The folk music of Hungary and Romania is rich in variety . At the beginning of the 20th century, composers were inspired by their sounds – especially Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. György Ligeti, who came from Romanian Transylvania and would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2023, also showed great interest in ethnomusicology. This can be heard in exemplary fashion in the »Concert Românesc« from 1951 – rhythmic, concise and with a lot of esprit.

At the suggestion of his publisher, Antonín Dvořák wrote his only violin concerto from 1879. The genesis is complex, but the premiere in 1883 shows: glorious melodies and stirring moments in which soloists can demonstrate diverse musical abilities.

At the age of only 19, Dmitri Shostakovich composed his 1st Symphony as his final project at the Leningrad Conservatory. He is later reviled as a formalist - and his work is an object lesson in how to preserve one's creative freedom as an artist under the Stalinist system. A witty work - echoes of Stravinsky and Prokofiev are unmistakable, the instrumentation is transparent and chamber-musical.

This concert is part of the search process to fill the position of General Music Director at the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg.