Jakub Hrůša & Bamberg Symphony

In summer, we always look forward to guest performances at festivals in delightful spa towns – this time, under the baton of our principal conductor, we are presenting a programme devoted entirely to Brahms, with pieces that were also inspired by such idyllic retreats. Born in Hamburg, Brahms later chose Vienna as his home, and he loved to work on his compositions in picturesque surroundings. He often travelled to Lake Wörthersee, for example, where there were so many melodies flying around that one had to »be careful not to step on them«, as he noted with a wink. He captured some of them so playfully in his most important symphonic and concertante works that even his contemporaries perceived »moments of the highest poetic beauty« in them – or raved: »It’s all blue sky, babbling springs, sunshine and cool green shadows! After Brahms had spent his holidays in the Vienna Woods, there was talk of extremely »musical music«. A stay in Wiesbaden and the surroundings also inspired him so much that his friend Clara Schumann even heard insects in the notes he composed there: »Enveloped by a mysterious magic«, she heard not only the »trickling of brooks« but also the »playing of beetles and mosquitoes«. »So the works of this nature-loving composer offer us wonderful playgrounds in which to unfold – after all, it was once said of our interpretations of Brahms« pieces that »the flowing river, characterised by a joy of playing, and the individual pointillistic effects form a winning alliance«.