ConcertPulse
Popelka, Grigorian · R. Strauss, Schubert
Musikverein Wien, Great Hall (Wien)
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Vienna, London, New York, Berlin, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Stockholm. Swedish soprano Malin Byström is the internationally acclaimed artist who graces the world’s most prestigious opera stages. She is the soloist of the year at the Nobel Prize Concert.Court Singer Malin Byström is one of the most sought-after sopranos of our time, having been named Female Singer of the Year at the International Opera Awards, among other honours. With the rich palette of her lyric-dramatic voice and a radiant stage presence, she has captivated and charmed audiences worldwide. ”I am very much looking forward to this extraordinary concert”, says Malin Byström. ”To be part of Nobel Week, when the eyes of the world are on Sweden, makes me both incredibly proud and deeply humbled. I will sing with all my heart.”Malin Byström made her debut with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006, performing music by Richard Strauss. Strauss’s operas have become something of a speciality for Byström, and at the 2024 Nobel Prize Concert, we hear the magnificent final scene from his opera Salome.The programme also includes the marvellous Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff, with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the Czech conductor Petr Popelka, newly appointed Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and also Chief Conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra. Popelka opens the concert with music from his homeland, featuring Vítezslava Kaprálová's Suite Rustica from 1938, a work that resonates with delightful Czech folk songs and dances.***The Nobel Prize Concert is an annual event of the highest international standard at which the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra appears with world-leading musicians. The concert is part of the official programme during Nobel Week and is a tribute to the year’s Nobel Prize recipients. The concert is presented by Nobel Prize Outreach AB in collaboration with Konserthuset Stockholm.Dress code: Dark suit***Special rules apply at this concert. Bags, shoe bags, and similar items should be left in the cloakroom. If you must bring a bag into the hall, only a small handbag or clutch is permitted, with a maximum size of A4. Please note that any bags brought in will be searched.***Swedish Radio P2 broadcasts the concert live. It is recorded by the Swedish television, SVT, and will be broadcast on 14 December. For viewers abroad, we refer to Nobelprize.org, where the concert will be available on 14 December.
Every year at the beginning of Advent, »Bread for the World« opens the nationwide fundraising campaign with a festive church service, which will take place in Bamberg this year. We get into the mood for this special occasion with a festive evening to support the fundraising campaign. The motto of the campaign, »Sowing change«, is the leitmotif of the evening, during which Petr Popelka will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s »Nutcracker« and selected Advent songs with our orchestra and Bamberg choir singers.Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen, doctor, science journalist and founder of the »Gesunde Erde – Gesunde Menschen« Foundation, with which he is committed to planetary health and the necessary transformation, will host the programme: »The most expensive thing we can do now is nothing« is his thesis, which he will expand on with inspiring guests on this evening. When you buy a concert ticket, you are supporting the work of »Bread for the World«. A just world without hunger is possible. Make sure you book your tickets early for a special event. Be part of the change!
There are impressive careers that one can only imagine at first. But they sometimes become reality: Petr Popelka’s love of music blossomed when he was a small child. He first formed a musical partnership with the double bass and played in the Staatskapelle Dresden for ten years. He composed on the side to keep his inner balance – but his fervent desire to conduct eventually grew stronger and stronger. And then everything went very quickly: he put his double bass bow aside and is now one of the most inspiring artists of the new generation of conductors, for whom mutual respect is always important when working together. Since this season, he has been Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker, but other orchestras are also courting the rising star. Fortunately, the likeable musician is already one of our recurring guests: we share the Bohemian soul with the Prague-born conductor – which is why it was »love at first note« when he made his debut in Bamberg in 2022. We are now looking forward to explore the dazzling scores of Schubert, Strauss and Ravel with him, as well as Christian Gerhaher’s current favourite songs, which are far from the usual vocal cycles. Petr Popelka is known for his varied programmes and also for bringing each piece to life with his unique, emotional and refreshing interpretations. He loves the passionate working relationship between him and our musicians, as he once emphasised: »There really is a great open-mindedness in the orchestra – and a willingness to give the best. I feel incredibly comfortable!«
In 2023, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances topped the list of most performed orchestral works. Petr Popelka returns to conduct this powerful work exploring the dark side of dance. Cellist Kian Soltani joins to perform Prokofiev's challenging Sinfonia Concertante, showcasing his virtuosity. The concert lasts approximately 115 minutes including intermission.
In 2023, Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances topped the list of most performed orchestral works. Petr Popelka returns to conduct this powerful work exploring the dark side of dance. Cellist Kian Soltani joins to perform Prokofiev's challenging Sinfonia Concertante, showcasing his virtuosity. The concert lasts approximately 115 minutes including intermission.
When Petr Popelka conducts the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in music by three of the most famous composers from his Czech homeland, that is a speciality in itself. And Dvořák’s »The Noon Witch« adds another rarity to the programme. In this symphonic poem, a witch appears on the scene at exactly noon and has a decisive influence on events in both the underlying fairy tale and the music. Of course, Dvořák did not miss the opportunity to incorporate the chimes of the church clock into his composition. We also hear a work by Dvořák’s son-in-law Josef Suk, who set four other fairy tale scenes to music in his orchestral piece »Pohádka«. But this Czech evening opens with music by Suk’s pupil Bohuslav Martinů. With his numerous echoes of folk music, Martinů enchanted not only his fellow countrymen, but also American culture-lovers in the 1940s and 1950s. It goes almost without saying that his Violin Concerto is performed by the exceptional Czech violinist Josef Špaček.
It was love at first sight for Gautier Capuçon: he had hardly picked up his first cello when he knew that he had found his instrument. »I love the position you sit in to play and the way you embrace the cello,« he said in an interview. And the listener notices this deeply personal connection between the artist and his instrument to this day when the Frenchman, in the meantime an international star, works his musical magic in concert. One of the core pieces in his repertoire is the Dvořák Cello Concerto, whose highy emotional language Capuçon illuminates in Hamburg in powerful colours. After the interval, listeners travel from Czechoslovakia to Germany: with Richard Strauss’s sensuous »Don Juan« and his mischievous »Till Eulenspiegel«, shooting star Petr Popelka and the Wiener Symphoniker bring to life two of music history’s most eccentric heroes.
Enjoy symphony concerts with a view of the starry sky in the Zeiss Grand Planetarium – heavenly sounds in the truest sense of the word.
The concert will be broadcast on 17 March 2024 at 8.03 pm on Deutschlandfunk Kutlur.
Visitors learn about the most important genres of classical music in our moderated rehearsals: Symphony, solo concerto, symphonic poem. In conversation with the conductor or soloist, you will learn exciting facts about the works and gain a deep insight into the rehearsal work of the orchestra. Afterwards, you can hear the complete work or excerpts from it. This is an offer for school classes from middle school and adults.Duration: approx. 90 minutes Participation free of chargeRegistration required. Please note that the moderated rehearsal will be in german.