The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra’s series For Connoisseurs in the season 2015/16 will be concluded by one of today’s most revered musicians – conductor Hans Graf, on Friday, 20 May (Kolarac, 8pm). The renowned conductor will lead the orchestra’s performance of two great works – Hummel’s complex and rarely played Grand Concerto for bassoon and orchestra, with the BPO’s principal bassoonist Nenad Janković featured as the soloist, as well as Bruckner’s Symphony No 6.
The concert series For Connoisseurs is intended for experienced classical music concertgoers, who come to our concerts expecting something more. For the last concert, we have prepared pieces that are not frequently performed owing to their complexity, but are nonetheless intriguing to the seasoned audience, who are already deemed veterans as far as listening to the standard repertoire is concerned.
The BPO musician Nenad Janković will give a premiere of the most difficult and, at the same time, the longest bassoon concerto by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, the composer who was overshadowed by other great artist of the Classical and early Romantic periods with whom he had collaborated.
“I am proud that I will play one of the most demanding bassoon concertos of the classical literature, which I studied during my Master degree course and in which I always find something new. It is an amazing feeling to appear as a soloist with one’s own orchestra, but also a huge responsibility. I am confident that my fellow musicians from the orchestra will support me and send waves of positive vibe to ensure that everything goes perfect”, said Nenad, excited about the concert.
Although Bruckner’s Symphony No 6 was once considered the ugly duckling of the composer’s symphonic oeuvre, it leaves an unmistakable impression of rich expression with the listener. At the time when it was created, it managed to impress even the most hair-splitting connoisseur of them all – the great symphonist Johannes Brahms, but also Gustav Mahler, who conducted its premiere in Graz in 1899. This is more than sufficient reason to also attract interest of the Belgrade connoisseurs, especially when coming from the baton of the celebrated Austrian Maestro Hans Graf, who currently holds the title of Conductor Laureate. Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, Graf is a sough-after guest of all major orchestras. Until 2013, he was Music Director of the Houston Symphony, which made him the longest serving Music Director in the orchestra’s history. Graf’s last appearance with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra was in 1984.
