French horn x4

The 1st of May marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Hugo Alfvén, and we are celebrating the occasion with his Fest-ouverture för orkester, which was composed for the opening of Malmö City Theatre in 1944.

The party atmosphere continues with Robert Schumann’s technically challenging Concert Piece for Four Horns and Orchestra from 1849 – a true examination of the soloists’ credentials!

Johannes Brahms’ fourth and last symphony was premiered in 1885. The gravity of the work is emphasised by the very first tone of the opening theme’s beautiful yet slightly ominous melody. In the finale he borrows a theme from a lost Bach cantata that was rediscovered the same year he began writing the symphony.