Kirill Petrenko in conversation with Alexander Bader (23 min.)

In January 2020, the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko performed Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto and Josef Suk’s Second Symphony, entitled Asrael, marking the beginning of an extended period of work together with three concert programmes. The soloist was Daniel Barenboim, himself an honorary conductor of the orchestra. While Beethoven’s only piano concerto in a minor key was also performed as a contribution to the celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 2020, the performance of Suk’s autobiographically inspired symphony marked the beginning of a systematic exploration of the little known Czech composer by orchestra and conductor. In conversation with the Philharmoniker’s clarinettist Alexander Bader, Petrenko talks about how he got to know Suk’s music, outlines his view of Beethoven and discusses fundamental questions about his work with the Berliner Philharmoniker.