Peter Tschaikowsky
Serenade in C major op. 48 for string orchestra (1880)
Sergej Rachmaninow
Symphony No. 2 in E minor op. 27 ( 1906-1907)
- Gürzenich-Orchester Köln
- Lorenzo Viotti Conductor
Introduction one hour before the concert with Michael Struck-Schloen
The song of the solo clarinet soars infinitely above a grounding of agitated strings in the Adagio. Sergei Rachmaninov, most famous for his piano works, was one of the greatest writer of melodies of the 20th century. This melodiousness permeates his Symphony No. 2, which the Russian composer wrote in Dresden. The luxuriant epos of a composer seeking his place in a world of rapid changes – played in homage for his 150th birthday. The young conducting star Lorenzo Viotti combines Rachmaninov’s Second with Piotr Tchaikovsky’s elegant String Serenade, making the Gürzenich Orchestra itself the focus of his debut on its podium.
