Sir Donald with Debussy

Sir Donald with Brahms

With this concert, Sir Donald Runnicles assumes his position as chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic and simultaneously opens our British Festival. The evening, full of European and British music history, begins with Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis," a deeply emotional and majestic piece that highlights the beauty of the English music tradition. William Walton's Concerto for Viola and Orchestra puts the larger sister of the violin in the spotlight. With virtuosic solo passages and dynamic orchestral accompaniment, this piece creates goosebump moments and showcases the viola in all its versatility and expressiveness. The crowning finale is Johannes Brahms' Fourth Symphony, a masterpiece that initially faced challenges at its inception. Its beginning appeared too abstract to contemporaries. Today, 140 years after its creation, the poetry of this beginning, the exuberance of the third movement, and the solemnity of the finale make Brahms' Fourth one of the most beloved symphonies of all time.

Sir Donald with Holst

James MacMillan is Scottish, just like our chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles. Both have known and respected each other for many years, so it is no wonder that MacMillan dedicated one of his symphonies to his friend. This symphony, the fourth of our Composer in Residence, contains everything that defines his composing style: opulent melodies stand alongside rich soundscapes, tight marches alongside harmonies reminiscent of Bach. The listeners are not safe from apparent coincidences - perhaps not surprising, considering MacMillan is a big football fan and loves the unpredictability of the game. In addition, one of the most popular symphonic works in English music, Holst's "The Planets," will be performed - continuing our British Festival with this concert.

Sir Donald with Mahler

When Beethoven wrote his Fifth and final piano concerto in 1809, Vienna was besieged by Napoleon's troops. The sounds of war and economic uncertainty – his patron Archduke Rudolf had left the city – influenced the creation of the work. Beethoven composed a piano concerto with an exceptionally new form for the time, in which the soloist alternates between heroic and peaceful moments. Despite the difficult circumstances, the work does not reflect fatalism, but rather a solemn struggle for freedom and against oppression. Gustav Mahler's First Symphony also reflects intense personal experiences. His unhappy love for the singer Johanna Richter inspired him to create the "Songs of a Wayfarer," from which he incorporated motifs into the first and third movements of the symphony. In an emotional state of exception, Mahler completed the symphony in just six weeks. The premiere in Budapest in 1889 was met with incomprehension, prompting Mahler to revise the work multiple times. Today, it is among his most frequently performed symphonies.

Debussy Wagner Berlioz

Debussy Wagner Berlioz

Chan, Chaieb ・C. Debussy, Ravel, Bonis

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle