Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Of the finale to his fourth symphony, Tchaikovsky said that there is still happiness: simple, naive happiness. “Deriving happiness from others allows one to live longer.” This idea is also reflected in the effervescent and exhilarated music. But the symphony is also about his feelings after his brief, catastrophic marriage. The introductory theme which recurs several times in the symphony is the core – an obliterating force that stands in the way of happiness.

Composer, clarinettist and conductor Jörg Widmann is currently one of the most acclaimed names in the world of classical music. His richly varied and imaginative music is often associated with familiar classical and romantic composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms, but it is simultaneously unmistakably rooted in our era. This season’s international composer festival at Konserthuset, 9–12 November, was dedicated to the music of Jörg Widmann. 

In close collaboration with outstanding Swedish trumpet player Håkan Hardenberger, he composed Towards Paradise (Labyrinth VI) for trumpet and orchestra. The concert is led by Latvian Andris Nelsons, Chief Conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He began his career as a trumpet player and has worked with Håkan Hardenberger on several occasions.