Festive rhapsody

Concert series "from christmas to new year" December 26–31, 2026

FESTIVE RHAPSODY

Performers: Lithuanian chamber orchestra Artistic director, soloist and conductor SERGEJ KRYLOV (violin) Program: Johann sebastian bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048 Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in G minor, BWV 1056R JOSEPH HAYDN – Symphony No. 6 in D major ("Le Matin"), Hob. I:6 MAURICE RAVEL – Rhapsody "Tzigane" for violin and orchestra, M. 76 (orchestration for violin and strings by Tomas Petrikis)

In this traditional concert by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and its artistic director, violinist and conductor Sergej Krylov, the festive spirit will be created by two solemn works by Johann Sebastian Bach, while Joseph Haydn's bright symphony and Maurice Ravel's passionate rhapsody will guide the audience toward a successful and colorful New Year.

Around 1721, J. S. Bach wrote six orchestral opuses and dedicated them to his patron, Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg. "Six concerts for various instruments" – that is how the author titled them. Tonight, the "Brandenburg Concerto" No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048, will be performed – here, J. S. Bach does not single out soloists, but by dividing the string orchestra into parts, he ingeniously utilizes various combinations of the entire string trio. Alongside it, we will hear one of the most popular Violin Concertos in G minor, BWV 1056R, by this genius of the Baroque era. Like other composers, J. S. Bach used material from his earlier compositions for new opuses, and the predecessor of this one is a concerto for harpsichord.

The leading representative of the Viennese Classical school, J. Haydn, created 103 symphonies, and of the first ones, the best known are three (Nos. 6, 7, and 8), created in 1761 and bearing the programmatic titles "Le Matin" (Morning), "Le Midi" (Noon), and "Le Soir" (Evening). These were the first works with which J. Haydn introduced himself to the Esterházy court chapel and the public. Titles for J. Haydn's symphonies were usually given by friends or listeners, so the title "Le Matin" for Symphony No. 6 is associated with the short, slow introduction of the first movement, reminiscent of a sunrise.

French impressionist M. Ravel called his rhapsody "Tzigane" for violin and orchestra a "virtuoso piece in the style of a Hungarian rhapsody." The author dedicated it to one of the most famous violinists of his generation, the Hungarian Jelly d’Arányi, who performed it for the first time in London in 1924. It is interesting that critics of the time panned the opus, calling it kitsch, a pastiche, and "instrumental acrobatics," but now the rhapsody travels triumphantly across the world's most famous stages.