Marta Gardolińska Jeneba Kanneh-Mason Joseph Haydn Florence Price Ludwig van Beethoven

Joseph Haydn – Die Tageszeiten

Musical works of Joseph Haydn , Johann Baptist Vanhal

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.When Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792, the first attempt was left in the desk drawer. In the suitcase was Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Major, which he wrote late in the 1780s and revised for years. It was not printed until 1801, after Piano Concerto No. 1.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.In the beginning, Beethoven always played the soloist part himself, and he played it from memory—the part was not even written down. None of the piano concertos was printed until 1801. He most likely wrote Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor in 1800 and played it for the first time in 1803.

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.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was Beethoven’s great role model. In the 1780s, Mozart dazzled Vienna as a soloist in his own piano concertos. In 1795, Beethoven gave his debut concert in the city, probably with the newly written Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major on the program.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.When he finished his Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major in 1806, Beethoven was a mature and recognized composer. He premiered the work at a major concert in Vienna just before Christmas in 1808, and it was a great success. This is the most poetic of the five, beginning softly with the piano alone.

Guest performance Piano Sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven

Czech Philharmonic / Sheku Kanneh-Mason / Jakub Hrůša

Following a brilliant Elbphilharmonie debut in 2019 with »his« Bamberg Symphony, conductor Jakub Hrůša has become a popular regular visitor to the Elbphilharmonie. From his Czech homeland, he not only brings undoubtedly its best orchestra, but also provides a wonderful programme. This evening’s soloist is the young talented star Sheku Kanneh-Mason performing an all-time favourite cello concerto. Dvořák’s Cello Concerto is one of the most frequently performed cello concertos of all, although Dvořák apparently considered the instrument no more than »a piece of wood that screeches at the top and drones at the bottom«. Yet, the composer must have secretly loved the cello because this composition is captivating with enchanting songlike melodies, great dramatic progressions and delicately lyrical passages. This evening’s soloist is 24-year-old British rising star Sheku Kanneh-Mason, winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician award. This piece with its virtuoso leaps and technical intricacies offers him many possibilities to demonstrate the qualities of this instrument. »The music saved me!« writes Josef Suk, who dedicated the »Asrael« Symphony to two dear relatives, who had recently passed away. The work is named after the archangel who, in Islam, guides the souls of the dead to paradise. It is a work of magnificent beauty; despair and grief meet poetically transfiguring memory. Funeral March, Dance of Death, tender portrait of his wife – the music is so emotionally powerful that one wonders why Suk has not (yet) achieved the popularity of his contemporary Gustav Mahler or his father-in-law Antonín Dvořák!

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.”

Roberto Gonzalez-Monjas Hilary Hahn Jean Sibelius Antonín Dvořák Ludwig van Beethoven

“It’s lush, it’s romantic, it has conflict and lightness. There is a physicality to this piece that’s really fun.” This is how tonight’s soloist Hilary Hahn described Antonín Dvořáks Violin Concerto when she recorded the piece in 2022. Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) played the violin, and worked as an orchestral violist for ten years before his breakthrough as a composer. The Violin Concerto in A minor from 1883 is, like much of Dvořák’s music, strongly influenced by Czech musical heritage, with lively melodies and strong contrasts. The concert opens with the short but eventful orchestral piece Pan and Ekho from 1906 by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). The piece is based on Greek mythology and the wild god Pan’s romantic advances towards the unhappy nymph Ekho, who can only repeat what others say.Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) started working on his Symphony No. 7 during a refreshing stay in the spa town of Teplitz. He conducted the symphony premiere in 1813 at a charity concert for wounded soldiers who had returned from the Napoleonic Wars. After Napoleon’s failed crusade toward Russia, the tides had turned. Symphony No. 7 was premiered along with a piece celebrating the Battle of Vitoria. The concert hit the zeitgeist perfectly and was a huge success. Beethoven referred to the symphony as one of his best works. The symphony opens with a slow, suggestive introduction. The melancholic second movement Allegretto is the symphony’s most famous – at the first concerts it was cheered as an encore. The last movement is perhaps the most thrilling music Beethoven wrote.

Shostakovich' Symphony No. 5 & Cello Concerto: Semyon Bychkov & Sheku Kanneh-Mason

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!