Hommage an Heifetz

Hommage au trio d’anches

Single or double, the reed is a delicate strip of the plant from which it takes its name, whose vibration also enriches woodwind instruments. A complementary blend of timbres, the subtlety of three-part chamber music: a repertoire to be (re)discovered and savoured!

An Alpine Symphony

Franz Schubert was only around 17–18 years old when he wrote his second symphony. Yet it is an impressive work in the spirit of Beethoven. In other words, it is music full of contrasts and captivating melodies.The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Franz Welser-Möst, who in 2018 was awarded the title Eric Ericson Honorary Chair. Since 2020, he regularly conducts the orchestra. It is a collaboration that follows the bond that developed between the orchestra and conductor during the initial concerts together, and has deepened over the years.A composer who holds a special place in Welser-Möst's heart is Richard Strauss. Here, he leads the orchestra in An Alpine Symphony, which, despite the title, is not a traditional symphony but a tone poem that depicts a dramatic journey up and down an Alpine mountain, with changing weather and nature immersions. To portray the adventure, Strauss prescribes an enormous orchestra – including cowbells, wind and thunder machines, and an extra-large brass section.

An Alpine Symphony

Franz Schubert was only around 17–18 years old when he wrote his second symphony. Yet it is an impressive work in the spirit of Beethoven. In other words, it is music full of contrasts and captivating melodies.The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by Franz Welser-Möst, who in 2018 was awarded the title Eric Ericson Honorary Chair. Since 2020, he regularly conducts the orchestra. It is a collaboration that follows the bond that developed between the orchestra and conductor during the initial concerts together, and has deepened over the years.A composer who holds a special place in Welser-Möst's heart is Richard Strauss. Here, he leads the orchestra in An Alpine Symphony, which, despite the title, is not a traditional symphony but a tone poem that depicts a dramatic journey up and down an Alpine mountain, with changing weather and nature immersions. To portray the adventure, Strauss prescribes an enormous orchestra – including cowbells, wind and thunder machines, and an extra-large brass section.

An Alpine Symphony

Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word for Strauss’s Alpine Symphony. No composer tells a story quite like Richard Strauss – or paints a picture in more fabulous sounds. So when he set out to depict the majesty of the Bavarian Alps, the results are … well, hear for yourself as Edward Gardner and a specially-enlarged LPO conquer the summit of Strauss’s mighty Alpine Symphony. Waterfalls, glaciers, an ear-splitting storm – spectacular isn’t the word. But first, enjoy the fresh Nordic melodies of Grieg’s famous Piano Concerto, played by a true rising star, and hear Pasajes by LPO Composer-in-Residence Tania León, which evokes memories of her youth, blending Latin American melodies, Caribbean rhythms and vibrant Carnaval dances.

An Evening of Songs

Piotr Beczała, photo: Jean-Baptiste Millot The programme of he recital will be announced at a later date.

An Evening with Fuse

The SummerConcerts powered by VriendenLoterij present two months of wonderful concerts, from classical to jazz and from pop music to film scores. Top musicians from the Netherlands and around the world bring you all your favourite classical pieces, as well as tributes to Leonard Cohen and The Beatles, and all your favourite film music.We also present a host of young talent in our summer concerts, including youth orchestras from South Africa and Turkey, and top young classical soloists. After many of the concerts, we offer a meet-and-greet with the artists in an informal setting, or an afterparty with DJ in the Entrance Hall. In one of the world’s finest concert halls, there’s something for everyone this summer at The Concertgebouw!

Orgelstunde an Christi Himmelfahrt

SOLD OUT: An Alpine Symphony

Richard Strauss once gave a beautiful description of one of the tricks he used in his composition process: “If I get stuck at a certain point in the evening while composing, and it does not seem possible to produce anything decent, no matter how hard I think, then I close the piano or my sketchbook, go to sleep, and when I wake up in the morning, I know how to continue!" His Alpine Symphony, premiered in 1915, was composed in a mere 100 days. Inspired by Nietzsche's polemical book "The Antichrist", Strauss created an opulent musical portrait of the various stations and scenes of an adventurous hike through the mountains, with an orchestral line-up including cowbells, an organ, and thunder and wind machines. This tone poem is a sonorous journey through nature and its creations – which is why a contemporary said admiringly of Strauss: "He has learned that music should not just illuminate our nights for all eternity, but that it should be like the sun." Before this musical ascent to the mountain peaks, conducted by Semyon Bychkov, our orchestra and the gifted pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque will perform the Double Concerto by Bohuslav Martinů, who was considered one of the most original Czech composers of the 20th century and described as “a creator who performs magic with new worlds." Jazz influences have left their mark on this work, but delightful tunes from Czech folk music also make an appearance. This truly stirring piece is proof that great creations are possible even under adverse circumstances: Martinů wrote it during the Second World War after fleeing to the United States, where he grappled increasingly with existential questions about the meaning of human life.

SOLD OUT: An Alpine Symphony

Richard Strauss once gave a beautiful description of one of the tricks he used in his composition process: “If I get stuck at a certain point in the evening while composing, and it does not seem possible to produce anything decent, no matter how hard I think, then I close the piano or my sketchbook, go to sleep, and when I wake up in the morning, I know how to continue!" His Alpine Symphony, premiered in 1915, was composed in a mere 100 days. Inspired by Nietzsche's polemical book "The Antichrist", Strauss created an opulent musical portrait of the various stations and scenes of an adventurous hike through the mountains, with an orchestral line-up including cowbells, an organ, and thunder and wind machines. This tone poem is a sonorous journey through nature and its creations – which is why a contemporary said admiringly of Strauss: "He has learned that music should not just illuminate our nights for all eternity, but that it should be like the sun." Before this musical ascent to the mountain peaks, conducted by Semyon Bychkov, our orchestra and the gifted pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque will perform the Double Concerto by Bohuslav Martinů, who was considered one of the most original Czech composers of the 20th century and described as “a creator who performs magic with new worlds." Jazz influences have left their mark on this work, but delightful tunes from Czech folk music also make an appearance. This truly stirring piece is proof that great creations are possible even under adverse circumstances: Martinů wrote it during the Second World War after fleeing to the United States, where he grappled increasingly with existential questions about the meaning of human life.

An evening with Renée Fleming

It always feels good to make music with friends – and when that friend is soprano Renée Fleming, you just know that something extra-special is on the cards. No introduction is required for one of the LPO’s best-loved guests, the American soprano whose personality lights up the world’s greatest stages and whose voice has been compared to double cream. ‘Unforgettable’ was how one critic described her 2022 Gala with the LPO, and tonight she returns to sing Richard Strauss’s radiant Four Last Songs. Music that never grows old, sung by one of the supreme voices of our time.