The Filharmonie Brno is entering its 70th anniversary season, symbolised by the word ‘connection’. It connects the past and the future. It also connects the concerts themselves, which are not individual musical experiences, but a network woven from the ties between composers, compositions, soloists and anniversaries. ‘This year, soloists from among our musicians and works that we played in our first season will also be given special attention,’ said Marie Kučerová, director of Filharmonie Brno.
The philharmonic orchestra will kick off the season on 14 September with Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler, during which Kantiléna, a children’s choir operating under the auspices of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, will also celebrate its 70th anniversary. “Anniversaries are milestones that give us an opportunity to reflect on the passage of time, usually with joy, gratitude and respect, but sometimes also with apprehension. Our new season is full of events that will reveal all these emotions through masterpieces created over several centuries – some well-known and loved, others perhaps a little neglected. I am delighted that we are entering this anniversary season, my eighth in Brno, together with Kantilena, which is celebrating just like us,” said Dennis Russell Davies, chief conductor and artistic director of Filharmonie Brno.
Among the works performed by the philharmonic in its first season was the monumental Bouře (Storm) by Vítězslav Novák, a sea fantasy for large orchestra, solo voices and mixed choir (conducted by permanent guest conductor Robert Kružík), with which the orchestra made its first appearance at the Prague Spring festival in 1956. The same year also saw the premiere of Philharmonic Dances by Jan Novák, written for the philharmonic, and the premiere of Symphony on a French Mountain Melody by Vincent d’Indy.
The programmes of most concerts feature links between the composers. For example, the relationship between teacher and pupil is explored in an evening featuring the quartets of Cherubini, Rejcha, Franck and Gounod, and also Salieri, Schubert, Meyerbeer and Beethoven. “Friendly ties are the theme of the concert Arvo Pärt 90 & Tigran Mansuran, the inspirational programme Bach and his admirers, and the work Lotus in the Moonlight, which Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa wrote as a tribute to Mozart, inspired by his Piano Concerto No. 23. He composed it for the world-renowned pianist Momo Kodama, and I am extremely pleased that she will be the one to take on the solo part here,” said Vítězslav Mikeš, dramaturge of Filharmonie Brno.
Other big names making their Brno debut include pianist Thomas Enhco, violinist Christian Altenburger, clarinettist Sharon Kam and conductors Rumon Gamba, Robert Treviño and Ryusuke Numajiri. Popular soloists from previous seasons will return, including Fazil Say with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Igor Ardašev, who will perform two pieces in one evening: César Franck’s Symphonic Variations and his pupil Vincent d’Indy’s Symphonie sur un air montagnard français, conducted by French conductor Lucie Leguay.
In addition to its own anniversary, the Philharmonic is also celebrating the anniversaries of many events and composers: among the living, besides Arvo Pärt, there is the 80th birthday of Pēteris Vasks, which will be celebrated in two consecutive concerts. Pianist Terezie Fialová will perform Vasks’ cycle The Four Seasons, and a day later her partner Jiří Bárta will perform Vasks’ Cello Concerto No. 1, which will be followed by William Walton’s Hamlet: A Shakespeare Scenario, arranged by Christopher Palmer, at a concert at the Janáček Theatre. ‘The role of narrator will be taken by the famous English actor Simon Callow, whom people know from the film Amadeus, among other things. It is also interesting that Callow was the first actor to play Amadeus in Peter Schaffer’s famous play,’ Mikeš pointed out.
All five concerts in the Family Subscription Series also refer to the orchestra’s 70th anniversary, recalling important moments in its history, such as its very first philharmonic concert, a visit by the British Queen and major foreign tours. The New Year’s Concert will also commemorate the 70th anniversary, with former members of the orchestra joining the orchestra.
Filharmonie Brno is offering nine subscription series this season: two major cycles at the Janáček Theatre, a concert and chamber series at the Besední House, two types of family subscriptions, a jazz series, Kantilena concerts and concerts by orchestral academics, and a series of Special Concerts, including the Opening and New Year’s Concerts and the In the Orchestra project, where listeners sit directly among the musicians. ‘We are holding seats for existing subscribers until Friday 6 June, when they will go on sale that evening,’ said Kučerová, adding that subscribers will save around 40% on the regular price. On Monday 9 June will start the sale of individual tickets as well as the Tailor-made Season, which works on the principle that the more concerts you buy, the bigger the discount you get.
On Tuesday, 17 June, a special philharmonic tram will take to the streets of Brno to celebrate the anniversary, where people can listen to various philharmonic ensembles, such as a double bass duo or a string quartet, and chat with the director or dramaturge and get advice on choosing concerts.
You can view the new season’s catalogue here.
