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Charles Ives (1874-1954) The Unanswered Question The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives is a work as mysterious as it was ahead of its time. From its composition in 1908, it took until 1946 before it was first performed. Today it is one of his best-known works. The piece is a kind of collage in three layers. The first layer, the strings, forms a slow, simple and tonal background. It represents the “silence of the druids”. On top of this, a lone trumpet returns with a short atonal motif. It is the “eternal question of existence”. The trumpet is in turn accompanied by woodwinds that, equally atonally, but increasingly faster, louder and more eager, try to answer the trumpet’s question – in vain. The question remains unanswered. The strings continue as if nothing has happened. How the “question” of existence has been interpreted has varied. The piece appears everywhere, from the war film The Thin Red Line to A Quiet Passion about the poet Emily Dickinson. It also gave name to Leonard Bernstein's lectures on the existence or non-existence of tonality. One theory is that Ives' title is taken from the poem The Sphinx by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The clash between the tonal and the atonal would then reflect the relationship between the spiritual and the physical – and how they actually belong together. A question without answer, but one that we cannot help asking again and again.

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953) Andante For Strings Ruth Crawford Seeger was an experimental composer and part of the American avant-garde of the 1920s. Yet many of her works remain unpublished today. Unfortunately, her career was short. The string quartet is often hailed as her great masterpiece. It was composed in 1931 in Berlin, where she traveled to study as the first woman on a Guggenheim scholarship. She then rearranged the slow movement for string orchestra under the name Andante for Strings. She described her early music as “a tree of light and timbre colors.” It is a description that fits well with this atmospheric, flowing and slightly harsh work. She wanted to write music that was dissonant, but at the same time simple and could appeal to ordinary people, without being dry and intellectual. After Berlin, she married her music teacher. They became politically involved, put music in the service of class struggle, and abandoned modernism. She stopped composing her own music altogether. Only when the children had moved out did she resume her own composing, but was then interrupted by cancer and died in 1953.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

György Ligeti (1923-2006) Atmosphères It was only when György Ligeti fled his native Hungary during the 1956 uprising that the world became aware of his epoch-making innovations. He came to be counted among the most important and avant-garde artists on the barricades. He hit the ground running with works such as Atmosphères, Aventures, Nouvelles Aventures and Requiem. Ligeti presented himself as a sky-rocketer who was bolder and more consistently modern than anyone ever heard of, and he shook the establishment. The massive orchestral work Atmosphères was premiered in Donaueschingen in 1961 with Hans Rosbaud as conductor. It was not long before the piece achieved cult status. Stanley Kubrick furthered its fame when he used the music in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where it fit like a glove. Each instrument (!) has its own part in its own notation system in the meter-high score. The first thing you hear is a chromatic cluster that covers five octaves. It is the overall sound that matters, and it only changes the tone color and dynamics. There are no rhythmic or melodic motifs here. In some places, the brass musicians blow straight through their instruments without creating any tone, and towards the end, the strings of the grand piano are struck with soft mallets. In the middle of the piece, the piccolo and violins reach their highest register, only to dive down to extreme double bass depth after a breath. Immediately afterwards, a 56-part canon begins where the parts hook into each other with as short a gap as possible. It is not possible, nor is it intended, for you to be able to follow what is happening in this micropolyphony. Stig Jacobsson

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Also sprach Zarathustra The music is in no way a musical translation of Nietzsche's controversial theories about the übermensch. Richard Strauss saw the positive sides of the author's message: the demand for freedom, the longing for a better world, the power of action. The descriptions of nature were the most important source of inspiration. The extensive orchestral poem breaks up into nine sections, whose titles correspond to the names of the chapters in the book (but not always in the same order). Between these there are only three general pauses, the rest is in one go. As a motto he placed Nietzsche's "ode to the sun" with the call that "Too long have we dreamed of music, let us now wake up. We were sleepwalkers, let us now go out into the day..." The whole work begins with the sunrise: after long, grinding and very low C in double basses, double bassoon and organ, the sun breaks out in the notes C, G and C2. This is probably the most brilliant sunrise in the entire history of music, and just like Ligeti's music, it became the motif in the film 2001 – A Space Odyssey. The following parts have the titles: "About the inhabitants of the afterlife", "About the great longing" and "About the joy and passions", where the oboe intones a mournful melody. It is the dreams of youth that are buried. "The Night Wanderer's Song" is a heartbreaking farewell song where the description of nature returns in a reconciling C major in the basses. In the music, C major represents man and nature, while B major represents the universe - two keys that are very far apart. Neither of them emerges victorious from the battle at the end of the piece. Stig Jacobsson

