Keywords: Subscription Concert, Symphony Concert
| Joshua Weilerstein | Conductor |
| Vilde Frang | Violin |
| Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks |
| Igor Stravinsky | Violin Concerto in D major |
| Dmitri Shostakovich | Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47 |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
At times melancholic and rugged, at others with a dance-like lightness: Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony presents a broad spectrum of contrasting moods, infused with the unmistakable colouring of Czech folk music. Kirill Petrenko also conducts Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Vilde Frang as the soloist. Exiled from his native Vienna, Korngold brought his lush late romantic harmonic language to Hollywood; in this piece, his film music can be heard again and again. Sergei Rachmaninov’s mystical tone poem The Isle of the Dead takes us into yet another hypnotic sound world.
At times melancholic and rugged, at others with a dance-like lightness: Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony presents a broad spectrum of contrasting moods, infused with the unmistakable colouring of Czech folk music. Kirill Petrenko also conducts Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Vilde Frang as the soloist. Exiled from his native Vienna, Korngold brought his lush late romantic harmonic language to Hollywood; in this piece, his film music can be heard again and again. Sergei Rachmaninov’s mystical tone poem The Isle of the Dead takes us into yet another hypnotic sound world.
At times melancholic and rugged, at others with a dance-like lightness: Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony presents a broad spectrum of contrasting moods, infused with the unmistakable colouring of Czech folk music. Kirill Petrenko also conducts Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Violin Concerto with Vilde Frang as the soloist. Exiled from his native Vienna, Korngold brought his lush late romantic harmonic language to Hollywood; in this piece, his film music can be heard again and again. Sergei Rachmaninov’s mystical tone poem The Isle of the Dead takes us into yet another hypnotic sound world.
Both Klaus Mäkelä and Vilde Frang launched their international careers with the Oslo Philharmonic. The charismatic Finn was appointed chief conductor of the orchestra at the age of 22 and violinist Frang performed as a soloist in her native Oslo at the early age of twelve. Now they join forces in Hamburg to play Igor Stravinsky’s lively violin concerto. This is followed after the interval by Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. The two pieces could not be more different. Stravinsky’s neoclassical concerto sparkles with humour and joy – it is often seen as a parody of the genre. Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, on the other hand, deals with life’s great topics. As in the Beethoven, fate descends on listeners with a powerful fanfare at the very beginning. Tchaikovsky did not deny the parallels with his great idol and his »Fate Symphony«: »Basically, my symphony is an imitation of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.«
»If music be the food of love, play on!« William Shakespeare once wrote – and in the same spirit, Jakub Hrůša, as our musical »chef de cuisine«, has once again put together sumptuous treats for our audience that unmistakably carry his personal signature. And we start off with a delicacy: With Brahms’ concerto, composed in 1887, which is much more than just a small appetiser – and also follows a quote by Adelbert von Chamisso, that says: »Love is not a solo. Love is a duet.« For the two celebrated soloists Vilde Frang and Sol Gabetta, it was a heartfelt wish to perform this double concerto together at some point – and they will certainly add their artistic flavours to blend into a »giant eight-stringed violin« in accordance with the composer’s wishes. The musical menu also features works by two other favourite composers of our Chief Conductor: Martinů’s Symphony No. 3, which he wrote in 1944 while in exile in America, contains echoes of the folk music of his Czech homeland, as well as skilfully processing the zeitgeist of that time – and, most importantly, indulging in great emotions. After this mighty symphony, we serve Dvořák’s »Scherzo capriccioso«, because Jakub Hrůša loves to break with the conventions of a traditional concert programme time and again. The name already suggests a playfully tossed-together dish and this imaginative, lavishly orchestrated and skilfully crafted scherzo from 1883 is not so little, but it is still a charming nightcap: it is one of the many captivating works from Dvořák’s pen to win people’s hearts by storm.
»If music be the food of love, play on!« William Shakespeare once wrote – and in the same spirit, Jakub Hrůša, as our musical »chef de cuisine«, has once again put together sumptuous treats for our audience that unmistakably carry his personal signature. And we start off with a delicacy: With Brahms’ concerto, composed in 1887, which is much more than just a small appetiser – and also follows a quote by Adelbert von Chamisso, that says: »Love is not a solo. Love is a duet.« For the two celebrated soloists Vilde Frang and Sol Gabetta, it was a heartfelt wish to perform this double concerto together at some point – and they will certainly add their artistic flavours to blend into a »giant eight-stringed violin« in accordance with the composer’s wishes. The musical menu also features works by two other favourite composers of our Chief Conductor: Martinů’s Symphony No. 3, which he wrote in 1944 while in exile in America, contains echoes of the folk music of his Czech homeland, as well as skilfully processing the zeitgeist of that time – and, most importantly, indulging in great emotions. After this mighty symphony, we serve Dvořák’s »Scherzo capriccioso«, because Jakub Hrůša loves to break with the conventions of a traditional concert programme time and again. The name already suggests a playfully tossed-together dish and this imaginative, lavishly orchestrated and skilfully crafted scherzo from 1883 is not so little, but it is still a charming nightcap: it is one of the many captivating works from Dvořák’s pen to win people’s hearts by storm.
More Sibelius! What fortune! After the Lemminkäinen Suite, we first take a wild ride through the night and into the liberating sunrise the Finnish composer evokes in his symphonic poem, before finally immersing ourselves in the splendid soundworld of his Fifth Symphony. Sibelius searched for this special sound throughout his life. It took him three attempts and a total of five years to complete this work, which he described as “wrestling with God.” Placed between the ride and the wrestling is a composition by Thomas Larcher, whose music The Times praised as “one of this century’s wonders”: returning into darkness is a work written for cellist Alisa Weilerstein, who recently premiered it with the New York Philharmonic. The European premiere will be performed by the BRSO conducted by Alan Gilbert.
More Sibelius! What fortune! After the Lemminkäinen Suite, we first take a wild ride through the night and into the liberating sunrise the Finnish composer evokes in his symphonic poem, before finally immersing ourselves in the splendid soundworld of his Fifth Symphony. Sibelius searched for this special sound throughout his life. It took him three attempts and a total of five years to complete this work, which he described as “wrestling with God.” Placed between the ride and the wrestling is a composition by Thomas Larcher, whose music The Times praised as “one of this century’s wonders”: returning into darkness is a work written for cellist Alisa Weilerstein, who recently premiered it with the New York Philharmonic. The European premiere will be performed by the BRSO conducted by Alan Gilbert.
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