Göteborgs Konserthus Classical AW with Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Tjajkovskij (1840-1893) Symphony No 5 Pyotr Tchaikovsky had been financially independent for a long time when, in the summer of 1888, he set out on his fifth symphony. A wealthy widow, Nadezjda von Meck, had been so captivated by his compositions that she gave him a generously increased annual maintenance, freeing him from private tuition and other lucrative but time-consuming pursuits. He was now able to compose full-time, and he also quickly achieved mastery. The Fifth Symphony is proof of this. It had been ten years since the fourth symphony and in the meantime he had managed to write five operas, including the famous Eugene Onegin, the string serenade, Capriccio Italy, the second piano concerto, the 1812 overture and much more; that is, several of his most famous works. He had also managed to complete his first European tour as a conductor, but also entered into the disastrous marriage with Antonia Miliukova, tried to kill himself in the icy waters of the Moscow River and moved to Switzerland. After four months of work on the symphony, he wrote to Madame Meck that he was almost finished with his 'symphony of fate'. In surviving manuscripts, he likens his work to a complete resignation to fate - and this is certainly connected to the emotional problems surrounding his homosexuality. In contrast to the brutal character of the Fourth Symphony, the motif of fate in the Fifth comes creeping in the low register of the clarinets. You are immediately captivated by the simplicity and harmony by sensitively placed wind solos. The second movement allows two emotionally charged motifs to alternate with each other. One is presented by the horn and the other by the oboe. But here too, the motif of fate comes into play. The third movement contributes contrast in the form of a well-polished elegant waltz, the dance form that so many times has drawn masterpieces from Tchaikovsky's pen. It begins as if it were a ballet scene and only gradually does the music take on a symphonic character. The dark thoughts do not escape even in the whirlwinds of the ball. In the finale, the fate theme undergoes a transformation. The tempo becomes more march-like and shifts in major - it gradually even becomes grandiose. From being too introverted it has now become almost outwardly aggressive, and this tells a lot about the inner emotional life of the tormented author.

The Gothenburg Symphony was formed in 1905 and today consists of 109 musicians. The orchestra's base is Göteborgs Konserthus, the funk gem at Götaplatsen that has gathered music lovers since 1935. Since the 2017-2018 season, Santtu-Matias Rouvali has been Chief conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony. 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. 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 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.