The symphonic music concert Meeting of the Masters of Romanticism at the National Philharmonic Concert Hall, featuring the music of Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák, will undoubtedly draw fans of 19th-century Romantic works. The programme will be performed by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (LNSO), led by Maestro Modestas Pitrėnas, a conductor whose musical inspiration never wanes, and Lukas Geniušas, arguably the most prominent pianist of his generation. 

This programme is one of those rare occasions when only two monumental works are needed to achieve harmonious whole. In this case, they are Johannes Brahms’ monumental Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 in D minor and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor. They both are considered to be among the most sublime and bona fide examples of instrumental music in the entire history of music.

The creative process behind Johannes Brahms’ monumental Concerto, longer in duration than Ludwig van Beethoven’s legendary Emperor (No. 5), took nearly five years. Brahms conceived this Concerto as a work filled with inner struggle, spiritual drama, and immense emotional tension. The work’s musical material is so intense that critics claimed it could not be enjoyable: the dissonances in the high register seemed very uncomfortable to the ears of listeners at the time. The Concerto undoubtedly brought about changes in the development of this genre: here, the piano is not a mere ornament but an equal partner of the orchestra, jointly shaping a powerful symphonic vision. To this day, this work remains one of the most impressive large-scale works for piano and symphony orchestra.

Brahms’ piano concertos are akin to symphonies with a piano solo; they are by no means a piece every pianist can tackle. A few years ago, after performing Brahms’ monumental Second piano concerto with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, Lukas Geniušas described it as a real challenge. And now a new challenge awaits: he will delve into the musical depth of the First piano concerto with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra. 

Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, to be performed in the second half of the LNSO’s symphonic concert, is one of his darkest and most dramatic symphonic works. Dvořák was inspired to compose his 7th Symphony by the rising tide of nationalism in the Czech lands at the time and the resistance to the policies of Austro-Hungarian Empire. The composer wrote the symphony against a backdrop of national consciousness and political tension, which is why the music resonates with an anxiety, an unbreakable will, and, ultimately, triumphant hope.

Like most composers from small countries, Dvořák longed for recognition beyond the borders of the Czech lands, and Brahms’s support helped him achieve it: the premiere of the 7th Symphony in London was a success, so the composer himself saw this work both as an opportunity for personal creative expression and as a new symbol of Czech patriotism, hoping to stir the entire world with it. And he succeeded: his biographer John Clapham wrote that the dramatic power, emotional depth, and breadth of vision of this work are unmatched by any other work Dvořák had composed up to that point.

Orchestral music concert Meeting of the Masters of Romanticism. LNSO, Lukas Geniušas, Modestas Pitrėnas will take place on Friday, April 24 at 19.00 in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Concert Hall. On Saturday, April 25, at 18.30 in the Klaipėda Concert Hall, this programme will conclude Klaipėda Music Spring festival. For the full program of the LNPhS 85th season please visit www.nationalphilharmonic.lt  LNPhS 85th concert season is sponsored by NORFA.

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