Konzerthaus Berlin: Christoph Eschenbach conducts the Konzerthausorchester

Berlin, Konzerthaus Berlin — Großer Saal

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About the Event

In this highly‐anticipated concert, hear the mellifluous sounds of classical music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Benjamin Britten at Berlin's treasured and world‐renowned Konzerthaus Berlin.

Two artists closely associated with the Konzerthaus will be performing this concert: former principal conductor Christoph Eschenbach will be on the podium of the Konzerthaus Orchestra, and Daniel Hope, whom you can experience as a violinist but also regularly as host of the musical salon 'Hope@9pm', will be the guest soloist. This time he plays Benjamin Britten's highly demanding Violin Concerto from 1939.

After intermission, it's off to the late 19th century: Pyotr Tchaikovsky died very suddenly in November 1893 only a few days after the successful premiere of his Symphony No. 6. No wonder that rumors were rife about it — it already sounds like a farewell to life with its unusual slow final movement. Whether the composer died of cholera, suicide under pressure, or of his own free will, will probably never be fully clarified. What is certain, however, is that his last work, the 'Pathétique,' is a pinnacle of his creative work.

Program

Benjamin Britten – Konzert für Violine und Orchester op. 15
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Sinfonie Nr. 6 h‐Moll op. 74 („Pathétique“)

Program is subject to change

Artists

Conductor:	Christoph Eschenbach Christoph Eschenbach, born 1940 in Breslau, Germany (today Wroclaw, Poland) is a noted pianist and conductor. Orphaned by World War II, he won numerous first‐place piano competition prizes. In 1964 he made his first recording (of Mozart) for Deutsche Grammophon and signed a contract with the label. Prior to being named to his positions as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris and the Philadelphia Orchestra, he held principal conducting and directing positions with orchestras in Ludwigshafen and Hamburg (Germany) and the Ravinia Festival (outside Chicago, Illinois). In 1981 he became principal guest conductor of Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, and was chief conductor from 1982‐86. Other posts include music director of the Houston (1988‐99); chief conductor of the Hamburg NDR Symphony (1998‐2004); and music director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1994‐2003). He has made numerous recordings both as piano soloist and conductor. He is credited with helping and supporting talented young musicians in their career development including soprano Renée Fleming and pianists Tzimon Barto and Lang Lang.
Violin:	Daniel Hope Five times the winner of the ECHO Klassik Prize, British violinist Daniel Hope has performed as soloist with some of the world's most distinguished orchestras and conductors. He is the winner of the Classical Brit Award, and has been nominated four times for a Grammy award. A recent New York Times review summarized Daniel Hope as “a violinist of probing intellect and commanding style,” and continued: “In a business that likes tidy boxes drawn around its commodities, the British violinist Daniel Hope resists categorization. Mr. Hope, a compelling performer whose work involves standard repertory, new music, raga, and jazz, emphasizes thoughtful engagement over flamboyant display. In his most personal undertakings, he puts classical works within a broader context – not just among other styles and genres but amid history, literature, and drama – to emphasize music’s role as a mirror for struggle and aspiration.” Daniel Hope performs on the 1742 “ex‐Lipin´ski” Guarneri del Gesù violin.

Conductor:

Christoph Eschenbach

Christoph Eschenbach, born 1940 in Breslau, Germany (today Wroclaw, Poland) is a noted pianist and conductor. Orphaned by World War II, he won numerous first‐place piano competition prizes. In 1964 he made his first recording (of Mozart) for Deutsche Grammophon and signed a contract with the label.

Prior to being named to his positions as Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris and the Philadelphia Orchestra, he held principal conducting and directing positions with orchestras in Ludwigshafen and Hamburg (Germany) and the Ravinia Festival (outside Chicago, Illinois). In 1981 he became principal guest conductor of Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, and was chief conductor from 1982‐86. Other posts include music director of the Houston (1988‐99); chief conductor of the Hamburg NDR Symphony (1998‐2004); and music director of the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1994‐2003). He has made numerous recordings both as piano soloist and conductor.

He is credited with helping and supporting talented young musicians in their career development including soprano Renée Fleming and pianists Tzimon Barto and Lang Lang.

Violin:

Daniel Hope

Five times the winner of the ECHO Klassik Prize, British violinist Daniel Hope has performed as soloist with some of the world's most distinguished orchestras and conductors. He is the winner of the Classical Brit Award, and has been nominated four times for a Grammy award.

A recent New York Times review summarized Daniel Hope as “a violinist of probing intellect and commanding style,” and continued: “In a business that likes tidy boxes drawn around its commodities, the British violinist Daniel Hope resists categorization. Mr. Hope, a compelling performer whose work involves standard repertory, new music, raga, and jazz, emphasizes thoughtful engagement over flamboyant display. In his most personal undertakings, he puts classical works within a broader context – not just among other styles and genres but amid history, literature, and drama – to emphasize music’s role as a mirror for struggle and aspiration.” Daniel Hope performs on the 1742 “ex‐Lipin´ski” Guarneri del Gesù violin.

Konzerthaus Berlin

The Konzerthaus Berlin is a concert hall situated on the Gendarmenmarkt, the most beautiful square in the city. Built in 1821, the structure initially served as a theater. Severely damaged in the Second World War, it was rebuilt as a concert hall in 1977, with a neoclassical interior, and changed its name to reflect its new function in 1994. Consistently numbered among the top five concert halls in the world, the Konzerthaus hosts around 500 performances every year, ranging from symphony and chamber concerts featuring international stars to new music and children's concerts.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Symphony No. 6, written in 1893, is Tchaikovsky’s last symphony which he considered his finest work. Its nickname ‘Pathetique’ suggests that the work contains deep and profound contemplations about life and death. Its music is dark and solemn with the exception of the second waltz movement. Many critics saw this symphony as an authobiographical expression of the composer’s uneasy life. The 6th Symphony premiered on 28 October 1893 and was given good reviews but didn’t make a sensation. Nine days later the composer died. After his death the symphony was performed once again at the tribute concert and that time, the audience was deeply touched by the poignant music and gave proper credit to it.

Address

Konzerthaus Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, Germany — Google Maps