Romantic repertoire at Belgrade Philharmonic concerts

The Belgrade Philharmonic and Permanent Guest Conductor Daniel Raiskin, with solo clarinetist Veljko Klenkovski, will be performing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto at the Belgrade Philharmonic Hall, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, (10, 11, and 12 June) at 7:00 p.m. The program will also include works by Mendelssohn and Brahms.

“Our program is perfectly suited for early summer and the feeling of hope that is in the air – a hope for a return to normality. The program is filled with wonderful melodies and a complete sense of romance and love, and Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Brahms are among the most beloved composers around the world. The Belgrade Philharmonic is a treasure trove of talents and first-class soloists, and I am looking forward to performing with one of them – clarinetist Veljko Klenkovski,” Permanent Guest Conductor Raiskin said.

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major is the only one the famous composer wrote for this instrument. The second movement is a singular example of beauty and creation that shows the skill of the greatest opera composer of all time. It is actually an aria for clarinet where the instrumental soloist is in the ‘role’ of a soprano. This aria is also featured in many famous films such as “The King’s Speech,” “27 Dresses,” and “My Africa.”

“I am very much looking forward to Mozart’s Concerto, which is one of the most beautiful works in clarinet literature. It epitomizes unpretentious simplicity, characteristic of all of Mozart’s music, which is also the most difficult to play, and particularly challenging in front of a ‘home’ audience. Even though we have been reduced to a smaller ensemble, this philharmonic season has been very demanding. We researched and performed complex works. I am very proud of that, but in all honesty, I can hardly wait for the season to end to get some hard-earned rest,” Veljko Klenkovski admitted.

The concerts open with Mendelssohn’s Nocturne for Strings, and the symbolic end of all three concert nights will be Brahms’ Serenade No. 2, which represents the composer’s declaration of his love for music.