Iván Fischer leads the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Dvořák, Smetana and Bernstein

Iván Fischer and Guy Braunstein

Honorary guest conductor Iván Fischer is once again conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra in a unique and festive programme. The evening has two faces, one featuring the American-Jewish artists Bernstein and Braunstein before the interval, and afterwards, the Bohemian composers Dvořák and Smetana, who take us on a fascinating journey through their homeland. Leonard Bernstein’s sparkling dances from On the Town serve as a prelude to the Abbey Road Concerto which features composer-violinist Guy Braunstein (formerly leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) as soloist in his own work. Familiar melodies from the Beatles’ iconic album are interwoven with Braunstein’s own music.

Smetana and Dvořák

After the interval, Iván Fischer pairs excerpts from Smetana’s Má vlast (My Fatherland) with some of Dvořák’s Moravian Duets, sung by Mirella Hagen and Olivia Vermeulen. This melodious music paints a vivid, colourful picture of Bohemia in all its facets. Bohemian landscapes, scenes from the lives of Moravian peasant children and a mythical battle are all depicted in music, concluding with Smetana’s most famous river melody, The Moldau.