Tetzlaff Plays Brahms Violin Concerto
Thu May 30 — Sat Jun 1, 2024
Orchestra Hall
A trio of German musical stars arrives at Orchestra Hall when violinist Christian Tetzlaff returns to play the music of Johannes Brahms under the baton of conductor David Afkham. Brahms’ fiendishly difficult Violin Concerto sways between moments of peaceful serenity and dark, stormy scenes, standing boldly as the opening to this kaleidoscopic concert, which also features colorful works by Dutilleux and Bartók.
A Few Things to Know
- Christian Tetzlaff most recently performed with the Minnesota Orchestra in March of 2020 and for the season finale in 2016. About the latter concert, Michael Anthony for the Star Tribune said "Tetzlaff gave these final pages an appropriately elegiac character, with poised and elegant tone, as if the sound were bathed in a delicate light conveying a sense of profound nostalgia and regret."
- David Afkham, who studied violin and piano from the age of six, also comes from a musical family. His brother Micha Afkham is currently a violist in the Berlin Philharmonic.
- Métaboles is the musical result of Henri Dutilleux’s exploration of metamorphosis, playing with the idea of dramatic transformation caused by slow and gradual changes.
- The 1926 premiere of Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin in Cologne, Germany, was considered so scandalous that the city’s mayor blocked any further performances, and efforts to produce it in Budapest five years later—in celebration of the composer’s 50th birthday—ran into such opposition that they had to be canceled.
Program
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BRAHMS
Violin Concerto
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DUTILLEUX
Cinq Métaboles
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BARTÓK
Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin
Artists
The Grammy Award-winning Minnesota Orchestra, now in its second century, ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles, with a distinguished history of acclaimed performances in its home state and around the world; award-winning recordings, broadcasts and educational engagement programs; and a commitment to intentionally build concert programs to feature more works by composers of color, exploring music both contemporary and historic. This past fall, Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård began his tenure as music director.
David Afkham has just been announced as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquestra y Coro Nacional de España from September 2019. This position will build on the success of his tenure as Principal Conductor of the orchestra since 2014, which has featured critically acclaimed performances of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder, Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, Bruckner Symphony No. 9, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Brahms’ Requiem, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, as well as several world premieres and semi-staged projects with Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, Strauss’ Elektra, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle. Born in Freiburg, Germany, in 1983, David Afkham is in high demand as a guest conductor with some of the world’s finest orchestras and opera houses, and has established a reputation as one of the most sought-after conductors to emerge from Germany in recent years.
Future highlights as a guest conductor include returns with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, HR Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Swedish Radio Symphony, Orchestra of Accademia Santa Cecilia and NHK Symphony Orchestra, as well as debuts with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and Dresden Philharmonic.
Plan your visit
- Pre-concert activities
- Valet Parking
- Pre-order Beverages
- Directions & Parking
- Helpful Tips
Know Before You Go
An engaging performance awaits, and the fun doesn’t stop there. Make this visit your own with food and activity options. Browse these helpful tips, and when your concert date arrives, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.
Directions & Parking
All the information you need to know for getting to and from Orchestra Hall. Parking is just steps away from Orchestra Hall in the city-owned and skyway-connected 11th and Marquette Ramp.
Pre-order beverages
Skip the lines at the bar! Pre-order your intermission beverage via the Minnesota Orchestra App when you arrive at Orchestra Hall.
Accessibility Services
- Armless & Bariatric Chairs
- Assistive Listening Devices
- Large-Print Programs
- Noise-Cancelling Headphones
- Service Animals
- Wheelchair & Accessible Seating
Additional services are available upon request.
SPONSORED BY
The 2023-2024 Classical Season is presented by Ameriprise Financial.