Gothenburg Symphony

Violinist Nicola Benedetti has been obliged to cancel, and this leads to a change of programme. She is replaced by young Swedish rising star Ava Bahari (born in 1996), who has received numerous Swedish and international awards. Ava Bahari was born in Gothenburg, and she has performed with the Gothenburg Symphony on many previous occasions. She is now based in Berlin, currently completing her advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

Ava Bahari takes on Brahms’ outstanding violin concerto – music with an abundance of melodies and harmonic adventures that lead far beyond the ordinary pathways. The slow movement begins with one of Brahms’ most beautiful melodies – which is presented by the oboe! The euphoric finale offers the occasional nod to friend, inspiration and violinist Joseph Joachim – who performed the world premiere of the concerto – and his Hungarian musical roots, which shimmer here and there in the music.

Richard Strauss wanted to compose something in the same heroic style as Beethoven’s Eroica. He did exactly that with Ein Heldenleben – A Hero’s Life. Through the music, we follow Strauss’ hero’s feats, out on the battlefield and together with his “life companion” – a portrait of Strauss’ wife – up to the inevitable conclusion. The music can be viewed as a depiction of a heroic fate in general, but the hero in this story is undoubtedly Richard Strauss himself.

This guest performance by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is led by the orchestra’s chief conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali.