Hrůša & Bamberger Symphoniker: Beethoven 4 & 5
Discover Ludwig van Beethoven through performances of the complete symphonies and get a Beethoven pass featuring a range of experiences. On the second evening, Fate will be performed, paired with the charming Symphony No. 4.
Concert partner
Programme
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Symfonie č. 4 B dur op. 60
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67 “Fate”
Performers
- Bamberger Symphoniker
- Jakub Hrůša – conductor
#MeetBeethovenLive
1807 | Symphony No. 4
It was late summer 1806 when I decided to leave Vienna for a time; the city had become unbearable, occupied as it was by Napoleon’s forces, and so I took myself off to visit my friend and patron Lichnowsky at his castle in Grätz [Hradec nad Moravicí]. There I made the acquaintance of the Silesian nobleman Franz von Oppersdorff. It is true to say that the encounter was somewhat dramatic, as Lichnowsky forced me to perform before some arrogant French officers; we quarrelled and I nearly threw a chair at him… He was rescued only by the resourceful Oppersdorff. Such an affable man! He commissioned from me two symphonies, offering five hundred gulden for each. I originally wanted to dedicate my Fifth and Sixth to him, but somehow things were thrown into disarray and, in the end, it was the Fourth that came out of it. Indeed – a brilliant work! Playful, vernal, filled with unexpected twists and turns. Yes, I know it is not performed so much. It has the misfortune of sitting between the Eroica and the Fate. One of my talented successors Robert Schumann described it appositely as “a slender Greek maiden between two Norse giants.” A beauty with great charm and sense of humour nonetheless.
1808 | Symphony No. 5
Fate. That is what my secretary Anton Schindler called it. Da-da-da-dum. Four notes, the sound of fate knocking at the door… I was possessed by that motif. I had already sketched the Fifth in the years 1803–1804, but then I put the work aside for various reasons and only returned to it in 1807. These were difficult times. My heart was buffeted by my love for Josephine Brunsvik; add to this the complex political situation, particularly when Napoleon’s army occupied Vienna. In 1805, during the bombardment, I hid in the cellar with cushions held firmly to my ears as I was afraid that the explosions would damage my hearing even more. Yes, my ever worsening deafness. When I was composing I used a wooden rod, which I pressed to the piano so that I could feel its vibrations. Isolation fuelled the rawness of my music. What I had in my heart had to come out.
Interesting facts
- The rhythm of the opening motif of the Fifth “Da-da-da-dum” is the signal used in Morse code for the letter “V”.
- The “V for victory” slogan became the motto of the allied forces during the Second World War. The BBC introduced its broadcasts for the Special Operations Executive (SOE) with the first four notes of the Fifth.
- Space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched into space in 1977. Both probes carry a 12-inch, gold-plated audio-visual disc, which contains a selection of sounds from planet Earth. If it is ever discovered by extraterrestrials, they will find the first movement of Beethoven’s Fifth in the music section.
- In 2013 Google borrowed the introductory motif of the Fifth to advertise its Google Chrome web browser.
The 200th anniversary of the death of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) provides the Prague Spring with an opportunity to commemorate the wonderful oeuvre of this native of Bonn. The festival projects for 2027 are dominated by performances of the complete Beethoven symphonies by the Bamberg Symphony and conductor Jakub Hrůša who, with this project, rounds off his tenth season at the helm of this first-class orchestra. “Each of the nine symphonies opens a new musical world and expands the possibilities of the symphonic form. This is the central idea behind our programme: to make audible the arc of a lifelong artistic journey. Within a single concert – and even more so across the complete cycle – we can experience Beethoven’s extraordinary creative development and the constant reinvention of his musical language. We encounter not only the composer of heroic struggle, but also one of the greatest lyrical voices in symphonic music: a composer of tenderness, truthfulness and immense vitality, who embraced every aspect of life. For both musicians and audiences, it is an overwhelming experience to follow this journey together and discover the richness, contrasts and originality of each symphony,” Jakub Hrůša tells us.
Bamberg Symphony – Prague Spring 2027 Resident Orchestra
It is the 20th of March, 1946, shortly after eight o’clock in the evening. A tense silence prevails in Bamberg’s Zentralsaal as the newly founded ensemble plays the first few notes. Beethoven is on the programme. The Bamberg Symphony enters the concert arena through the music of arguably the greatest symphonist in history, and it is in his oeuvre that the orchestra finds its deep artistic roots…
Based in the picturesque Bavarian town of Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the orchestra has given 8,000 concerts in more than 500 cities in 64 countries and is thus one of the most frequently travelled symphonic ensembles in the world. They briefly define their mission as “resonating worldwide”. Their numerous recordings, released on such prestigious labels as Deutsche Grammophon and accentus music, have won a series of international awards, among them the German Record Critics’ Award 2021 and three International Classical Music Awards (2022, 2023 and 2025). The ensemble’s in-depth study of Beethoven’s music continually draws on the orchestra’s entire eighty-year history, supported by the endeavours of Joseph Keilberth, Sir Georg Solti, Eugen Jochum and Honorary Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony Herbert Blomstedt. Today this legacy is further developed in close collaboration with Chief Conductor Jakub Hrůša. Under his direction Beethoven’s cycle represents not only a tribute to this great composer, but also a return to the orchestra’s own history. Beethoven is and remains the foundation of the Bamberg Symphony’s musical identity.
Beethoven’s symphonies according to Jakub Hrůša
17. 5. Rudolfinum
Symphony No. 1: To endure and to transcend.
Symphony No. 2: To expand and to exhilarate.
Symphony No. 3: To invoke and to celebrate.
18. 5. Rudolfinum
Symphony No. 4: To refresh and to play.
Symphony No. 5: To struggle and to triumph.
19. 5. Rudolfinum
Symphony No. 6: To contemplate and to melt away.
Symphony No. 7: To dance and to rejoice.
25. 5. Rudolfinum
Symphony No. 8: To reflect and to refine.
Symphony No. 9: To tear down and to rebuild. To unite profoundly.
Other concerts as part of the Bamberger Symphoniker’s orchestra residency
Hrůša & Bamberger Symphoniker: Beethoven 1, 2 & 3
Discover Ludwig van Beethoven through performances of his complete symphonies and get a Beethoven pass offering a range of experiences. The first evening will feature Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, and the most popular symphony of all time, the Eroica!
Hrůša & Bamberger Symphoniker: Beethoven 6 & 7
Discover Ludwig van Beethoven through performances of his complete symphonies and get a Beethoven pass offering a range of experiences. On the third evening, you’ll be enchanted by the natural scenery of the Pastoral and the radiant Apotheosis of Dance with its immortal Allegretto!
Hrůša & Bamberger Symphoniker: Beethoven 8 & 9
Discover Ludwig van Beethoven through performances of his complete symphonies and get a Beethoven pass offering a range of experiences. We’ll bid farewell to the ticking metronome in Symphony No. 8 and to the Ninth with the Ode to Joy!
