Haydn & Strauss

The way in which the young composer does justice to his role models, from his beloved Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to the Romanticism of Carl Maria von Weber and even Richard Wagner, is truly impressive: Richard Strauss was only 19 years old when he wrote his rousing First Horn Concerto – rich in melody, radiant, virtuosic. A wonderful opportunity for the Tonkunstler solo hornist Jonas Rudner to shine for the duration of a work. Music Director Fabien Gabel bookends this touchstone of the late Romantic literature with a work from France and a «London» symphony: In «Le tombeau de Couperin», Maurice Ravel created a charming and subtle dance suite that takes a creative look back at French music of the 18th century. And Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 99 in E flat major was already regarded by one reviewer at the premiere as «one of the grandest efforts of art», about which «it is impossible to speak in common terms». All the more remarkable that it appears here for the first time in a Tonkunstler programme – what a novelty!