In 2014, Strauss’s birth 150 years ago is being commemorated. Strauss was a champion of the symphonic poem, and one of his first works in that genre was Macbeth. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche followed soon after, fully revealing Strauss’s mastery in the sharp melodic characterisations and brilliant instrumentation. With its energetic and cheerful character (despite Till’s execution, which is vividly depicted in the music), the work complements Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, which is imbued with a sunny, lush atmosphere. The brilliance of the grand finale is a quality rarely heard in Brahms’s. (Cat. No. UNITEL: A865500160000)
RCO: Daniele Gatti conducts Mahler Symphony No. 2
For his first series of concerts as Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Italian maestro Daniele Gatti conducts the iconic Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”, by Gustav Mahler, in a spirited performance. Gatti and the RCO are joined by German soprano Annette Dasch and Scottish mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill. “Gatti’s magic” (Trouw) makes clear that “a new era has definitely begun by now. Gatti is a conductor who really makes You think about what an interpretation should be like in the year 2016” (NRC).
RCO: Kerstmatinee 2017 – Bach: Mass in B minor
The RCO’s annual “Kerstmatinee” (Christmas Matinee) has become a much loved holiday tradition. For this edition, the orchestra, led by Philippe Herreweghe, performs J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor, one of the gems of his oeuvre – for the first time in 45 years! The choir Collegium Vocale Gent shares the stage with outstanding soloists Dorothee Mields, Hana Blažikova, Alex Potter, Robin Tritschler and Krešimir Stražanac. Often referred to as Bach’s “Hohe Messe” (High Mass), the full-scale Catholic mass was given this name in the 19th century to distinguish it from the Baroque composer’s other, small masses. Why the Lutheran Bach decided to create a Catholic mass late in life, remains unclear; what is evident, however, is that his work is nothing less than a monumental masterpiece. Herreweghe’s Mass is “grand and yet moving!” (Het Parool)
RCO: Kerstmatinee 2018 – Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
A heart-warming Christmas Matinee featuring Tchaikovsky’s Christmas fairy tale The Nutcracker. For many, The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s Christmas Matinee is a fun introduction to classical music – for others, it’s a familiar, festive experience to look forward to each year. The combination of the captivating conductor Semyon Bychkov and Tchaikovsky’s legendary music for the Christmas ballet The Nutcracker makes this programme truly irresistible. People of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy Tchaikovsky’s infectious music and the atmospheric fairy tale about dolls that come to life. A sugarplum fairy, a Mouse King and a return to the Land of Sweets – it’s exactly what we need in the dark, wintry days before Christmas.
RCO: Kerstmatinee – Beethoven No. 9
Beethoven’s moving Ninth Symphony is being performed on the 2019 Christmas Matinee (“Kerstmatinee“) under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst with a superb singer quartet. Many generations of listeners have attended the Concertgebouw Orchestra’s festive Christmas matinees since the tradition was founded. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is an appeal for universal brotherhood – indeed it contains some of the most moving music Beethoven ever composed. A large chorus and four vocal soloists share the stage with the orchestra to get this key message across and the work continues to enchant young and old alike.
RCO: Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts Bruckner 5
After the acclaimed maestro Nikolaus Harnoncourt led the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in a performance of the Third Symphony back in 1994 and of the Fourth in 1997, he returns with Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony. Bruckner wrote his Fifth Symphony in Vienna, the city in which he composed most of his symphonies. The work stands out from the others, however, in that its general profile is more cerebral than mystical. Yet even in this impressive feat of contrapuntal technique, the divine light of Bruckner’s intense faith still shines through.
RCO: Giovanni Antonini conducts works by Bach, Haydn and Mozart
Italian conductor Giovanni Antonini, one of the leaders of the Italian period instruments movement, conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra performing music by Bach, Haydn and Mozart. —– PROGRAM: Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 1 / Joseph Haydn: Cello Concerto No. 2 / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38
RCO: Mariss Jansons conducts Strauss and Tchaikovsky
Mariss Jansons conducts Richard Strauss’ famous tone poem “Tod und Verklärung” together with Tchaikovskys famous 5th symphony and a work by Dutch composer Johan Wagenaar, who died in 1942 and who’s music was considerably influenced by Richard Strauss. —– PROGRAM: Johan Wagenaar: The Taming of the Shrew / Richard Strauss: Tod und Verklärung / Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
RCO: Iván Fischer conducts Beethoven – The Complete Symphonies
Starting in 1922, the Concertgebouw Orchestra performed a Beethoven cycle at the end of each season, during which all the symphonies – and other works too – would be performed, often in quick succession. The cycle was interrupted for the first time in 1957 for three performances of Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. The tradition then began to dwindle, with the last Beethoven Series performed in 1978. Now for the very first time, the orchestra will be performing all the symphonies in a single cycle, spread out over two seasons, under the direction of Iván Fischer. Approx. 06:00:00.
Mariss Jansons conducts Bruckner 9
As part of a fully fledged Bruckner festival, Mariss Jansons is conducting a series of Bruckner symphonies, each paired with a classical solo concerto – great music by great composers. The series gets under way with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, composed in 1795. The work is, in actual fact, Beethoven’s second contribution to the genre, in which he pushes the boundaries of the instrument. The featured soloist is Lars Vogt. One hundred years after Beethoven had written his Piano Concerto, Bruckner concluded his monumental symphonic œuvre with the unfinished Ninth Symphony, leaving behind three completed movements and sketches for a finale in 1896, the year in which he died. In his swansong – the starkly dissonant Adagio –, Bruckner explores the very boundaries of tonality. —— Program: Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 1, Anton Bruckner – Symphony No. 9.