Next Friday, on the 17th of April at 7 p.m., we invite you to the next internet concert of Poznan Philharmonic. This time the hero of the evening is Krzysztof Penderecki, who passed away recently. We will recall him as a composer and as a conductor.

We are going to present music lovers the recording of a concert performed by Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra and soloists: Fumiaki Miura (violin) and Julian Rachlin (viola), under the baton of maestro Krzysztof Penderecki. The concert was held in AMU Concert Hall in Poznan on the 23rd of November 2012 and aired by Polish Radio Program II, which lent us this recording for the forthcoming internet concert.

The Poznan concert from eight years ago was special due to many reasons, though two of them were of particular importance to us – on the 23rd of November 2012 Krzysztof Penderecki celebrated his 79th birthday (hence the title of the concert, “Maestro’s Birthday”), and the composer suggested to perform with our philharmonic orchestra a Polish premiere of his recent symphonic piece – Double Concert for violin, viola and orchestra, which only a month ago had its world premiere in the Golden Hall of Musikverein in Vienna. In the capital of Austra Mariss Jansons conducted the work, while in AMU Concert Hall – the composers (in both performances Julian Rachlin, to whom the piece was dedicated, played the solo part on viola). In the second part of the concert held on the 23rd of November 2012 Krzysztof Penderecki led one of his favourite symphonies – No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Double Concert for violin, viola and orchestra surprises with its lyricism from the first chords, as well as its sensitivity to timbre and the perfection in building the suspense. Although it lacks the effects of spectacular virtuosity, the extreme difficulty of both parts is to show variability of themes and bring out the quality of the musical discourse. The piece is not a heated debate, but a smart dialogue of two mature personalities. The rich and multi-layered texture of the Concert is characterised by splendid instrumentation, intense tones which merge in the orchestral tutti. It perfectly blends with the expression of diversified emotions, thus the structure of the work is consistent and dramatized.

In the second part of the evening Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 by Ludwig van Beethoven resounded – a real orgy of rhythm and symphony of humour, as the piece was acclaimed a day after its premiere held on the 8th of December 1813 in Great Hall of the University of Vienna. Richard Wagner deemed the vigorous Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven the apotheosis of dance, and the composer himself admitted that while writing the work he wanted to refer to orgiastic Roman Bacchanalia. To him the following quote is ascribed: music is the wine which inspires one to create, and I am Bacchus who pours the mankind the delicious drink and make them spiritually drunken.

Performers:

Fumiaki MIURA – violin
Julian RACHLIN – viola
Krzysztof PENDERECKI – conductor
Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra

Program:

• Krzysztof Penderecki – Double Concert for violin, viola and orchestra (Polish premiere)
• Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
  Poco sostenuto – Vivace
  Allegretto
  Assai meno presto
  Allegro con brio