Pannon Philharmonic

Conductor

Kobajasi Kenicsiró

Soloist

MÁV Symphonic orchestra

About the Programme

Program:
Stravinsky: Firebird
Beethoven: Symphony No.3 (“Eroica”)

Once upon a time, Tzarevitch Ivan incidentally went in the wicked Kashtchei’s empire – begins the Russian version of a Persian tale. Rom this story, Igor Stravinsky composed a sparkling ballet with the title The Firebird, for Diaghilev’s ensemble. During his adventures, the hero falls in love with one of the captive princesses and frees the Firebird, who, out of gratitude, helps to break Kashtchei’s infernal power. The ballet’s melodic parts are Russian folk tunes, the human characters are featured with diatonic, the supernatural figures with chromatic music. After the work’s premiere, Stravinsky became world famous immediately; later he made a transcription from it into a suit.
Ludwig van Beethoven thought that General Bonaparte was a hero who completes the mission of upheaval of the human freedom and moral dignity. Therefore he titled his freshly composed Symphony No.3 as “Buonaparte”. When Napoleon put the emperor crown on his own head, the awakening from the dreams was horrifying. Beethoven tore apart the title page of his score; the symphony was published (1806) as Eroica - “the heroic” one. When getting the news about Napoleon’s death, the maestro said: “I have composed his funeral music many years ago.” – He meant the 2nd movement of this symphony.