Our Chief Conductor conducts Brahms & Dvořák

Our chief conductor conducts the "Fate Symphony"

Beethoven’s works »give everyone an optimistic mood, elevate them out of loneliness, grief, bundle their strengths scattered in day-to-day life and make them imagine what they were actually born to do«. This is the way Beethoven’s music was once described. As a benefit for the spirit, we have two of his wonderful emotional creations: The »Coriolan« Overture from 1807 is a sonorous monument full of »reflecting poetry« and entwines itself around the story of a tragic hero exiled from his homeland. One year later, he wrote his Fifth Symphony, with its many twists and turns leading up to its final triumph – whose name, »Fate Symphony«, was not coined by him. But because of its ingenious »per aspera ad astra« spirit, it certainly matches his words: »I will reach into the jaws of fate, it shall certainly not bow me down.« Both the famous motif from the Fifth and references to the »Coriolan« overture appear in the exciting work, »subito con forza«: The South Korean Unsuk Chin composed it in 2020 on the occasion of the Beethoven Year – and was inspired for it by Beethoven‘s wavering states of mind and a line from his conversation books: »Major and minor. I am a winner.« Martinůs second symphony was written in 1943 in America, where terrible news such as the brutal annihilation of the village of Lidice reached him from his dearly missed homeland. Melancholic overtones testify to his pain, but otherwise the work, including a quote from the »Marseillaise«, is widely life-affirming – possibly because of what he believed: »Music should always be full of joy, even if it is tragic.«

Our chief conductor conducts the "Fate Symphony"

Beethoven’s works »give everyone an optimistic mood, elevate them out of loneliness, grief, bundle their strengths scattered in day-to-day life and make them imagine what they were actually born to do«. This is the way Beethoven’s music was once described. As a benefit for the spirit, we have two of his wonderful emotional creations: The »Coriolan« Overture from 1807 is a sonorous monument full of »reflecting poetry« and entwines itself around the story of a tragic hero exiled from his homeland. One year later, he wrote his Fifth Symphony, with its many twists and turns leading up to its final triumph – whose name, »Fate Symphony«, was not coined by him. But because of its ingenious »per aspera ad astra« spirit, it certainly matches his words: »I will reach into the jaws of fate, it shall certainly not bow me down.« Both the famous motif from the Fifth and references to the »Coriolan« overture appear in the exciting work, »subito con forza«: The South Korean Unsuk Chin composed it in 2020 on the occasion of the Beethoven Year – and was inspired for it by Beethoven‘s wavering states of mind and a line from his conversation books: »Major and minor. I am a winner.« Martinůs second symphony was written in 1943 in America, where terrible news such as the brutal annihilation of the village of Lidice reached him from his dearly missed homeland. Melancholic overtones testify to his pain, but otherwise the work, including a quote from the »Marseillaise«, is widely life-affirming – possibly because of what he believed: »Music should always be full of joy, even if it is tragic.«

Our chief conductor conducts Beethoven and Strauss

Under the baton of our Chief Conductor, we take our listeners on musical soul-searchings through emotional highs and lows: We combine two sonic legacies revolving around heroes – and there is a connection between them. As Romain Rolland said admiringly of Beethoven: »You are the embodiment of heroism in all of modern art. You give us your bravery, your faith that struggle is bliss.« Due to the political events around Napoleon, numerous myths surround Beethoven’s »Eroica«. The symphony was initially dedicated to the Frenchman – but even Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind in ancient times, is a possible candidate as the hero. And it is also possible that this instrumental journey may even retrace Beethoven's own fate. For the generations that followed, the famous Helden-Symphonie has remained a powerful memory – including for Richard Strauss, who almost a century later referred to the model in a way that was both playful and serious: »Ein Heldenleben« is set in E-flat major, like the »Eroica«, and displays autobiographical characteristics. In the meantime, Strauss even referred to it as a »heroic symphony«. The result is a very haunting work: at the beginning, the protagonist confronts his adversaries – the malicious envious and presumptuous know-it-alls and supposedly the nagging music critics of that time. For peace of mind, the hero then ultimately flees the world with his beloved mate. Strauss gave numerous hints about the detailed content of the symphonic poem – but what was important to him was its central message: »It is enough to know that it portrays a hero in combat with his enemies.«