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Charles Ives (1874-1954) The Unanswered Question The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives is a work as mysterious as it was ahead of its time. From its composition in 1908, it took until 1946 before it was first performed. Today it is one of his best-known works. The piece is a kind of collage in three layers. The first layer, the strings, forms a slow, simple and tonal background. It represents the “silence of the druids”. On top of this, a lone trumpet returns with a short atonal motif. It is the “eternal question of existence”. The trumpet is in turn accompanied by woodwinds that, equally atonally, but increasingly faster, louder and more eager, try to answer the trumpet’s question – in vain. The question remains unanswered. The strings continue as if nothing has happened. How the “question” of existence has been interpreted has varied. The piece appears everywhere, from the war film The Thin Red Line to A Quiet Passion about the poet Emily Dickinson. It also gave name to Leonard Bernstein's lectures on the existence or non-existence of tonality. One theory is that Ives' title is taken from the poem The Sphinx by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The clash between the tonal and the atonal would then reflect the relationship between the spiritual and the physical – and how they actually belong together. A question without answer, but one that we cannot help asking again and again.

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953) Andante For Strings Ruth Crawford Seeger was an experimental composer and part of the American avant-garde of the 1920s. Yet many of her works remain unpublished today. Unfortunately, her career was short. The string quartet is often hailed as her great masterpiece. It was composed in 1931 in Berlin, where she traveled to study as the first woman on a Guggenheim scholarship. She then rearranged the slow movement for string orchestra under the name Andante for Strings. She described her early music as “a tree of light and timbre colors.” It is a description that fits well with this atmospheric, flowing and slightly harsh work. She wanted to write music that was dissonant, but at the same time simple and could appeal to ordinary people, without being dry and intellectual. After Berlin, she married her music teacher. They became politically involved, put music in the service of class struggle, and abandoned modernism. She stopped composing her own music altogether. Only when the children had moved out did she resume her own composing, but was then interrupted by cancer and died in 1953.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

György Ligeti (1923-2006) Atmosphères It was only when György Ligeti fled his native Hungary during the 1956 uprising that the world became aware of his epoch-making innovations. He came to be counted among the most important and avant-garde artists on the barricades. He hit the ground running with works such as Atmosphères, Aventures, Nouvelles Aventures and Requiem. Ligeti presented himself as a sky-rocketer who was bolder and more consistently modern than anyone ever heard of, and he shook the establishment. The massive orchestral work Atmosphères was premiered in Donaueschingen in 1961 with Hans Rosbaud as conductor. It was not long before the piece achieved cult status. Stanley Kubrick furthered its fame when he used the music in his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where it fit like a glove. Each instrument (!) has its own part in its own notation system in the meter-high score. The first thing you hear is a chromatic cluster that covers five octaves. It is the overall sound that matters, and it only changes the tone color and dynamics. There are no rhythmic or melodic motifs here. In some places, the brass musicians blow straight through their instruments without creating any tone, and towards the end, the strings of the grand piano are struck with soft mallets. In the middle of the piece, the piccolo and violins reach their highest register, only to dive down to extreme double bass depth after a breath. Immediately afterwards, a 56-part canon begins where the parts hook into each other with as short a gap as possible. It is not possible, nor is it intended, for you to be able to follow what is happening in this micropolyphony. Stig Jacobsson

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Also sprach Zarathustra The music is in no way a musical translation of Nietzsche's controversial theories about the übermensch. Richard Strauss saw the positive sides of the author's message: the demand for freedom, the longing for a better world, the power of action. The descriptions of nature were the most important source of inspiration. The extensive orchestral poem breaks up into nine sections, whose titles correspond to the names of the chapters in the book (but not always in the same order). Between these there are only three general pauses, the rest is in one go. As a motto he placed Nietzsche's "ode to the sun" with the call that "Too long have we dreamed of music, let us now wake up. We were sleepwalkers, let us now go out into the day..." The whole work begins with the sunrise: after long, grinding and very low C in double basses, double bassoon and organ, the sun breaks out in the notes C, G and C2. This is probably the most brilliant sunrise in the entire history of music, and just like Ligeti's music, it became the motif in the film 2001 – A Space Odyssey. The following parts have the titles: "About the inhabitants of the afterlife", "About the great longing" and "About the joy and passions", where the oboe intones a mournful melody. It is the dreams of youth that are buried. "The Night Wanderer's Song" is a heartbreaking farewell song where the description of nature returns in a reconciling C major in the basses. In the music, C major represents man and nature, while B major represents the universe - two keys that are very far apart. Neither of them emerges victorious from the battle at the end of the piece. Stig Jacobsson

