Brahms's Symphony No. 1

It took Johannes Brahms over twenty years to complete his Symphony No. 1. Time and again, he held the music up to the light, forging, polishing and sculpting it until he knew without a doubt that he was where he needed to be. He'd finally managed to emerge from his predecessor Beethoven's shadow, but without turning his back on the great master.

Brahms's Symphony No. 1 is one of the favourite pieces of music of our regular guest conductor and future chief conductor Jun Märkl. Brahms employed a variety of chords, modulations and counterpoints to give the symphony a rich and subtle sound, sometimes surprising and unexpected. Equally fascinating is Camille Saint-Saëns's mysterious and profound piano concerto popularly known as The Egyptian. You'll be able to hear the rippling waters of the Nile, the croaking frogs and the singing boatmen. The piece, with its beautifully rich tones and wealth of rhythms, will be performed by piano soloist Dejan Lazić, a frequent guest with the Residentie Orkest. We'll kick off the evening with the captivating sounds of Debussy, featuring our own solo harpist Mathilde Wauters.