Dress Rehearsal: A4 Beethoven’s “Fate” Symphony

Programme

Jörg Widmann
Con brio

Karol Szymanowski
Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 35

Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 “Fate”

Performers

Alena Baeva – violin
Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava
Aziz Shokakhimov – conductor

Beethoven’s music had fascinated Jörg Widmann since his youth. In his concert overture Con brio, commissioned by Bavarian Radio, he created a tribute to the great Viennese Classicist. Motifs from Beethoven’s Seventh and Eighth Symphonies are placed in a new context shaped by contemporary compositional thinking, resulting in an original work that, since its premiere in 2008, has been performed at more than 300 concerts worldwide.

Karol Szymanowski composed his First Violin Concerto in 1916 during the First World War. Inspired by the Polish violinist Paweł Kochański, the composer was able to explore new sonic and technical possibilities of violin playing. This work, cast in an unconventional single-movement form, is regarded as one of the first modern violin concertos. Its mysterious atmosphere reflects tenderness, pain, birdsong, and the sensual fragrance of the night.

Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony (1804–1808) is undoubtedly the most famous orchestral work in classical music. The four-note opening motif, described by the composer himself as fate knocking at the door, accompanies the symphony from its sombre beginning to its triumphant finale. The music continues to speak to audiences across centuries, whether interpreted as the overcoming of adversity or as a journey from darkness into light.