Berlioz — Fantastic Symphony | Matsuoka | Tzigane | Symphony Orchestra

Performers: Seina Matsuoka — violin

Eugene Tzigane — conductor

Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Program: Karol Szymanowski — Nocturne and Tarantella op. 28

Karol Szymanowski — 2nd Violin Concerto Op. 61

Hector Berlioz — Symphony in C minor, Op. 14 Fantastic Symphony

Concert as part of the XIV International Days of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Episodes

Hector Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony — one of the most innovative works of the 19th century — has become a musical “episode from the artist's life” and a daring tale of obsessive, unfulfilled love. The composer created an almost cinematic work, leading the listener through the world of dreams, hallucinations and violent emotions. Revolutionary orchestration, enormous symphonic momentum and bold sound effects made the piece open to romantic music completely new possibilities of expression.

The music of Hector Berlioz and Karol Szymanowski will turn the evening into a fantastic story about emotions, imagination and the extraordinary power of orchestral sound. The Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by the laureate of many prestigious competitions, the winner of the VIII Grzegorz Fitelberg International Conducting Competition, Eugene Tzigane.

The soloist of the evening will be Japanese violinist Seina Matsuoka — winner of the 1st prize of the Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition in Katowice in 2023 and winner of three special prizes. The artist belongs to the group of the most interesting violinists of the young generation, performing regularly on the stages of Europe and Japan.

The programme will feature two works by Karol Szymanowski — a composer who gave Polish music of the 20th century a modern, European dimension. Nocturne and Tarantella op. 28 is a composition based on a striking contrast of moods: the mysterious, sensual Nocturne transforms into a Tarantella full of energy and virtuosic temperament inspired by Italian folk dance. The piece impresses with its oriental colors, harmonic richness and extremely impressive violin part.

Karol Szymanowski's 2nd Violin Concerto Op. 61 was composed between 1932 and 1933 at the request of the outstanding violinist Paweł Kochański, a close friend of the composer and co-creator of many of his violin works. It was Kochański who developed the cadence for the concert, actively participating in the process of creating the piece. In contrast to the expressive and more sensual Violin Concerto I, the music of the Second Concerto is distinguished by greater economy of means, clarity of sound and a clear turn towards modality and folklore inspiration. Here Szymanowski returns to his favorite one-part form, building a work of two contrasting sections separated by an extended violin cadence.

The premiere of the work took place on October 6, 1933 at the Warsaw Philharmonic under the baton of Grzegorz Fitelberg, and the solo part was performed by Paweł Kochański. It was the violinist's last concert before his untimely death a few months later. Deeply moved by the loss of his friend, Szymanowski later accompanied the release of the score with a dedication: “To the memory of the Great Musician, my dear and unforgettable Friend, Paweł Kochański”.

After this inspiring musical journey, it will be time for one of the most famous symphonies of all time — Hector Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony. The story of obsessive and unfulfilled love is told here through the recurring theme of the beloved — the famous idée fixe — which appears in the following parts of the work in increasingly altered and dramatic scenes.

In the next links of the symphony, Berlioz leads the listener through the world of dreams, passions and hallucinatory visions. The protagonist falls madly in love, admires his beloved at the ball, and then experiences anxious moments during the Scene in the Country. Despair and a sense of rejection push him towards opium visions - the artist dreams that he is convicted of murdering his beloved and led to execution in the famous March to the Extermination. The finale brings a grotesque and demonic vision of the Witches' Sabbath, during which the theme of the beloved returns in a ghostly, distorted form.

The Fantastic Symphony impresses not only with its unusual narration, but also with its revolutionary orchestration. Berlioz created a work full of bold sound effects, violent contrasts and enormous symphonic momentum, opening up completely new possibilities for expression for romantic music.

CONCERT INFORMANT

Co-financed from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund — a state special purpose fund, as part of the “Music” program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance

Project under the patronage of the City of Katowice

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