Name: Our chief conductor conducts Beethoven and Strauss
Start: 2024-01-17T20:00:00
Location: Bamberg Concert Hall

Jakub Hrůša

Bamberger Symphoniker

To round off the year, we're treating our audience to a fun and colorful puzzle: They can create their own New Year's Eve concert – and we'll play whatever they request. Until then, however, they'll be spoiled for choice, as there's a wide selection of works in different categories to vote on: 5 sparkling overtures, 10 enchanting orchestral and violin pieces each – and even 5 lively encores. The "conductor" has already been chosen: The young and versatile conductor Aurel Dawidiuk, who is also a successful pianist and organist, was recently appointed Associate Conductor of the renowned Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

New Year's Eve À La Carte

Under the baton of our Chief Conductor, we take our listeners on musical soul-searchings through emotional highs and lows: We combine two sonic legacies revolving around heroes – and there is a connection between them. As Romain Rolland said admiringly of Beethoven: »You are the embodiment of heroism in all of modern art. You give us your bravery, your faith that struggle is bliss.« Due to the political events around Napoleon, numerous myths surround Beethoven’s »Eroica«. The symphony was initially dedicated to the Frenchman – but even Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind in ancient times, is a possible candidate as the hero. And it is also possible that this instrumental journey may even retrace Beethoven's own fate. For the generations that followed, the famous Helden-Symphonie has remained a powerful memory – including for Richard Strauss, who almost a century later referred to the model in a way that was both playful and serious: »Ein Heldenleben« is set in E-flat major, like the »Eroica«, and displays autobiographical characteristics. In the meantime, Strauss even referred to it as a »heroic symphony«. The result is a very haunting work: at the beginning, the protagonist confronts his adversaries – the malicious envious and presumptuous know-it-alls and supposedly the nagging music critics of that time. For peace of mind, the hero then ultimately flees the world with his beloved mate. Strauss gave numerous hints about the detailed content of the symphonic poem – but what was important to him was its central message: »It is enough to know that it portrays a hero in combat with his enemies.«