Weil wir weitergehen ...

Weil wir weitergehen...

Symphony concert with the Bayer Philharmoniker
Friedrich Thiele cello, Jesús Ortega Martínez conductor
Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88

Shall we weep? - a question, an invitation, and a recommendation all at once. Not only in the face of dramatic and turbulent times, but because music can stir and release raw emotion like little else. Barber's "Adagio for Strings" leaves few unmoved: the slowly unfolding string lines carry such an all-encompassing melancholy that the breath catches. For Elgar's Cello Concerto, the Bayer Philharmoniker bring in a genuine star: Friedrich Thiele is principal cellist of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, and he takes on the solo part with skill and virtuosity. The evening then turns toward reconciliation and encouragement - two simple words that hardly capture the full depth of Dvořák's symphony, but they do stand for the emotional arc of this particular night.
Despite everything: we carry on!

Photo: Rene Gaens