NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester / Weilerstein / Gilbert

Tschaikowsky / Beethoven

This concert has already taken place! 12 | 23 | 41 | 59 | 70
This concert has already taken place! 12 | 23 | 41 | 59 | 70
Alisa Weilerstein
Alisa Weilerstein © Marco Borggreve
Alan Gilbert
Alan Gilbert © Peter Hundert
  • Doors open 17:30 / 20:00

  • Start 18:30 / 21:00

  • End ca. 19:30 / 22:00

More than Elevated Entertainment

Two crisp orchestral beats in E flat – and the music takes off! In his »Eroica«, Beethoven demands absolute concentration from his audience from the word go. This was the first symphony in music history that aimed to be more than just sophisticated entertainment: with his Third Symphony, Beethoven wanted to convey political and moral ideas as well. The perfect work, in other words, to celebrate the reunion between the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra under chief conductor Alan Gilbert and their audience after the compulsory break due to Corona. And convincing proof, moreover, that we don’t really need a Beethoven Year to explore the oeuvure of this »Titan« among composers!

The concert opens, by way of contrast, with a work that is lightweight and sunny rather than pathos- and conflict-laden: for Tchaikovsky, »Rococo« stood not only for a pure, elegant and witty musical style, but also for a carefree era as such – very much in contrast to the depressions that plagued the composer in the winter of 1876.
This affliction prompted Tchaikovsky to write a simple theme for cello and orchestra by way of »cleansing his soul«, adding several highly virtuoso variations on the theme. At the time, only an expert soloist like Wilhelm Fitzenhagen was able to cope with the music; Tchaikovsky dedicated the work to him, and Fitzenhagen even added a couple of extra tricky passages to his own copy of the score… Tonight the challenge is taken up by Alisa Weilerstein, who made her debut with the Cleveland Orchestra aged 13, and has since been one of the most sought-after cellists of her generation worldwide.

Performers

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester

Alisa Weilerstein violoncello

conductor Alan Gilbert

Programme

Piotr I. Tschaikowsky
Variations on a Rococo Theme for Violoncello and Orchestra in A major, Op. 33

Ludwig van Beethoven
Sinfonie Nr. 3 Es-Dur op. 55 »Eroica«

Subscription

NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra Subscription A

Promoter: NDR

During your visit

Elbphilharmonie Plaza

A public viewing platform on the 8th floor of the Elbphilharmonie

More about the Plaza

Food and Drink

Before the concert and in the interval

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Coughing, clapping, chatting

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