Beethoven
Frédéric Chaslin | Marco Rizzi, violin
Frédéric Chaslin
Frédéric Chaslin, the conductor, composer, pianist and writer, was born in Paris where he studied at the Conservatory and then completed his studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Involved in both opera and symphonic performances, Frederic Chaslin has directed in the world’s most prestigious opera theatres.
Marco Rizzi
Awarded in 3 of the most prestigious violin competitions – the Tchaikovsky of Moscow, the Queen Elizabeth of Brussels and the Indianapolis Violin Competition – Marco Rizzi is today particularly appreciated for the quality, strength and depth of his interpretations as one of the most interesting violinists of the new generation. On the advice of Claudio Abbado, The “Europäischen Musikförderpreis” was awarded to him in 1991.
Saturday 8 February | H 20.30
Auditorium Manzoni
MAIN PARTNER
Program
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major op. 61
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Symphony n. 4 in E minor op. 98
Composer
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major op. 61
Year of composition: 1806
First performance: December 23, 1806
Movements:
1. Allegro non troppo
2. Larghetto
3. Rondò: Allegro
Composed in a period of intense creativity for Beethoven (between the Fifth and the Sixth Symphonies), the Concerto for violin and orchestra in D major represented one of the composer’s highest compositions. It develops in three movements, following the intimate dialogue between the virtuosic steps of the violin and the orchestra. The Allegro but not too much so opens the concert with its melody that has become immortal, while the next Larghetto resumes and elevates the soft lines already present in the first movement. The final Rondò evokes the rural atmosphere which will then become part of the Sixth Symphony.
Johannes Brahms
Symphony n. 4 in E minor op. 98
Year of composition: 1884-1885
First performance: October 25, 1885
Movements:
- Allegro non troppo
- Andante moderate
- Allegro giocoso
- Allegro energico e passionato
The Fourth Symphony presents itself to us as a solid monument to the finest tradition of the art of sounds. Brahms puts into practice everything he had learned from counterpoint and the art of variation (that is, the typical instruments of Bach’s art). These are ductile instruments par excellence, so much so that the composer manages to bend them to very personal emotional needs, achieving singularly effective musical results. Brahms demonstrates, mindful of Bach and Haydn, that listeners can be moved and a masterpiece can be written by putting together small fragments, strong and energetic incipits, taking care that the whole structure is constructed with the tried and tested technique of the varied reuse of the same materials.
ORCHESTRA OF THE TEATRO COMUNALE DI BOLOGNA
With its long-standing tradition, the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna has been led by Musical Directors like Sergiu Celibidache, Zoltán Peskó, Vladimir Delman, Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, Michele Mariotti. Some of the conductors who have worked with the ensemble include Gary Bertini, Myung-Whun Chung, James Conlon, Pinchas Steinberg, Valery Gergiev, Eliau Inbal, Vladimir Jurowskij, Daniel Oren, Peter Maag, Neville Marriner, Kurt Masur, Riccardo Muti, Mstislav Rostropovič, Esa Pekka Salonen, Georg Solti, Christian Thielemann, Charles Dutoit, Georges Prêtre. The Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale is often invited abroad (The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, France, and Switzerland) and has played in many prestigious festivals (Amsterdam 1987, Parma 1990, Wiesbaden 1994, Santander 2004 and 2008, Aix en Provence 2005, Savonlinna 2006, Macao 2013, Muscat 2015, Guanajuato in Mexico 2017, Paris 2018). A special connection with Japan has brought to several tours, including the tour in June 2019 in Osaka, Tokyo, Yokohama, Fukuoka, with performances of Rigoletto directed by Alessio Pizzech, and of Il Barbiere di Siviglia directed by Federico Grazzini.
Its numerous recordings include La Favorite conducted by Richard Bonynge; Oberto Conte di San Bonifacio conduted by Zoltán Peskó, Il Barbiere di Siviglia conducted by Giuseppe Patané, La Fille du Régiment conducted by Bruno Campanella, Le Maschere and La Bohème conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti, La Scala di Seta conducted by Gabriele Ferro, Macbeth, Manon Lescaut, Rigoletto, La Cenerentola, Messa Solenne, and the video production of Vespri siciliani and Giovanna d’Arco and Werther conducted by Riccardo Chailly, Armide conducted by Daniele Gatti, Simon Boccanegra conducted by Michele Mariotti.
The Orchestra, conducted by Michele Mariotti, has recorded a CD under the label Decca with sacred arias sung by Juan Diego Flórez, and an album under Sony with Romantic arias sung by Nino Machaidze. Under Deutsche Grammophon the Orchestra recorded Le Comte Ory with Flórez, and La Nuit de Mai – a selection or arias and songs by Leoncavallo – with Placido Domingo. Under the label PENTATONE it recently released a CD containing overtures by Rossini, to celebrate 150 years since the death of the composer.
In March 2013 the artistic ensembles of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, led by Michele Mariotti, opened the IV International Festival Mstislav Rostropovich in Moscow, where they performed Verdi’s Messa da Requiem. In October 2015, again with Michele Mariotti on the podium, they opened the Lingotto Music Festival at the Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli in Turin, where they performed Stabat Mater by Rossini, and his Overture and Ballet Music from Guillaume Tell.
After working with the Rossini Opera Festival for nearly thirty years (from 1988 to 2016), the year 2017 brought new collaborations between the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and the Verdi Festival in Parma, where the Orchestra performed, among other productions, the Stiffelio directed by Graham Vick. Staged at the Teatro Farnese, the show was highly appreciated by audience and critics alike and was granted the Special Prize at the 37th edition of the “Franco Abbiati” Critics award. The Orchestra’s engagements with the Verdi Festival for the Fall of 2019 include Luisa Miller at the Chiesa di San Francesco del Prato in Parma, and Aida at the Teatro Verdi in Busseto.
The Teatro Comunale’s 2018 production of La Bohème staged by Graham Vick received the Abbiati Award as best show.