The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra continues to play For Beginners, this time on two successive nights, on Thursday and Friday, 3–4 November (Kolarac, 8pm). Besides Mozart’s Piano concerto No 24, played by piano legend Stephen Kovacevich, Japanese conductor Eiji Oue will direct a real treat for beginners – Beethoven’s Symphony No 5. The series of Belgrade Philharmonic commissions in the season 2016/17 will be concluded by the youngest of the selected composers – Draško Adžić, with his piece Thallus.
According to the composer, Thallus, the catalogue of oronyms for symphony orchestra is a piece of music about all those associations that are evoked by the thought about distant and inaccessible mountain ranges. Inspired by the names of mountain ranges and their peaks, Draško Adžić explores the poetics they radiate, as well as the pagan beliefs that “thy sky is held above the ground by mountain tops”.
A frequent guest of the Belgrade Philharmonic and a favourite of the Belgrade audience, conductor Eiji Oue will lead the kick-off of the series that will open the doors of symphonic music to beginners through capital works of this genre:
“The series For Beginners reminds us in a deeply conscious way that we always stand as beginners in front of the exceptional beauty of musical experience. We see the wider picture though the programmatic concept of this concert that explores various kinds of ‘beginnings’. It is important to play the masterpieces like Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in order to introduce new audiences into the magical world of classical music. On the other hand, we are all beginners when new compositions are concerned, privileged to be the first ones to hear the world premiere of a piece such as that of young composer Adžić”, said Eiji Oue, a world-class conductor, celebrated for his authentic conducting style and unique energy.
Making his debut with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the most appreciated musicians of the older generations, Stephen Kovacevich will perform Mozart’s Piano concerto in C-minor. Kovacevich has appeared with the world’s leading orchestras and conductors including Kurt Masur, Simon Rattle and Georg Solti and has won unsurpassed admiration of music authorities for his playing.
The four tones of the famous opening motif from Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 will resonate on two successive nights at the Belgrade Philharmonic. The orchestra continues the successful project of repeat concerts, titled Philharmania – Because Once Is Not Enough. By introducing five new dates on Thursdays, we are emulating the practice of the world’s best orchestras that repeat their programmes. This novelty in our work will also address the problem of high demand for tickets, since they are usually sold out much before the season even starts.
