My favourite piece
My favourite piece of the 2023-2024 season is the piece Tod und Verklärung by Richard Strauss. It is a mystery how he makes the orchestra sound the way it does. The overtones sparkle throughout the hall. You are gripped by the story, and by the different people illustrated in the instruments.
Strauss writes in such a way that you kind of want to set the tone for your colleague. You want to let others in instead of taking all the space yourself. You simply become a sympathetic musician.
Then there are very beautiful chords and towards the end I get goosebumps.
The music and the time
Classical music derives from folk music and from baroque. It wasn’t stiff music at all, but swinging! Much was improvising. And chamber music was used in relaxed occasions. you partied to the music.
Music gives you images, you can move between sadness and joy, or get comfort. I think there was a lot of suffering in the past among the composers. Those who wrote music sometimes had hard lives, sometimes they lived under political oppression. Imagine that Mozart died very poor…
Classical music can fill you in a way that other music cannot. Much is fleeting these days. But at a concert you are present for a couple of hours. It will be a physical experience.
My instrument
My violin is Italian and was built in the 19th century. I bought it in Kungälv from a watchmaker. I was hooked on the vital timbre, the violin responded immediately. My bow is French
and I bought it at auction. It lifts the violin, and it is quiet when you want it to be quiet.
It is the timbre that determines how good a violin is. A newly made violin sounds a bit “raw”, almost. There are myths about what they did with the varnish in the old days to get the violins so good. Maybe they had supernatural powers, those who made them. Who knows what pieces of wood they chose?
Trombonist Jens Kristian Søgaard
"I am very much looking forward to playing Richard Strauss' Alps Symphony. He writes so beautifully for the trombone, it is challenging and very expressive."
Double bassist Jenny Ryderberg
"I'm looking forward to Tchaikovsky's sixth symphony, Pathetique. It's the piece of the double basses. We end by playing dying heartbeats. It's been speculated that Tchaikovsky was illustrating his own impending death."
Percussionist Martin Ödlund
"I'm looking forward to playing Beethoven's Seventh. It's a feast for a percussionist. Beethoven had his own way of writing for kettle-drums. He created a tradition, you play a lot strongly."
The earth - our legacy
Here you will find music about our common living environment and about the nature we all need to take care of. What impressions do you want to pass on?
Let the music move you
Through music we meet - across generations and beyond our own heartbeats. Here you will find concerts that resonates, wherever you are in life. What impressions do you need?
Power to change
The music can help us understand ourselves in the times we live in and provide inspiration to move forward. Here you will find music that makes a difference - big and small. What do you want to be inspired by?
Give your life concert magic!
A subscription to the Gothenburg Concert Hall gives you unforgettable experiences and a discounted ticket price. In addition, many others to share the experiences with.