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) Symphony No 1 "Titan" The first symphony was premiered in Budapest with the composer as conductor. The music attracted violent criticism, because this was something that was not expected. Mahler had made a name for himself as a brilliant opera conductor but as a composer he was virtually unknown, and now he came up with an ambitious, stylistically variegated and strangely personal symphony. Few works by Mahler have since undergone so many revisions - right up until 1898. When the first version was found in the 1960s, it was clear that the differences were large. The opening is compelling: it begins with an unforgettable feeling of space and stillness. Perhaps Mahler was thinking of when he was left alone in the forest by his father with the promise not to move until his father returned - and it took many hours. Gradually, thematic fragments emerge: horn calls, trumpet fanfares, birdsong. The second movement was first called "Full Sails" and reflects a longing for nature and lively, Austrian-inspired peasant dances. "Mourning march à la Callot" he called the third movement, and the etching intended by the artist shows the dead hunter being carried on a stretcher by the animals of the forest. It is a parodic picture and a highly parodic piece of music, which is based on the well-known children's song Frère Jacques in an ironic, grotesque and bitter minor version. In the trio part there is another quote from Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. The finale is the despair of a wounded heart. He borrowed the title of the movement from Dante: "From inferno to paradise". Music may seem to start in hell, and Mahler was probably a long way to paradise. But he didn't get there yet, he did so only in the second symphony - and it was started immediately after the first.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) Symphony No. 64 “Tempura mutantur” Allegro con spirito Largo Menuetto & Trio: Allegretto Finale: Presto Joseph Haydn composed most of his symphonies (the last one is number 104!) for the immensely wealthy Prince Esterházy, with whom he was employed for almost 40 years. The symphony that musicologist Hoboken gave as number 64 in his chronological list of Haydn's symphonies was probably written sometime between 1773 and 1775. This means that it is one of the last symphonies that are counted as Haydn's "Sturm und Drang period", where emotions flared up. Like so many other of Haydn's symphonies, this one also has a nickname and it is reproduced in the composer's own manuscript: Tempura mutantur. This old Latin proverb was very well known and has a continuation: Tempura mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis, which can be translated "Times change and we with them". Haydn himself has not given any explanation for the name, but perhaps he wanted to point out that with this work he was entering a new way of looking at music and life. As conductor of a court orchestra, Haydn had the privilege of being able to immediately perform his new works, and this time he had composed a work in four movements for strings and two each for oboes and horns. As usual he offers wonders of musical ingenuity and intelligence. After a couple of lyrical bars in pianissimo, an outburst of four chords follows before everything develops instrumentally and melodically. The slow movement is written for the broad melodies of the muted strings. For a long time, the movement seems to be written entirely for strings, but halfway through, the winds come in surprisingly and powerfully. After a light and bright minuet, a concluding presto follows in a peculiar rondo form.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2019-2020 season, Barbara Hannigan is Principal guest conductor. We are also a proud partner of Barbara Hannigan's Equilibrium mentoring program focusing on young singers at the start of their careers. The title Principal Guest Conductor is shared by Pekka Kuusisto from 2025. Wilhelm Stenhammar was the orchestra's chief conductor from 1907 to 1922. He gave the orchestra a strong Nordic profile and invited colleagues Carl Nielsen and Jean Sibelius to the orchestra. Under the direction of conductor Neeme Järvi from 1982-2004, the orchestra made a series of international tours as well as a hundred disc recordings and established themselves among Europe's leading orchestras. In 1996, the Swedish Riksdag appointed the Gothenburg Symphony as Sweden's National Orchestra. In recent decades, the orchestra has had prominent chief conductors such as Santtu-Matias Rouvali, Mario Venzago and Gustavo Dudamel, following Kent Nagano as Principal Guest conductor. Anna-Karin Larsson is CEO and artistic director, Gustavo Dudamel honorary conductor and Neeme Järvi chief conductor emeritus. The orchestra's owner is the Västra Götaland Region. The Gothenburg Symphony works regularly with conductors such as Herbert Blomstedt, Joana Carneiro, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christian Zacharias and Anja Bihlmaier.