Dvořák: Symphony No. 9, From the New World | Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich

Antonín Dvořák‘s Symphony Nr. 9 “From the New World” and his Cello Concerto in B Minor are included on the program of the fiery opening concert for the 2023 Bonn Beethovenfest. The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich plays at the Bonn Opera House under the baton of Paavo Järvi. The cello soloist is Anastasia Kobekina. Spoken word artist Jürg Halter also premieres his work “Wir sind gute Menschen” (We are good people). The evening’s program moves between the optimism of the early 20th century and the more critical tones of the present. For example, enthusiasm for the “Pacific 231” locomotive inspired Arthur Honegger to write his eponymous orchestral work at the start of the 20th century. Antonín Dvořák also believed in the promises of the modern era. He wrote his Symphony Nr. 9, “From the New World” and the Cello Concerto in B Minor against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century optimism in the US. Jürg Halter’s poem “Wir sind gute Menschen” strikes a very different tone: it’s a skeptical, almost sarcastic swansong to faith placed in the future. Program: Arthur Honegger (1892–1955) Pacific 231 Jürg Halter (*1980), Roberto Domeniconi (*1961), Fredy Studer (1948–2022) Wir sind gute Menschen, arr. for spoken word and orchestra by Ian Anderson, premiere Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 I. Allegro II. Adagio ma non troppo III. Finale. Allegro moderato Intermission Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “From the New World” I. Adagio - Allegro molto II. Largo III. Molto vivace IV. Allegro con fuoco TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH Paavo Järvi | CONDUCTOR Anastasia Kobekina | VIOLONCELLO Jürg Halter | SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE Estonian Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi is widely recognized as one of today’s most eminent conductors, enjoying close partnerships with the finest orchestras around the world. He serves as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, as the long-standing Artistic Director of The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen since 2004 and as both the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra. From the start of the 2022/23 season, he is also Honorary Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra. Das Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, founded in 1868, is one of Switzerland’s leading musical ensembles. Around 100 musicians perform about 50 different programs in over 100 concerts each season. Guest performances have taken the orchestra to cities in over 30 countries. In addition to the orchestral pro-jects, the members also create their own chamber music series and perform as soloists in their own series. Music Director Paavo Järvi is the 11th Principal Conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. Recently, the orchestra received the European Culture Prize 2022 together with Paavo Järvi. Anastasia Kobekina performs at major venues and festivals, including the Concertgebouw Amster-dam, the Lincoln Center, Konzerthaus Berlin and Tonhalle Zurich. Born in Russia, she received her first cello lessons at the age of four. Anastasia Kobekina studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Olga Galochkina, with Frans Helmerson and Prof. Jens-Peter Maintz in Germany and then in Paris with Je-rome Pernoo. Currently, she is studying Baroque violoncello in Frankfurt. Anastasia Kobeki-na performs on an Antonio Stradivarius violoncello from 1698. Jürg Halter was born 1980 in Bern, where he lives most of the time. Halter is a writer, poet, spoken word artist and visual artist. He is one of the best-known Swiss authors of his generation and one of the pioneers of the new German-language spoken word movement. He studied visual arts at the Bern University of the Arts and performs regularly throughout Europe, in the US, Africa, Russia, South America and Japan. Jürg Halter has published numerous books and CDs, regularly works for the the-ater and exhibits his art. His current music project is called “Achtung Niemand”. The Beethovenfest Bonn is one of Germany’s oldest and most significant music festivals. Founded in 1845 by Franz Liszt in Beethoven’s birth town, it is now an internationally recognized beacon on the cultural circuit, with around 80 events held in Bonn and the region each year in August and September. © 2023 Deutsche Welle Thumbnail photo: © Gaetan Bally Watch more concerts in your personal concert hall: and in our Beethoven playlist: Subscribe to DW Classical Music: #celloconcerto #symphony #fromthenewworld