On May 30, one of the most important events in Lithuanian classical music will begin at the National Philharmonic – the 29th Vilnius Festival. During the opening, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO), conducted by violinist Christian Tetzlaff and guest from Georgia Mirian Khukhunaishvili, will perform the program “Great Romantics”. The music of Johannes Brahms and Jean Sibelius will be of extraordinary beauty.
Vilnius Festival follows the tradition of revealing the poetic beginning of music with the first concert and presenting the audience with impressive interpretations of monumental musical masterpieces. This time, the festival's opening concert will feature a particularly complex Brahms A concert for violin and orchestra in D major will be interpreted by one of the most sought-after and interesting musicians on the classical music scene – Christian Tetzlaff.
His concerts are often likened to existential experiences, when even well-known works are opened up from new angles. It is said that Ch. Tetzlaff “speaks” with his violin – his interpretations cover a wide range of expressive means and do not aim solely for harmony or virtuoso brilliance. The violinist often draws attention to forgotten masterpieces, such as the violin concertos by Joseph Joachim or Mozart and Beethoven’s contemporary Giovanni Battista Viotti. Ch. Tetzlaff performs an unusually large number of works, playing about 100 concerts a year, and in order to constantly expand his repertoire, he is also a dedicated interpreter of new works.
Music critics claim that Ch. Tetzlaff's interpretations of Brahms's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major are superior to each other, and the violinist himself says that it is one of his favorite and most important works in his repertoire. It is not surprising, after all, back in the 19th century, the famous music critic of the time, Eduard Hanslick, who heard Brahms' concerto performed for the first time in Vienna, stated that it was "the most significant concert for the violin since the time of Beethoven and Mendelssohn.” Today, Brahms’s opus, along with Beethoven’s violin concerto, is considered one of the pinnacles of this instrumental genre.
Ch. Tetzlaff has released several highly acclaimed recordings of this work. The later one, released on Ondine in 2022, is appreciated for its special "emotional involvement", excellent technical performance, and maximum contrasts. And the violinist himself, speaking of this violin concerto, has said that the beginning of his solo part is "a real fit of rage."
At the Vilnius Festival concert, the famous violinist will share the stage with the master of the trombone Mirian Khukhunaishvili, who had the honor of earning the special sympathy of conductor Christoph Eschenbach - he was awarded the Ringmann-Jaross Award established by the trombone legend, and the maestro mentors the young conductor by consulting and observing his concert activities.
M. Khukhunaishvili has conducted the Berlin Konzerthaus, the Danish National Orchestra, the Wroclaw Philharmonic, the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, other prominent European orchestras, as well as all the most important Georgian orchestras. The artist's immediate plans include debuts with the Athens State, Arturo Toscanini, Silesian, and Danish Philharmonic Orchestras, and at the Vilnius Festival the Georgian conductor will also debut with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra.
Alongside Brahms, the opening of the festival will feature J. Sibelius' Symphony No. 1, a fairly typical romantic symphony in its four-movement structure and character. The composer did not specify its title or program, but researchers of his music see more than one personal, autobiographical moment in this work. The music of the symphony seems to speak of Sibelius' own confession: "Indeed, I am a famous painter and poet.""
The original score of this symphony has not survived, and the version edited by the composer himself after the premiere captivates with its abundant string and wind solos and extremely evocative musical language. It was this symphony that introduced Sibelius' talent to the world, as it was performed during the first tour of the Helsinki Orchestra. Then the work, conducted by the composer himself, was heard by the audience of Stockholm, Christiania (as Oslo was then called), Hamburg, Amsterdam and the Paris World Exhibition of 1900.
Vilnius Festival Concert “The Great Romantics. Christian Tetzlaff and the LNSO interpret Brahms and Sibelius” will take place on Friday, May 30, at 19 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Philharmonic. All concerts of the festival are announced on the website www.filharmonija.lt. The festival is organized by the Lithuanian National Philharmonic and the VšĮ “Vilniaus Festivaliai”, supported by Vilnius city municipality, Juozas and Laima Magelinska, Artis Centrum Hotels.
