Daniel Harding and Augustin Hadelich at the Waldbühne
The Berliner Philharmoniker and Daniel Harding bring the season to a close with a dazzling display of dance-like rhythms and rich orchestral colours. The sounds of csárdás and waltzes by Johann Strauss II will fill the air at the Waldbühne in Berlin, along with Richard Strauss’s salacious Dance of the seven veils, the fairy-tale world of Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Ravel’s dizzying La Valse. Star violinist Augustin Hadelich also performs Ravel’s Tzigane and Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy.
When violinist Augustin Hadelich made his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker in 2021, the chemistry was immediate – and he brings star quality to this Waldbühne concert. The conductor is Daniel Harding, who – following numerous appearances with the orchestra in Berlin, at the Easter Festival and the Europakonzert on two occasions – takes the helm for his first open-air season finale.
Dances are undoubtedly among the most immediate genres of music, but in addition to encouraging movement, they also served as a means for classical composers to evoke a particular local flavour. Maurice Ravel’s La Valse, for example, is a tribute to the Viennese waltz and, at the same time – through its sensuality of sound and refinement – a distinctly French work. For his violin rhapsody Tzigane, Ravel took his inspiration from traditional Hungarian folk music. And in the fiery Carmen Fantasy by the violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, the title heroine from Bizet’s French opera returns, as it were, to her Spanish homeland.
Igor Stravinsky laid the foundation for his international career with his exuberantly colourful ballet The Firebird, and it remains a showpiece of the orchestral repertoire. The dance-themed programme then features a pas de deux between Johann Strauss II and Richard Strauss, who is not related to him – and is not even Austrian. Viennese flair and charm are contrasted with the exotic, sensual colours of the Dance of the seven veils from the opera Salome.
Berliner Philharmoniker
Daniel Harding
Augustin Hadelich
© 2027 Berlin Phil Media GmbH
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