Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Concert #1

The mutual admiration between Brahms and Dvorák is well known, and is celebrated here by exceptional performers from different generations. On the menu for this first of two not-to-be-missed evenings: one of the most illustrious Concertos in the repertoire and one of the most profound works by the Czech master.

Composed twenty-two years after the first, Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2 (1881) was a huge success from the moment of its premiere - with the composer at the keyboard. Its legendary mood is expressed from the noble call of the horns in the first movement, which unfolds its epic beauty. Fierce and stormy, the Scherzo precedes a much more contemplative Andante, in which the cello, a quasi-soloist, competes with the piano. Then comes the lively Finale, in Hungarian colours, whose energy crowns a monument of the piano repertoire. By contrast, Dvorák's Symphony No. 7 (1885) is certainly his most 'German' score, in which the influence of Brahms and Wagner can be heard. Despite its grave and austere opening, the initial Allegro quickly unleashes its ardour, leading on to an Adagio bursting with piety and lyricism. Although enigmatic Wagnerian reflections still colour it, the Scherzo presents a more robust and popular climate: Dvorák can no longer contain the return of the Czech national inspiration, which is found in the rhapsodic Finale, not without gypsy accents.