Neubrandenburg Philharmonic Orchestra with pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason
Describing it as a “concert for elephants,” Sergei Rachmaninoff alluded to the enormous technical difficulties of his Third Piano Concerto, which he premiered in New York in 1909 under the baton of Walter Damrosch. He had rehearsed the solo part on a silent keyboard while still on the voyage to America. The work opens with a simple theme à la russe, which makes all the subsequent virtuosity and brilliance stand out even more. Many anecdotes surround Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous “Sinfonia eroica.” Originally, the composer intended to dedicate the work to his idol, the French consul Bonaparte. But Bonaparte’s ambitions for the imperial throne disillusioned Beethoven. His relationship with Napoleon remained ambivalent.
The “Eroica” can be heard as a poetic tone painting that revolves around the themes of heroism, Bonaparte, and revolution. The work’s innovative conception overwhelmed audiences at the time. There was, they said, far too much that was “garish and bizarre.”