Brahms Dvořák

Brahms Dvořák

Our honorary conductor Herbert Blomstedt

Vincent van Gogh was of the firm belief: "If you truly love nature, you will find everywhere beautiful." Mendelssohn went on several grand tours across Europe, often taking inspiration from natural events and painting numerous watercolours. In 1829, the Scottish landscape served as a musical inspiration for him – despite miserable weather conditions, as he wrote in a letter: “Together, the Scottish Highlands and the sea brew nothing but whiskey, fog, and bad weather." But Mendelssohn also visited Edinburgh and the "palace where Mary Queen of Scots lived and loved." His Third Symphony captures the atmosphere of Scotland magnificently, and with its allusions to the sound of bagpipes creates a music that is "reminiscent of a vanished time". In this concert, our orchestra will also present a stirring 1845 work that is a perfect match for Mendelssohn’s musical idiom: the Fourth Symphony by Franz Berwald – an exciting composer from the homeland of our honorary conductor Herbert Blomstedt, who is always keen to promote his Swedish compatriot. Berwald likewise travelled extensively throughout Europe, living in Vienna and Berlin for a time, but then returned to Sweden. Many of his charming pieces were written in the picturesque town of Nyköping – his wife once described the atmosphere there: "One day passes like another, without any variety other than that which God's beautiful nature presents to those whose hearts are receptive to impressions of this kind. Franz is busy composing throughout the day, and in the evening we regularly walk out into the surrounding countryside."

Our honorary conductor Christoph Eschenbach

»And the soul, unguarded, wants to soar in free flights, to live within the magic circle of the night deeply and a thousandfold.« These dream-lorn lines by Hermann Hesse inspired Richard Strauss to write one of his moving »Four Last Songs«. These depict a life cycle and bear witness to his confrontation with his own death. At 83, the aged composer looked back on his triumphant life »weary of wandering«. When a journalist asked him about his next projects, Strauss answered with a wink: »Well, just die!« But his son persuaded him to compose another »major work«, saying, »Dad, stop brooding, write some beautiful songs instead.« And Strauss succeeded in a beguiling way, for the highly romantic settings hover in an inimitable atmosphere of weightlessness. With us, the voice of Hanna-Elisabeth Müller soars to these soulful songs. Christoph Eschenbach then leads us through a work by Bruckner that was first performed in 1873 and was composed as a direct expression of a deep life crisis due to the so-called »St. Anna affair«: as he was hardly noticed as a composer in Vienna at that time, he gave piano lessons at the St. Anna educational institution – and once confidentially called one of his pupils »my darling«. Even though Bruckner felt wrongly suspected, the newspapers made a scandal out of this event. He was soon rehabilitated, but wrote his second symphony in this humiliated state of mind – which therefore has a restless, pessimistic underlying mood: it fluctuates between heartfelt prayers, desperate outbursts, clueless silences and wild dance scenes.

Jakub Hrůša conducts Brahms, Ligeti und Dvořák

Dvořák's American symphony, composed in 1893, is considered a masterpiece, blending Native American and gospel tunes with a Czech atmosphere. Brahms admired Dvořák's effortless creativity. Brahms's own symphonic peak, created in 1884/85, features themes in constant transformation. Ligeti's 1962 "Poème symphonique" stands as a unique creation, using 100 metronomes to create an effect of time and pulse.

Jakub Hrůša conducts Brahms, Ligeti and Dvořák

"I spent such happy hours in your wonderful creation. One is enveloped by its mysterious spell from beginning to end!" Clara Schumann wrote these enthusiastic words about Brahms' Third Symphony, which he completed during his 1883 summer vacation in the area around Wiesbaden. His holiday routine was to go for an early morning walk or swim and then sit down at his desk or the piano. This creative process left its mark on the charming symphony, whose emotional beauty was praised by Dvořák, too: “It is pure love and makes your heart soar." Brahms in turn commented enviously on his colleague and close friend's inventiveness: “That fellow has more ideas than any of us. Everyone else could assemble their main themes from the scraps he has rejected." Dvořák's magnificent Eighth Symphony thus also features on our programme. In this work, composed in 1889 at his Czech country estate, he gave his creative imagination free rein – the outcome is a fascinating and multifaceted score that one biographer described as “brimming with vivid colour”. These two symphonies frame an ethereal piece by this year's jubilarian György Ligeti, who once said: "I have a vision, not a dogma, not a finished system. I don't want to achieve a result and then stop. I keep myself open to influences." His febrile 1967 composition "Lontano" is a journey into a utopian metaphysical realm of gradually evolving soundscapes. Ligeti suggested that listeners should imagine walking out of the bright sunlight into a dark room, where they would only gradually become able to perceive colours and contours.

SOLD OUT: Our honorary conductor Herbert Blomstedt

BR-KLASSIK is a German public radio station that broadcasts classical music, jazz, and other cultural programs. It is part of Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), the public broadcaster of Bavaria.