Brahms, a lifelong perfectionist, had always maintained he would never write a symphony, seemingly convinced it would never measure up to the likes of Beethoven’s. It is therefore understandable that Brahms may have dragged his feet a little; it took almost 15 years to finish his First Symphony. Beethoven’s influence is nonetheless present, particularly in the fourth movement which is deliberately reminiscent of the ‘Ode to Joy’ melody from the finale of the great master’s ‘Choral’ Symphony.

The Hallé in Sheffield

Sheffield City Hall

EPSG:4326

Brahms’s Symphony No.1

The Bridgewater Hall

Melody without end: Christian Tetzlaff plays Beethoven and Sebastian Weigle conducts Rachmaninov with one of Japan’s finest orchestras.

Christian Tetzlaff is a violinist steeped in the German classical tradition, so it almost goes without saying that his Beethoven has a unique assurance and authority. But it’s thrillingly immediate and alive too: The New York Times described his playing as ‘tight, clean, and free of excess rhetoric’, and his interpretation of Beethoven’s soaring Violin Concerto is a thing of wonder.

Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra of Tokyo

Cadogan Hall 

Liszt’s breathtaking Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by an artist praised for his “enchanting, sensitive lyricism and hypnotizing forcefulness” (The Jerusalem Post), along with masterworks by Wagner and Richard Strauss that will send your imagination soaring.

The Witty and the Wicked

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

A symphony orchestra can tell complete stories. And one of the most important storytellers was doubtlessly Igor Stravinsky. The sounds and rhythms he conjured were scandalous more than 100 years ago; today, they inspire us to imagine cinematic scenes. This is also true of the legend of the firebird with all its sophisticated colors and instruments. Before this eternally fascinating orchestral work, the Dresden Philharmonic interprets Tan Dun’s »Fire Ritual« for violin and orchestra, under the baton of its principal guest conductor Kahchun Wong and with the violinist Josef Špaček as the soloist – the former and, at the time, youngest-ever concertmaster of the Czech Philharmonic. The work was composed in 2018, inspired by ceremonial music from the Chinese court. This program, packed with legends and fairytales, begins with the »Dance of the Seven Veils« from the ballet »Salome«, composed in 1948 and reworked in 1987 by the Japanese composer Akira Ifukube, who is most well-known for his compositions for the Kaijū film genre.

Akira Ifukube

Events

Upcoming events

1 - 2 May, 2025

The Witty and the Wicked · Philadelphia Orchestra

Jun 7, 2025

Špaček — Dresden Philharmonic — Wong · Dresdner Musikfestspiele

Past events

Mar 21, 2025

The Hallé in Sheffield · The Hallé

20 - 23 Mar, 2025

Brahms’s Symphony No.1 · The Hallé

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