4. Philharmonic Concert »Boundless«

In this concert, we present another key work for the viola. With our »Artist in Residence« Amihai Grosz and GMD Felix Mildenberger, we will be performing William Walton’s Viola Concerto at the Kleist Forum. This work provided the decisive impetus for the establishment of concertos for viola and orchestra and has become a staple of the genre. Walton had written it for the violist Lionel Tertis, who was one of the first to establish the viola as a solo instrument. Composed in 1928/29, the Viola Concerto catapulted the then 27-year-old Walton into the forefront of the composers of his time. In his viola concerto, which has a predominantly melancholic character, he showcases the viola to great effect, with sensitivity and a melodious musical language. Lyrical and elegiac passages, poetic moods and rhythmic figures reminiscent of jazz influences allow the viola to shine in all its facets. With this concerto, Walton opened up entirely new worlds for the instrument.

Benjamin Britten and Dmitri Shostakovich, too, pushed boundaries with the works performed here. In his very powerful, classically inspired 5th Symphony, Shostakovich combined bitter humour with quiet sorrow. “What is happening in the Fifth,” he said, “should, in my opinion, be clear to everyone. The jubilation is forced under threats.” He wrote this symphony in 1937 during the great Stalinist purges, fearing for his own life and that of his family.

Britten composed his Soirées musicales around the same time. Gioachino Rossini’s music had inspired him to create this timeless, lively and highly spirited little gem. A good 20 years later, a close friendship was to develop between Britten and Shostakovich, one that transcended the Iron Curtain. “Keeping the cultural door open,” Britten once said. Keeping doors open through culture and music – that, too, is part of the programme here.