors for their art, making classical music accessible through entertaining videos and flawless performances.
Jakub Hrůša ist nicht nur einer der besten Dirigenten der Gegenwart. Der charismatische Tscheche ist auch bekannt dafür, in klug durchdachten Konzertprogrammen neue Perspektiven auf vermeintlich Altbekanntes zu eröffnen. In seinem Konzert darf man sich nun auf ein echtes Paradebeispiel dieser besonderen Kunst freuen: Gemeinsam mit den Bamberger Symphonikern widmet sich Hrůša Beethovens »Pastorale« und Richard Strauss’ »Alpensinfonie« – zwei spektakulären orchestralen Naturschauspielen, die die Grenzen des in ihrer Zeit musikalisch Möglichen klanggewaltig hinter sich ließen. Gerade Strauss stellt in seiner monumental besetzten »Alpensinfonie« nicht nur seinen Rang als Komponist unter Beweis, sondern auch seine genialen Fähigkeiten als Instrumentator, der den riesigen Orchesterapparat in allen Farben schimmern und strahlen lässt.
The most valuable prize in music competitions is always the amazed and participating audience. This was no different 75 years ago, when the Bach world commemorated the 200th anniversary of the composer's death and the Bach Competition was held for the first time in Leipzig, the site of the central celebrations. Brahms, a connoisseur and admirer of Bach's music, paid homage to it in various ways. Honegger's Symphony No. 2, written during the occupation of Paris in 1941, reflects the composer's distress over the world war. The finale, infused with Bach-like polyphony, culminates in a trumpet fanfare and a chorale melody radiating hope and reconciliation.
The most valuable prize in music competitions is always the amazed and participating audience. This was no different 75 years ago, when the Bach world commemorated the 200th anniversary of the composer's death and the Bach Competition was held for the first time in Leipzig, the site of the central celebrations. Brahms, a connoisseur and admirer of Bach's music, paid homage to it in various ways. Honegger's Symphony No. 2, written during the occupation of Paris in 1941, reflects the composer's distress over the world war. The finale, infused with Bach-like polyphony, culminates in a trumpet fanfare and a chorale melody radiating hope and reconciliation.
Under the baton of our Chief Conductor, we take our listeners on musical soul-searchings through emotional highs and lows: We combine two sonic legacies revolving around heroes – and there is a connection between them. As Romain Rolland said admiringly of Beethoven: »You are the embodiment of heroism in all of modern art. You give us your bravery, your faith that struggle is bliss.« Due to the political events around Napoleon, numerous myths surround Beethoven’s »Eroica«. The symphony was initially dedicated to the Frenchman – but even Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind in ancient times, is a possible candidate as the hero. And it is also possible that this instrumental journey may even retrace Beethoven's own fate. For the generations that followed, the famous Helden-Symphonie has remained a powerful memory – including for Richard Strauss, who almost a century later referred to the model in a way that was both playful and serious: »Ein Heldenleben« is set in E-flat major, like the »Eroica«, and displays autobiographical characteristics. In the meantime, Strauss even referred to it as a »heroic symphony«. The result is a very haunting work: at the beginning, the protagonist confronts his adversaries – the malicious envious and presumptuous know-it-alls and supposedly the nagging music critics of that time. For peace of mind, the hero then ultimately flees the world with his beloved mate. Strauss gave numerous hints about the detailed content of the symphonic poem – but what was important to him was its central message: »It is enough to know that it portrays a hero in combat with his enemies.«
Under the baton of our Chief Conductor, we take our listeners on musical soul-searchings through emotional highs and lows: We combine two sonic legacies revolving around heroes – and there is a connection between them. As Romain Rolland said admiringly of Beethoven: »You are the embodiment of heroism in all of modern art. You give us your bravery, your faith that struggle is bliss.« Due to the political events around Napoleon, numerous myths surround Beethoven’s »Eroica«. The symphony was initially dedicated to the Frenchman – but even Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind in ancient times, is a possible candidate as the hero. And it is also possible that this instrumental journey may even retrace Beethoven's own fate. For the generations that followed, the famous Helden-Symphonie has remained a powerful memory – including for Richard Strauss, who almost a century later referred to the model in a way that was both playful and serious: »Ein Heldenleben« is set in E-flat major, like the »Eroica«, and displays autobiographical characteristics. In the meantime, Strauss even referred to it as a »heroic symphony«. The result is a very haunting work: at the beginning, the protagonist confronts his adversaries – the malicious envious and presumptuous know-it-alls and supposedly the nagging music critics of that time. For peace of mind, the hero then ultimately flees the world with his beloved mate. Strauss gave numerous hints about the detailed content of the symphonic poem – but what was important to him was its central message: »It is enough to know that it portrays a hero in combat with his enemies.«
Concert Pulse