About the Concert

The sale of tickets for these and other events, as well as the sale of elective subscriptions for the upcoming season, will begin on June 21.

At the end of the 19th century, César Franck, a native of Belgium, regained lost ground for the orchestral music of his adopted country, France, which was divided between ardent "wagnérisme" and harsh rejection of Wagner, with his Symphony in D minor. After initial irritation at its premiere in 1889, it is today considered one of the most important symphonies in the French repertoire.

Ludwig van Beethoven's Triple Concerto may have been heard for the first time shortly before June 9, 1804, presumably during two rehearsals at the Palais Lobkowitz in Vienna and with the composer at the piano. It was said to be "a completely new concertino by Beethoven for pianoforte, violin and violoncello accompanied by the orchestra."
The cellist, who almost always leads the ranks of soloists, has a particularly demanding role, and whom Beethoven presented with a series of technical difficulties that even long after his death few cellists were able to realize without accident and with a beautiful sound. The great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich once described the Triple Concerto as the most difficult piece in the entire cello literature.