An idea enchanted in form

The evening of May 29, 2026, at the Szczecin Philharmonic promises a meeting with two masters of musical form: Beethoven and Bruckner. Their works, though different, share a profound reflection on structure and emotion.

Ludwig van Beethoven, composing his Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, in 1805-1806, introduced innovative formal solutions. For the first time, the piano begins the concerto solo, without an orchestral introduction, which was groundbreaking at the time. The second movement, Andante con moto, is often interpreted as a musical representation of the Orpheus myth, where the piano symbolizes Orpheus’s voice soothing the anger of the orchestra, Hades. The final rondo is a lively conclusion that combines virtuosity with lyricism.

The public premiere took place on December 22, 1808, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna during a concert marathon in which Beethoven appeared as the soloist. This concerto was his last major public performance as a pianist. The work was dedicated to Archduke Rudolf, the composer’s pupil and patron.
In Szczecin, we will hear this concerto interpreted by  Charles Richard-Hamelin, a Canadian pianist who gained international recognition after winning the 2nd prize and the Krystian Zimerman Award at the Chopin Competition in 2015. Hamelin is a frequent guest in Poland. He completed studies in Montreal, Yale, and McGill University, and his repertoire includes Chopin as well as Beethoven and Brahms.

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 performed by Yulianna Avddeeva (piano) and the WDR Sinfonieorchester conducted by Mandfred Honeck:

After the intermission, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6 in A major will be performed – a work less often played than his most famous symphonies but regarded by many as his most formally cohesive. The symphony was composed between 1879 and 1881, during the mature period of the composer’s career. Bruckner himself called it “his boldest.” The first movement – Maestoso – is built around a decisive rhythmic motif that consistently returns and develops. The Adagio, perhaps the most beautiful in his entire output, conveys solemnity and calm. The Scherzo surprises with its regularity and dynamics, while the finale brings a synthesis of earlier themes.

During Bruckner’s lifetime, only the middle movements of the symphony were performed, in 1883 in Vienna, probably conducted by Wilhelm Jahn. The complete symphony was first heard on February 23, 1899, in Graz, seven years after the composer’s death. The concert was led by August Göllerich, one of Bruckner’s students and advocates. This performance helped solidify the composer’s posthumous reputation as a master of grand symphonic form.

That evening, the orchestra will be conducted by  Christoph König – a German conductor who studied in Dresden, led ensembles in Malmö, Porto, Luxembourg, and has recently been chief conductor of the RTVE Symphony Orchestra in Madrid. He is an artist who understands Bruckner’s language and also knows how to listen when Beethoven speaks.

Bruckner's Symphony No. 6 performed by the hr-Sinfonieorchester under the baton of Cristoph Eschenbach: