Keywords: Subscription Concert, Symphony Concert
| Marie Jacquot | Conductor |
| Antoine Tamestit | Viola |
| Overture to ›Feuerwerkmusik‹ HWV 351 | Georg Friedrich Händel |
| Viola concerto | William Walton |
| Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 73 | Johannes Brahms |
These events are similar in terms of concept, place, musicians or the program.
Large wind instrument ensembles saw their triumphs in the 18th century. Pieces called serenades were often written for them and performed to make social gatherings and dinners more pleasant, usually around 9pm. Leopold Mozart, father of Wolfgang Amadeus, wrote more than 30 such serenades. However, it was his son who achieved mastery in their composition. Gran Partita is a work of massive proportions, full of charm, delightful instrumental combinations and lovely harmonies. In Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus (and Miloš Forman's film of the same title), Salieri first grasps the genius of Mozart by listening to this very piece as he feels the boundless longing with which it is filled. When writing his Serenade for wind instruments almost a century later, Antonín Dvořák was impressed by Mozart's work, which the Adagio directly referred to in the third movement. His work combines a 'retro' style with enchantingly beautiful melodies, references to Czech folk music and a touch of romantic passion. Adam Suprynowicz Concert duration: approximately 100 minutes
Stars up close! Today, Augustin Hadelich is a world-leading violinist who conquers the world's stages and performs with the best orchestras, including the NOSPR. He returns with a chamber programme, in duo with the versatile piano virtuoso Francesco Piemontesi. Their concert, which will be dominated by French music, is designed in a modern way. There is no shortage of the canon of violin music, represented by Franck's striking, emotional, late Romantic sonata and Debussy's subtle, intimate sonata. They are accompanied by a third, wonderfully melodic sonata by Francis Poulenc. Both predecessors will shine through, as Poulenc's sounds focus their qualities like a lens because our perception changes with the context. Old French music (by de Grigny and Rameau) will indicate the roots of the work of the masters from the Seine banks mentioned above. György Kurtág's handful of short musical gestures, meanwhile, will allow us to pause for a moment to take a fresh look at what we already know. Adam Suprynowicz Concert duration (intermission included): approximately 90 minutes
The Concertgebouw’s famous Main Hall is one of the best concert halls in the world, well-known for its exceptional acoustics and special atmosphere. In the Main Hall, you will feel history. Here, Gustav Mahler conducted his own compositions, as did Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky. Sergei Rachmaninoff played his own piano concertos in the Main Hall. This is also where musicians such as Leonard Bernstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Yehudi Menuhin gave legendary performances. Right up to now, the Main Hall offers a stage to the world’s best orchestras and musicians. Buy your tickets now and experience the magic of the Main Hall for yourself!
Supporting the »wir helfen« (we help) campaign by the newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger is more than just a tradition upheld by the Gürzenich Orchestra – it is of heartfelt importance. This season, contributing to the initiative for underprivileged children and adolescents in the region, the orchestra will play a passionate concert full of deep emotions. Before giving birth to his second concerto for piano and orchestra, with its endless melodies and sweeping, intense drama, Sergei Rachmaninoff had to fight his way through a deep valley of depression and self-doubt. In the end, hypno-therapy is what helped the Russian composer dissolve his writer’s block. Against all expectations, the concerto was a great success: It offers everything ranging from chamber musical intimacy to symphonic opulence, and demands everything from the soloist, emotionally and technically. No problem for the 24-year-old Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, a sensational shooting star who has won countless prizes and travels the world. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky described his last symphony, the »Pathétique,« as his best work, as being dear to his heart. He claimed to have put »all his soul« into it. The fact that he died just a few days after the premiere amplifies the impression of someone who condenses all facets of his artistic identity and symphonic oeuvre, and puts them to paper. Yet the musical approach he chooses is absolutely surprising. One would think he might bring his last symphony to a rejoicing and triumphant end, an emphatic summary of his own highly successful career. Instead, Tchaikovsky chooses a melancholy, introspective ending – not so much a real finale as a touching farewell with many open questions, a musical »good bye« which, still today, goes straight to the heart.
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