Together with the Wiener Symphoniker and cellist Gautier Capuçon, Petr Popelka proves to be “a conductor who knows how to unleash storms” (Kurier). First, Capuçon shines with a repertoire favourite – Antonin Dvorák’s cello concerto in B minor. “In the midst of the marvellously accompanying symphony orchestra, he was able to showcase all his skills and, above all, his stunningly full-bodied instrument” (Die Presse). What followed in the second half was equally brilliant with Strauss’ tone poems Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche: The Dream Team captivated the audience with their exuberant joy of playing and a cornucopia of sound…enchanting changes of mood and tempo, magical moments of calm, poetry and light-footed mischief: it was all there” (Der Standard). PROGRAM: Dvorak – Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 104; Strauss – Don Juan, Op. 20; Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28
Yuja Wang & Mahler Chamber Orchestra
“Virtuosic sparks” (klassik.com) As Artistic Partner of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, piano virtuoso Yuja Wang not only dazzles at the grand piano, but also gives her conducting debut. After an amuse-bouche of Mozart’s “precisely articulated and dynamically shaded” Serenade in E flat major, Wang takes the stage with Stravinsky’s Concerto for piano and wind orchestra and concludes the concert with a striking rendition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue: “With dreamlike chord accuracy and flawlessly rapid repetitions, she presents the rhythmic finesse of Gershwin’s music and demonstrates an unerring sense of jazzy impetus” (klassik.com). Mozart: Serenade for wind instruments, K. 375; Stravinsky: Concerto for piano and wind instruments; Dvorak: Serenade for wind instruments, cello and double bass in D minor, Op. 44; Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Ferde Grofé); Marquez: Danzón No. 2 (arr. Gómez-Tagle)
Thielemann & Levit – Wiener Philharmoniker Brahms Cycle
“Thielemann, Levit and the Wiener Philharmoniker act like a single musical soul” (Kurier) The collaboration between Christian Thielemann and the Wiener Philharmoniker in their Brahms cycle is truly something special. One of the highlights is pianist Igor Levit’s passionate take on Brahms’ Piano Concerto in D minor. Critics have raved about how beautifully he connects with the orchestra, bringing out the nuances in the piece. After that stunning performance, they dive into Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, which impresses with its powerful moments and delicate details. Thielemann’s guidance, combined with the orchestra’s skill, really shines, setting a high bar for concert performances. PROGRAM: Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15; Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Paavo Järvi & Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
“When a conductor who is always in search of the ideal sound meets an orchestra that follows him with devotion at every stage and a virtuoso who transports us to other worlds with the truthfulness of his playing, extraordinary things can happen. This is what happened when Paavo Järvi and “his” Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich gave a guest performance with violist Antoine Tamestit at the Vienna Musikverein” (Kurier). The concert opens with Berlioz’s Harold en Italie, a dreamy, melancholy work in which Berlioz processed his wanderings in the Abruzzi. French violist Antoine Tamestit likes to experiment with new formats and seeks his way off the interpretive beaten track. Harold en Italie therefore seems tailor-made for him: as a symphony with solo viola, it was a highly innovative work in its time. The work is followed by Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1, in the version for orchestra by Arnold Schönberg. Brahms composed the piece in 1861 and it is known for its sweeping melodies and complex counterpoint.
Jakub Hrusa & Bamberger Symphoniker
Depth of feeling, melancholy and sadness: the programme of this concert with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under their chief conductor Jakub Hruša revolves around this triad. The concert begins with the Adagietto from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, a musical declaration of love by the composer to his wife Alma. An ideal prelude to Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs), the composer’s “swan song”, written in 1948, at a time when Strauss saw his world in ruins after the war and was already plagued by illness. American soprano Corinne Winters “shone with intensity and bright heights” (Der Standard). The concert closes with Suk’s symphonic monumental work Asrael. In it, Suk deals with two strokes of fate, first the death of his father-in-law Antonín Dvorák and a little later also the surprising death of his wife, Dvorák’s daughter. “What a blast” (Der Standard)
Diana Damrau and Jonas Kaufmann – Lieder
Diana Damrau and Jonas Kaufmann interpret love songs by the two important romantic song composers Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. In their concert evening full of stirring emotions, the stars of the classical world sing of love in all its facets: from reverie and longing, from the happiness of fulfilment to disappointment, resignation and renunciation. The two artists are accompanied by their longtime partner on the piano, Helmut Deutsch.“A deeply felt, rapturous performance” (The Guardian)
Muti conducts Beethoven 9th Symphony – 200th anniversary
On 7 May 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony was premiered at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna. The audience of this epochal event greeted Beethoven with frenetic applause and the “Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung” wrote “the impression (was) indescribably great and glorious, the jubilation enthusiastic, which was paid to the exalted master at the top of his lungs, whose inexhaustible genius opened up a new world to us”. Beethoven had truly created music for eternity, which was to conquer the world from then on. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of this great moment in music history, the Ninth will be performed on the day of the premiere with Riccardo Muti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in the Musikverein. The concerto is also a tribute to the memorable premiere 200 years ago in terms of the instrumentation, as it was played by the orchestra of the Kärntnertortheater, the former court opera – the predecessors of today’s Vienna Philharmonic.