Tschechische Philharmonie

Often, there is only a fine line between creativity and crisis. Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto and Smetana’s Moldau are perfect examples of works by visionary composers who found themselves in personal difficulties. In honour of both these Romantic composers and their outstanding musical accomplishment, the Czech Philharmonic and its conductor Semyon Bychkov are devoting two concerts in the Elbphilharmonie to their work. When we hear such magnificent music, it is hard to believe that Smetana composed his most famous piece after he lost his hearing and that Rachmaninov suffered from serious depression before writing his well-loved piano concerto. The notoriously difficult piano part with its iconic opening chords is a perfect showpiece for Korean superstar Seong-Jin-Cho, who is featured in four of our ProArte concerts this season.