hr-Sinfonieorchester

One Brahms symphony per season – that was the goal set by Music Director Alain Altinoglu. The cycle now comes to an end with Symphony No. 1, often referred to as „Beethoven’s 10th“ – how fitting, given the Beethoven context of this program, in which György Kurtág also makes numerous references to Beethoven.

„What strikes me as important in Brahms is this inner energy, which in the slow movements sometimes seems restrained, almost shy – but which is of extreme structural intensity“, says Alain Altinoglu. „Nothing is purely decorative: every motif, every transition has meaning.“ He finds the popular phrase „Beethoven's 10th“ is historically understandable – the key of C minor, the path from darkness to light, plus the monumental architecture – „but it would be unfair to reduce this work to this connection alone. The symphony has a highly personal voice, through its rhythm, its counterpoint density, and a certain metaphysical expressiveness.“ Artist in residence Kirill Gerstein will precede Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with György Kurtág's „...quasi una fantasia...“ for piano and orchestra, a Beethoven homage by the Hungarian composer that juggles numerous references. (hr-Sinfonieorchester)