Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz

In Beethoven's cheerful Second Symphony from 1802, contemporaries noticed something new and harrowing — there was, for example, a great deal of “depth, power and artistic scholarship.” In the meantime, critics have often ignored this. For them, the composer only broke away from the idols Haydn and Mozart in his world-famous “Third”, one year younger, with the nickname “Eroica.” However, it has long been appreciated again for its own merits.

While 2027 marks the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin — founded in 1952 as the Berlin Symphony Orchestra — is also celebrating its 75th birthday. In this concert, we dive into our story: In 2003, the orchestra played the world premiere of 'Sound Scenes III', a work commissioned by Friedrich Goldmann (1941—2009), under the direction of the then chief conductor Eliahu Inbal. Now it's back on the program.

Soprano Elza van den Heever, hailing from South Africa, is one of the “world's most important representatives of the youth-dramatic field” and has enthralled audiences in New York and Paris, among others, in the role of Salome in Richard Strauss's opera of the same name. We are very much looking forward to seeing her perform the “final song” of one of her prime roles with you in the Great Hall.

Program: Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major op. 36; Friedrich Goldmann: “Sound Scenes III” for orchestra; Richard Strauss: Schleiertanz and closing song from the opera “Salome” op. 54