Sir Donald with Mahler

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 Debussy

Claude Debussy's "Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune" is a masterpiece of Impressionism. Inspired by a poem by the Symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé, the music paints the picture of a dreaming faun on a warm afternoon. With floating flute sounds and gentle harmonies, Debussy transports us into a world between dream and reality – a sensory delight in sound. Not many works of the 20th century are as naturally included in concert programs today as the music of Maurice Duruflé, who passed away in 1986. Particularly his sacred vocal music continues to enjoy enduring popularity, surely also due to its accessible musical language. Duruflé had little interest in breaking with tradition; in his 1947 Requiem, he engaged with the model of the two generations older Gabriel Fauré and let his enthusiasm for Gregorian chant run free. However, the work is not backward-looking: Contrary to the operatic settings of the Requiem in the 19th century, Duruflé focused less on the pains of the Last Judgment and more on the otherworldly redemption. Chief conductor Sir Donald Runnicles and the MDR Radio Choir infuse this work with a special intensity through their sensitivity and beauty of sound.

Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Sir Simon Rattle

»The truth about Mozart’s music is that it’s deeply emotional and passionate and dark and menacing and happy like no other music that has ever been written«, says no lesser figure than Sir Simon Rattle. Now the rostrum star presents all these facets in two concerts with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra devoted to Mozart’s symphonic legacy. »Extreme human emotions crowd into the smallest space here«, says Rattle. Extremes that can now be heard live in the Elbphilharmonie tonight. »No commission, no specific intention« motivated Mozart to write his last three symphonies – thus Mozart biographer Alfred Einstein. Composed in the space of a single year, they should be understood rather as »an appeal to eternity«. Either way, these are pinnacles of the classical symphony repertoire, where the composer displayed his entire palette one more time. For their guest appearance at the Elbphilharmonie Rattle and the »MCO« have chosen the sunny Symphony in E flat and the brilliant C major Symphony, better known as the » Jupiter«.

Sir Simon Rattle and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Mozart’s Last Symphonies

Mozart’s final three symphonies reveal the composer at the absolute height of his powers, while invoking in listeners the most diverse moods and emotions. Symphony No. 39 encompasses both tension and splendour, No. 40 is full of mystery and drama, while the “Jupiter” echoes with both solemnity and triumph. Simon Rattle and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra share a special affinity for these works, which they approach with verve, transparency and a rich sense of tonal variety.

Entrée-Essentials: Mahler with Klaus Mäkelä

The Essentials series introduces you to the masterpieces you will be happy to know, performed by the world-famous Concertgebouw Orchestra and complete with a lively introduction by the incomparable Thomas Vanderveken. At Essentials we welcome a new generation of music lovers, and the concerts typically have a pleasant informal atmosphere.A Mahler symphony performed by the Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by its artistic partner Klaus Mäkelä is a downright sensation! When Gustav Mahler came to Amsterdam to conduct the Dutch premiere of his First Symphony in 1903, a close collaboration started – so began the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s much-vaunted Mahler tradition. Klaus Mäkelä steps into that tradition with respect and self-confidence. He previously gave stunning interpretations of the Sixth and the Third, now it is time for the First, which he calls Mahler's 'pastoral’ symphony: ‘I’ve always been attracted to its imaginative beauty, and its freshness. The expression is extremely clear, and it contains all the elements of his later work.’Essentials starts at 9 p.m. with an imaginative introduction to the programme (in Dutch).

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle

Asia tour with Sir Simon Rattle