Under one of its finest conductors , one of the world's greatest orchestras performs one of the most famous symphonies in music history at the Palace of Arts. The event is not unprecedented, and yet these are the kinds of occasions - or more precisely, celebrations - that it would be a sin to miss. Sir Simon Rattle, who has headed the Berlin Philharmonic since 2002 and whose term in the post runs until 2018, is writing a new chapter in the history of the orchestra. He has had no easy task,... since earlier chapters were written by greats such as Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado. Now approaching 60 years of age, the British conductor, who raised the Birmingham Symphony to prominence in his thirties, has revamped the Berlin orchestra in a number of areas. He reorganised it as a foundation (so that it is now run more by its members than by politicians), successfully secured higher pay for its musicians and launched an education department within the institution. In his programming approach, he has pursued and widened the path trodden by Abbado in marrying contemporary European music to the classics of the repertoire. With its cast of outstanding soloists, this Budapest concert also reflects this profile.
The Berlin orchestra's repertoire and discography contains György Kurtág's "mini-symphony,” composed in the late 1970s and then revised in 1989, which utilises the symphony orchestra in innovative fashion. Groups of instruments arranged in space around the solo guitar are heard from various directions, granting the listener a sound experience brimming with exciting and unexpected twists. Perhaps a similar effect was produced by Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, written almost 200 years ago, when the voice rings out in the grandiose finale.
Presented by: Palace of Arts
Parking information
We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
Safe ticket purchase
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