Transverse flute and Fortepiano

Chamber concert: Flute quartet

In one of his novels, Jean Paul enthused: »I love the flute, the magic wand that changes the inner world whenever it touches it – a wish-rod in front of which the inner depths open up.« Our musicians present a small cosmos of works for flute and strings. Mozart wrote his charming flute quartet in 1777 on a commission from a music lover – although he was somewhat distracted because a young singer had made his head spin. Perhaps this is why the piece features an instrumental bravura aria, followed by a minor cantilena and a dance-like ending. It was said of Beethoven's chamber music that one »inevitably gets drawn into the master‘s magic circle, in which one sees more and more lines and figures that take hold of the soul so that one can't get rid of them again.« His C minor trio from 1798 shows fluttering states of mind: Sometimes it is melancholic, sometimes pathetic, then again reflective and suddenly whimsical. Since humour is just as much a balm for the soul, Haydn also liked to allow himself tongue-in-cheek experiments: In his magnificent divertimento of 1765, he celebrates birthdays musically. The Andante, explicitly entitled »Man and Woman«, is characterised by sighing figures in the high part and responses from the low register. Apart from that, the other instruments also join in the fun as children. Finally, a multifaceted composition by Jacques Castérède, who died in 2014: »Ombres et Clartes« captivates with touching melodies, is technically very challenging and revolves around changing moods – because as Tolstoy said: »All the variety, all the charm and all the beauty of life are formed by light and shadow.«

Philharmonic chamber music: Sound magic for flute and harp

Flute and harp take centre-stage for this concert – both in duet and in combination with other instruments. Emmanuel Pahud, principal flautist of the Berliner Philharmoniker, and solo harpist Marie-Pierre Langlamet present a programme of French music – elegant, sensuous and virtuosic – with their orchestral colleagues. Also on the programme is Rêverie française composed by Bruno Delepelaire, principal cellist of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Each concert in the series this season will feature a work by our Composer in Residence Wolfgang Rihm, who died in 2024; this time, his tautly atmospheric septet En plein air.

Vox Animae Soloists: Mozart's Flute Quartets

The Sunday Morning Concert brings you wonderful and much-loved compositions, performed by top musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Enjoy the most beautiful music in the morning! You can make your Sunday complete by enjoying a delicious post-concert lunch in restaurant LIER.The Royal Concertgebouw is one of the best concert halls in the world, famous for its exceptional acoustics and varied programme. Attend a concert and have an experience you will never forget. Come and enjoy inspiring music in the beautiful surroundings of the Main Hall or the intimate Recital Hall.

Chamber concert: strings flute baroque lute

An exciting journey of discovering the wide-ranging world of the Baroque era: the programme features a hand-picked selection of chamber music from the 17th and 18th centuries, some of which are rarely heard works filled with virtuosity, colours and melodic expression. And there is a marvellous foray into some of the European courts of this era. The influence of the Dresden court lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss, for example, reached far beyond Saxony: Wilhelmine, the music-loving Margravine of Bayreuth, also arranged for his harmonious compositions to be performed in her palace. When Telemann presented his series of quartets at the royal court in Versailles, the musical world there was at his feet – as the elegant and engaging dance movements were his fervent homage to the most elegant court in Europe at the time. It was said of Karl Kohaut that he was a »must-hear« when visiting Vienna. He was regarded as a gifted player of the lute in Haydn’s circle, but also composed himself – often with a preference for folk idioms. Michel Lambert was not only famous as a singer in the Parisian salons in the age of Louis XIV, but was also widely popular for his marvellous melodies, which were published widely as instrumental works. At the end of the Baroque picture book, we hear wonderful variations on the »Follia« tune, a stirring dance in triple metre that was a popular hit in Europe at that time: it was performed constantly in the streets, whether sung, whistled or stomped. Vivaldi’s magnificent version is a true showdown between the instruments.

Free Lunchtime Concert: National Flute Competition

For many years now, Lunchtime Concerts have been held in the Main Hall and the Recital Hall. The concerts range from public rehearsals by the Concertgebouworkest, to chamber music performances by young up-and-coming artists.For Lunchtime Concerts you will require a free ticket, which you can buy online. Doors to the concert hall open about 30 minutes before the Lunchtime Concert starts.We offer a broad range of music: the majority of concerts include classical music, but you can sometimes hear more modern repertoire. The concert programme is announced one week in advance on our website. The concerts last thirty minutes and are free of charge. Visitors are advised that these concerts are suitable for children from six years old.

Digital Revival Vol. 1 - Richard Haka flute

Fauré and Norman

Ludvig Norman was one of the great musical personalities of his time. With his three symphonies and an equal number of overtures, he is the greatest Swedish symphonist of the 19th century after Franz Berwald. He also wrote excellent chamber music, including a series of string quartets, such as this vital and expressive A minor quartet.Fauré's music ranges from light salon music to a musical romanticism that points forward to the music of the 20th century. He is best known for his meditative Requiem, but he also composed a wealth of chamber music: solo sonatas, songs, and a series of brilliant piano works. The first piano quintet encompasses both romantic melody and sparkling French sounds.Louise Héritte-Viardot (1841–1918) was, like Fauré, a Parisian. She was a singer, pianist, and composer who wrote both orchestral works and chamber music. This lively piano quartet was a great success and is often called "the Spanish" because of the Spanish titles of the movements – such as the first movement's Paseo, a Spanish dance.

Shostakovich and Pejacevic

Strings from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, reinforced by guest cellist Andreas Lavotha, form a quartet and perform together with the orchestra's pianist Stefan Lindgren two truly magnificent piano quintets, by Dmitri Shostakovich and Dora Pejačević.Shostakovich's quintet was composed against a dark backdrop, in the war year of 1940. The music, full of contrasts and surprising twists, depicts tragicomic scenes, musical flashbacks, and hopeful gestures. It is one of his most famous and beloved chamber music works.Dora Pejačević's piano quintet is powerful with its dense harmonies and beautiful melodies – it is a highlight in her oeuvre. Dora Pejačević was born in Hungary, and her mother was Hungarian, but her father was a Croatian nobleman, and therefore she became part of the Croatian nobility around the turn of the last century.

Mozart and Andrée

Elfrida Andrée was an organist, conductor, and composer, pioneering the way for future generations of women in music. She was a student of Ludvig Norman and Niels W. Gade, and her romantically shimmering piano quartet in the spirit of Schumann and Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was premiered in 1870 at Gade's home in Copenhagen.During his time, Mozart was also a pioneer. The influential Cramer's music magazine wrote that he had ”a decided inclination towards the difficult and the unusual”. That's not how we perceive Mozart today. The captivatingly beautiful and imaginative String Quintet in C major is an undisputed masterpiece. Mozart seemingly composed it on his own initiative, without any commission and solely out of pure expressive will. Initially, we hear Rolf Martinsson's thoughtful and exploratory Duo for violin and cello from 1986.We hear a quintet from the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra together with guesting pianist Martin Sturfält.