Saturday, November 1, 2003 20:00
Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium
380
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Tzimon Barto, piano
Programme:
???? L. van Beethoven: Egmont Overture, op. 84
???? S. Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op. 30
???? J. Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, op. 68
The NDR Symphony Orchestra Hamburg is one of the leading German orchestras. Born in the aftermath of World War II, the ensemble was soon to become a leading player in post-war German musical life. Under the baton of its principal conductors Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Moshe Atzmon, Klaus Tennstedt, Gunter Wand, John Eliot Gardiner and Herbert Blomstedt, the orchestra dedicated itself to the major classical and romantic repertoire while at the same time gaining a reputation for the interpretation of contemporary music. Composers whose works were given their frst performance by the NDR include Schonberg, Stravinsky, Nono, Penderecki, Ligeti and others. Alongside many radio and TV recordings, the NDR performs its own concert series in Hamburg, Lubeck and Bremen. Numerous foreign tours take the orchestra to the most important international concert halls. Christoph Eschenbach took the post of principal conductor in 1998 and is held in high esteem by the world's leading orchestras and opera houses for his commanding presence, versatility, creative energy, and consummate musicianship. He regularly conducts the major American and European orchestras, including the symphony orchestras of Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, and New York, the Berlin and Vienna philharmonics, and the leading orchestras of London. Eschenbach currently holds several other international positions: Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris, Artistic Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival and Music Director of the Ravinia Festival.
Tzimon Barto became one of the few internationally acclaimed American pianists of the younger generation since his appearance in the Salzburg Festival at the invitation of Herbert von Karajan. Barto¡¦s musical maturity, superb technique, endless colour palette and striking charm has made him one of the most radiant personalities in his field. Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto, composed in 1909 for a concert tour of the US, belongs up there with the greatest examples of the genre. The 20th century produced no greater concerto for any instrument, and the mixture of breathtaking display and brooding expressive intensity with which Rachmaninov invested the solo part, coupled with the sombre colours of the orchestration, give the work a place alongside the best of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms. It is, without question, the composer's masterpiece.
Duration: approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, including one interval
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