Keywords: Subscription Concert, Symphony Concert
| Jakub Hrůša | Conductor |
| Lisa Batiashvili | Violin |
| Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks |
| “Les fresques de Piero della Francesca” | Bohuslav Martinů |
| Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47 | Jean Sibelius |
| Symphony No. 1 | Bohuslav Martinů |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
The Bamberger Symphoniker, whose Chief Conductor is Jakub Hrůša, has affectionately entitled its season “What we love.” And Hrůša loves the Eastern European canon, so he will present a trio of Eastern European composers (from the Czech Republic and Poland) in Munich: Janáček, Wieniawski, and Lutosławski. “When we love something, when we are really convinced of something, our natural impulse is to share it with others,” says Hrůša regarding Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, a major work from the 1950s that was celebrated already at its premiere. There is also music from Osud, which is peppered with melodies typical of Janáček. And between those works is the impressive, romantic Second Violin Concerto, with which Wieniawski has captivated the greatest violinists in history – including Joshua Bell.
The Bamberger Symphoniker, whose Chief Conductor is Jakub Hrůša, has affectionately entitled its season “What we love.” And Hrůša loves the Eastern European canon, so he will present a trio of Eastern European composers (from the Czech Republic and Poland) in Munich: Janáček, Wieniawski, and Lutosławski. “When we love something, when we are really convinced of something, our natural impulse is to share it with others,” says Hrůša regarding Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra, a major work from the 1950s that was celebrated already at its premiere. There is also music from Osud, which is peppered with melodies typical of Janáček. And between those works is the impressive, romantic Second Violin Concerto, with which Wieniawski has captivated the greatest violinists in history – including Joshua Bell.
Lisa Batiashvili has enjoyed international success as the soloist in Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto. However, she has never played the piece with the Berliner Philharmoniker before. To perform the concerto as part of her residency is therefore a special event; “There is a great Brahms tradition here, characterised by a warm, dark sound and precise articulation,” she says. “I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in the Brahms sound of the orchestra.” The conductor is Daniel Harding, standing in for an indisposed Daniel Barenboim. Harding will also conduct Beethoven’s Fifth, a symphony that epitomises classicism in music.
Lisa Batiashvili has enjoyed international success as the soloist in Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto. However, she has never played the piece with the Berliner Philharmoniker before. To perform the concerto as part of her residency is therefore a special event; “There is a great Brahms tradition here, characterised by a warm, dark sound and precise articulation,” she says. “I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in the Brahms sound of the orchestra.” The conductor is Daniel Harding, standing in for an indisposed Daniel Barenboim. Harding will also conduct Beethoven’s Fifth, a symphony that epitomises classicism in music.
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.
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”.
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.«
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