Dvořák. Brahms

The closing concert of our season brings together two of the most iconic masterpieces of the Romantic repertoire.

The evening opens with Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B minor, one of the best-loved works in its genre and indeed one of the most popular works in the orchestral repertoire as a whole. Composed during the composer's stay in America and yet deeply rooted in his Bohemian musical language, the concerto constitutes a truly perfect symbiosis between cello and orchestra, symphonic in its conception and yet providing the soloist with endless possibilities for self-expression in all emotional registers, from joyful song to intimate reflection to dramatic insistence. In the hands of Daniel Müller-Schott – sought-after worldwide for the richness of his tone and the depth of his musical insight – Dvořák's timeless concerto promises a memorable performance of both technical command and profound musicality.

After the interval comes the monumental Symphony No. 1 in C minor by Johannes Brahms. Famously long in the making, the work was completed only when Brahms had reached his early forties, following years of intense self-criticism and artistic reflection. The result is a symphony of remarkable architectural stature and emotional depth, widely considered a worthy continuation of Beethoven's legacy in the genre. From its dramatic opening to the radiant triumph of its finale, the symphony unfolds naturally with a sense of inevitability and compositional authority.

The union of Dvořák's endlessly lyrical concerto with Brahms's landmark symphony brings our season to a fitting and powerful conclusion, celebrating as it does the richness, depth and enduring beauty of the Romantic orchestral tradition.