Classical Hour Dalia Stasevska Antonín Dvořák

Classical Hour Klaus Mäkelä Dmitri Shostakovich

In 1955, Dmitri Shostakovich planned to write a symphony for the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1905. Symphony No. 11 was not ready until the 40th anniversary of the 1917 Russian Revolution in 1957, but the symphony was still named “The Year 1905”.On the surface, the symphony is in line with the authorities’ view. Still, Shostakovich’s use of freedom songs from the prison gave many associations to current events: the composer is said to have suggested that the music was a response to the Soviet Union’s brutal invasion of Hungary in 1956.The symphony opens with the eerie atmosphere in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg on the eve of the revolution. The second movement describes the brutal massacre on “the bloody Sunday”. The third movement is based on a revolutionary mournful march, while the powerful final movement ambiguously celebrates the revolution’s future triumph.

Classical Hour Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider Pyotr Tchaikovsky

“The music from this ballet will become one of my best works. The subject is so poetic, so well suited to music, that I was entirely engrossed in composing it, and wrote with an ardor and passion which always results,” wrote Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1841-1893) during the work with Sleeping Beauty.With Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky set a completely new standard for the ballet genre and greatly raised the status of ballet music. Sleeping Beauty premiered in 1890. The Sleeping Beauty Suite, composed after his death, features five orchestral excerpts from the ballet.

Brahms Dvořák

Brahms Dvořák

Dvořák 9

One symphony isn't a symphony, while the other is among the most famous. Stravinsky's "Wind Symphony" may surprise. Dvořák's "New World" Symphony captivates with its Bohemian romanticism, influenced by New York. Its popular adagio features a catchy English horn solo. Stravinsky's work is rhythmically sharp and melodically cutting. Thierry Escaich's cello concerto is like a Bach-inspired aria. Concert duration: about 120 minutes including intermission.

Dvořák 9

One symphony isn't a symphony, while the other is among the most famous. Stravinsky's "Wind Symphony" may surprise. Dvořák's "New World" Symphony captivates with its Bohemian romanticism, influenced by New York. Its popular adagio features a catchy English horn solo. Stravinsky's work is rhythmically sharp and melodically cutting. Thierry Escaich's cello concerto is like a Bach-inspired aria. Concert duration: about 120 minutes including intermission.

Classical Hour Joana Mallwitz Francesco Piemontesi Sergei Rachmaninoff

In 1909, Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) traveled on his first US tour. He brought along a newly written piece—Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor. He was the soloist at the premiere in New York, not knowing that he would emigrate to the US nine years later after the Russian Revolution.Piano Concerto No. 3 opens with a simple, melancholic melody, but during the next 45 minutes, the soloist must master some of the most spectacular music ever written for the piano. Few pianists tried it in the first years, but it gradually became more popular and performed.

Classical Hour Eivind Aadland Paul Lewis Ludwig van Beethoven

Already at 13, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was so skilled at the piano that he could earn his own money as a musician in the court orchestra in his hometown of Bonn. And he had enough confidence as a composer to start writing a piano concerto.Like Mozart, Beethoven used his concerts to demonstrate that he was the best pianist of his time. His role model also inspired the music, but Beethoven’s distinctive features, such as strong contrasts and dramatic shifts, are clear already in the first concertos.Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat Major was premiered in Leipzig in 1811. At this time, Beethoven had lost so much of his hearing that he could not play himself. The piano concerto opens with a powerful and impressive prelude for the soloist and was, therefore, nicknamed “the Emperor Concerto.”

Smetana and Dvorák

The oceans, lakes, streams, and rivers have always been important sources of inspiration for artists, poets, and composers. In the famous Moldau by Smetana, celebrating its 200th anniversary, we hear how the babbling smaller streams wind their way through the landscape before flowing together into the mighty river. The melody comes from an old folk song that we recognize as Ack Värmeland, du sköna. Perhaps Smetana heard the melody when he was working as a conductor in Gothenburg in the 1850s?Like Smetana, Antonín Dvorák was from Czechia. In both their music, Czech culture and nature are important ingredients. Dvorák had great international success during his lifetime, being appointed, for example, as a composition professor in New York. His Symphony No. 9, From the New World, is the most famous, but many consider the seventh symphony to be one of his very best works.The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by German conductor Ruth Reinhardt – currently involved in the Royal Swedish Opera's production of Verdi's La traviata in spring 2024. She made her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at a summer concert in 2018.

Haydn and Dvorák

Due to illness, cellist Amalie Stalheim has been forced to cancel. This also results in a programme change for tonight's concert. Instead of Grażyna Bacewicz’s First Cello Concerto, we will hear the German cellist Julian Steckel perform Haydn’s First Cello Concerto.The seas, lakes, streams, and rivers have always been important sources of inspiration for artists, poets, and composers. In Smetana's famous Moldau, celebrating its 200th anniversary, we hear how the bubbling smaller streams meander through the landscape before merging into the mighty river. The melody comes from an old folk song that we recognize as Ack Värmeland, du sköna. Perhaps Smetana heard the melody when he was working as a conductor in Gothenburg in the 1850s?Like Smetana, Antonín Dvorák was from Czechia. In both their music, Czech culture and nature are important ingredients. Dvorák had great international success during his lifetime and was appointed, for example, as a composition professor in New York. His Symphony No. 9, "From the New World", is the most famous, but many consider his seventh symphony to be one of his very best works.Julian Steckel steps in at the last minute as the soloist in a true classic: Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major – a masterpiece that disappeared and was rediscovered almost 200 years later, in the mid-20th century (incidentally, in Prague, which adds a Czech connection to the programme). The renowned German cellist Julian Steckel is admired for his emotional depth and communication with audiences. His career took off after winning the ARD Music Competition in 2010, and since then, he has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras.The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra is led by German conductor Ruth Reinhardt – currently involved in the Royal Swedish Opera's production of Verdi's La traviata in spring 2024. She made her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra at a summer concert in 2018.