Beethoven: Piano Concerto 3 & Bruckner: Symphony 9 | Fabian Müller, Paavo Järvi, Tonhalle-Orchester

Two major works in one concert: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 played by the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under the baton of Paavo Järvi. The piano soloist is Fabian Müller. The concert is taking place on 2 September 2023 at Bonn Opera House as part of the Beethovenfest Bonn.

The concert’s two heavy-hitting pieces span almost an entire century: Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto was written at the dawn of the 19th century and Bruckner’s 9th Symphony shortly before its end. Both orchestral works can be effortlessly assigned to the music of the Romantic period. Of Beethoven’s five piano concerts, the third marks the transition from Viennese Classicism to Romanticism. Unlike its predecessors, this concerto is no longer purely virtuosic but more aptly described as a symphonic solo concerto. This concerto form developed in the course of the 19th century and is characterized by the close intertwining of the motivic-thematic development of orchestral parts and solo piano. In contrast, the symphonic developments of the 19th century attain their zenith in Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. The sonata movement form adopted from the classical period is formally heightened into the realms of the monumental and is taken to its extreme harmonic limits. But the 19th century doesn’t just represent Romanticism, it also marks the beginning of the industrial era. Influences felt in the music of both these major orchestral works.

Program:

(00:00) Musicians come on stage
(01:05) Address of Steven Walter, Artistic Director Beethovenfest Bonn
(04:42) Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, I. Allegro con brio, Fabian Müller, piano
(22:23) Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, II. Largo, Fabian Müller, piano
(31:29) Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, III. Rondo. Allegro, Fabian Müller, piano
(43:12) Encore: Johannes Brahms, Wiegenlied (Lullaby), Op. 49, No. 4, Fabian Müller, piano

(46:06) INTERMISSION

(1:14:22) Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109 (Edition Nowak), I. Feierlich, misterioso
(1:40:39) Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109 (Edition Nowak), II. Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft; Trio. Schnell
(1:51:35) Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, WAB 109 (Edition Nowak), III. Adagio. Langsam, feierlich

TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
Paavo Järvi | CONDUCTOR
Fabian Müller | PIANO

Estonian Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi is widely recognized as one of today’s most eminent conductors, enjoying close partnerships with the finest orchestras around the world. He serves as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, as the long-standing Artistic Director of The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen since 2004, and as both the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra. From the start of the 2022/23 season, he is also Honorary Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Das Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, founded in 1868, is one of Switzerland’s leading musical ensembles. Around 100 musicians perform about 50 different programs in over 100 concerts each season. Guest performances have taken the orchestra to cities in over 30 countries. In addition to the orchestral projects, members also create their own chamber music series and perform as soloists in their own series. Music Director Paavo Järvi is the 11th Principal Conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich. Recently, the orchestra received the European Culture Prize 2022 together with Paavo Järvi.

Fabian Müller is a prize-winning pianist who has already played with numerous orchestras. Müller is also Artistic Director of the chamber music series “Bonner Zwischentöne”, his own initiative. He’s also involved in the field of musical education. In 2014, his role in the Ruhr Piano Festival’s education project won the Junge Ohren prize and in 2016, an Echo Klassik award. The Beethovenfest Bonn is a festival that’s very close to his heart.

The Beethovenfest Bonn is one of Germany's oldest and most significant music festivals. Founded in 1845 by Franz Liszt in Beethoven's birth town, it is now an internationally recognized beacon on the cultural circuit, with around 80 events held in Bonn and the region each year in August and September.

© 2023 Deutsche Welle

Thumbnail photo: © Gaetan Bally

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