The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO) will hold a concert on The Best of Brahms at the Katara Opera House, featuring “three of the greatest pieces of classical music ever played”.
Conducted by Elias Grandy, the concert at 7.30pm on Saturday (June 18) includes one of the great musical expressions of tragedy from the Romantic age Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.
It will also feature Queen Marie Antoinette’s favourite symphony, Haydn’s *Symphony No 85, popularly known as *La Reine (The Queen).
Grandy has established himself as one of the leading conductors of today, enjoying an international career that encompasses opera and symphony concerts.
Currently in his sixth season as music director of the Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra Heidelberg, he continued to grow the city’s artistic reputation as one of Germany’s most fascinating centres for symphonic music and opera.
Programming diverse repertoire, ranging from highly acclaimed interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Puccini, and Janacek to widespread recognition for performances of contemporary works such as *Morgen und Abend by Georg Friedrich Haas or Peter Ruzicka’s *Benjamin, Grandy is known for the energetic impact he brings to each performance.
His contract in Heidelberg has been recently extended through the 2023/2024 season.
*Programme:
*Johannes Brahms: Tragic Overture, Op. 81
Brahms chose the title "tragic" to emphasise the turbulent, tormented character of the piece.
In essence, it’s a free-standing symphonic movement, in contrast to the mirthful ebullience of a companion piece he wrote the same year, the *Academic Festival Overture.
*Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No.85 in B-flat major (La reine; The Queen of France)
*Johannes Brahms: Symphony No.1 in C-Minor, Op. 68
Brahms’ first symphony is not only remembered for its overwhelming musical power but also for the extraordinary length of time it took the composer to get acquainted with the piece.