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3. Academy Concert: Vladimir Jurowski

Conducted by General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski, the Bayerisches Staatsorchester interprets three European works from the end of the 19th century until the 1920s, which in their dichotomy reflect the social upheavals of the early 20th century. Sergei V. Rachmaninoff’s symphonic poem Isle of the Dead, inspired by the vivid sombreness of the eponymous painting by Arnold Böcklin, is contrasted by Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, with which the Italian pianist Beatrice Rana now makes her debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper. With blues and jazz elements, the classically perfected concerto embodies the radiant optimism of the 1920s. Between the melancholy of the hereafter and the affirmation of life stands Richard Straussʼs Also sprach Zarathustra. With its world premiere in 1896 as the 19th century drew to a close, the sharply contrasting symphonic poem, unresolved in its conflicts, already told of what was to come. The modernity of the composition, which in its time was awaited with mistrust and was received with astonishment, is ultimately proven by its use in Stanley Kubrick’s monumental film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which for its part points the way far into the future.

Guest performances in Antwerp (15 January; Hélène Grimaud Piano), Luxembourg (16 January; Beatrice Rana Piano) and Paris (17 January; Hélène Grimaud Piano)