Pannon Philharmonic

Conductor

Ola Rudner

The Swedish conductor began his career as a violinist, was the winner of the Paganini Competition, assistant of the legendary Sándor Végh, and concert master of various orchestras - Camerata Slazburg, Volksopera Vienna, Vienna Symphony Orchestra. In 1995, he founded the Philharmonia Wien-t, and then 2001-2003 was the principal… More

Soloist

György Lakatos

bassoon

György Lakatos has been the first bassoonist of the Hungarian State Opera and the Budapest Philharmonic Society’s Orchestra since1985. Since 1987, he has been teaching at Franz Liszt University of Music, in 1996, he got the Liszt Award. He recorded… More

About the Programme

Program:
Rossini: The Italian Woman in Algiers – Overture
Rossini: Bassoon Concerto
R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), op.40

Gioacchino Rossini (1792–1868): The Italian Woman in Algiers – overture; Bassoon Concerto

Rossini, one of the biggest geniuses of the Italian opera buffa, was born in Pesaro and played beside his father in the theatre orchestra when hi was 13 years young. He began to write music at the age of 15 and as a 20-year-old was known all over the country. During his career, he created 40 operas, his comic operas has become world-renowned repertory pieces. The Italian Woman’s premiere was in 1813 in Venice and the story – about bey Mustafa who gives his boring wife to his Italian slave – gave Rossini a superb base to flourish his divers musical humour, vitality, rhythmic wit brilliantly shown in the overture too.
In addition his overtures, Rossini wrote few works for orchestra. This is why his Bassoon Concerto in B flat major is really delicate. He composed it around 1845, in his period, when he hardly ever wrote but for his own joy.

Richard Strauss (1864–1949): A Hero’s Life (Ein Heldenleben) op. 40

Richard Strauss, one of the most influential German composers of the 19th-20th century turn, conducted his gigantic symphonic poem’s premiere, which earned a mighty success, in 1899 himself. Strauss’s description of the story goes like this: The Hero, The Hero’s Enemies, The Hero’s Companion, The Hero in the Battle, The Hero’s Work in Peace, The Hero’s Fleeing from the World and His Purgation.
After the Parisian premiere of the work, which is even nowadays a big challenge in harmonic aspect, Debussy said: „This work is a picture book or rather a movie. But I have to admit that a composer who built up a composition so effectively must be close to being called a genius.” Romain Rolland: „It is the best battle of the music history.”