Beethoven composed his music for Goethe’s tragedy in 1810: in this piece Beethoven commemorates the 16th-century freedom fighter Count Egmont, who defied tyrants, sided with the oppressed and was ultimately executed. Although Beethoven composed this overture of his at request, the heroic theme of Count Egmont was particularly close to his heart: in Beethoven’s concise musical presentation, the character of a daring hero, who falls but wins moral glory, unfolds dramatically before the audience’s eyes. With its extreme musical expressions and overwhelming artistic power, this piece becomes a defining reference point for later generations, and also functions as an unapproachable model. The Norwegian-born Grieg declared that he never wanted to build “cathedrals that reach up to the skies like Beethoven does”, but simply wanted to create places where one’s soul could rest. Composed in 1868, Grieg’s three-movement Piano Concerto was influenced by Liszt’s and Schumann’s works, but the lyrical melodies in Grieg’s piece carry new tunes and colours of Nordic folk music. This is true to the main theme of the 3rd movement, which recalls a Norwegian jumping dance called ‘halling’ in its harsh musical character. The newfangled harmonies, the virtuoso runs and the exciting rhythms of the composition make this concerto truly remarkable. Brahms was in his forties when he completed his Symphony No. 1 in the footsteps and shadow of Beethoven, and Brahms’ efforts seemed to have broken the composer’s block he earlier had to face: Symphony No. 2 was completed in 1877 in just four months. Conventional in form, and as opposed to the dramatic qualities of Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 2 offers special and rich pastoral colours and touches. Its graceful dances and brisk runs present a truly idyllic image. We hope to help you discover how many different colours romanticism can offer!

Programme:

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture, Op. 84

Edvard GRIEG: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16

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BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2, Op. 73

With:

Gergely KOVÁCS – piano

Conductor: Krisztián SAFAREK

Organizer: Zuglo Philharmonics Budapest