6th symphony concert

Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 opens with a thunderous drum roll. And with great fanfare, this concerto was a failure at its premiere, with the composer himself as soloist: the symphonic scope of this piece was too new and unfamiliar for an instrumental concerto—which is precisely why it is now regarded as a masterpiece. Unsurpassed, however, is the scandal provoked by Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Spring” at its premiere some 50 years later in Paris. Physical altercations broke out in the audience in response to music that sought to capture the atmosphere of a ritual “from pagan Russia” through the elemental power of rhythm.

A concert introduction by concert dramaturg Dr. Ulrich Wilker begins 45 minutes before the concert starts.