Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joshua Weilerstein

About the Event

In this highly‐anticipated concert, hear the mellifluous sounds of classical music by Antonín Dvořák, Samuel Barber and Gideon Klein at Berlin's treasured and world‐renowned Konzerthaus.

The outstanding Moravian composer Gideon Klein (1919 ‐1945) played a crucial role in the cultural life of the Theresienstadt concentration camp, which continued to exist despite the omnipresent terror. There he created masterpieces such as the 'Partita for Strings'. He met his tragic end in January 1945 under mysterious conditions in a subcamp of Auschwitz. Fortunately, his impressive, if scarce, body of work was preserved.

Born in Pennsylvania in 1910, Samuel Barber impressed his contemporaries early on with his extraordinary musical gifts. Confident of his ability, he expressed, 'I write what I feel. I am not an insecure composer.' He affirmed this by retaining his Violin Concerto, Op. 14, even though it was not to the liking of either the patron or the artist. He eventually decided on another soloist and waived the remaining part of the fee. In the U.S., the work has been highly regarded since its premiere in 1941. With us, soloist Ning Feng performs this emotionally charged and melodically rich piece that is second to none in its uniqueness.

Afterwards, we are further treated to the sounds of the Konzerthaus Orchestra and conductor Joshua Weilerstein, as Antonín Dvořák's Ninth Symphony, 'From the New World,' is performed. Its slow movement, hauntingly introduced by the English horn, is a highlight. During his transatlantic sojourn, the Bohemian maestro composed this work, which became a resounding success at its premiere in Carnegie Hall in 1893 and continues to this day.