Season Opening

Abo A
Bamberg, Konzerthalle, Joseph-Keilberth-Saal
20:00 Uhr

Tremendously powerful and moving – the new season in Bamberg gets off to a dynamic launch with the vibrant piece »Helix«. Esa-Pekka Salonen composed it in 2005 – and over the course of nine minutes, the entire orchestra develops tremendous momentum. Led by our former principal conductor, we will also perform the pinnacle of Franz Schubert’s symphonic oeuvre, which, in the words of Robert Schumann, carries us »into a realm« where »we do not remember ever having previously been. Schubert was first known primarily as a Lied composer, but in 1824 he expressed his desire to finally »pave his way to the great symphony« and thereby follow his revered role model and contemporary, Beethoven. He began work on this outstanding C major symphony a year later, but did not live to hear it performed. It was not until long after his death that this finally happened – and only because Schumann had coincidentally discovered the score in Schubert’s estate in 1839 and immediately sent it to Mendelssohn in Leipzig. When he then heard the epic piece at the Gewandhaus, he felt transported to a »whole new world« and said: QThe symphony has had an effect like no other since Beethoven.« Before this, Sergei Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto will be presented: the then 22-year-old composer sat at the piano himself when the piece was premiered in 1913 – and whilst some of the audience were quite outraged, there were certainly plenty of supporters of this music. In a review of his performance and its rousing flow of movement, it is said that he »captivated the audience with his piece, bursting with talent, and his passionate playing«.

Jonathan Nott Conductor
Mao Fujita Piano

Esa-Pekka Salonen »Helix«
Sergei Prokofjew Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 2 g-moll op. 16
Franz Schubert Symphonie Nr. 8 C-Dur D 944 »Große C-Dur«