Sturm und Drang - at the end of the 18th century, a group of young German writers rebelled against the existing social conditions, defied the authorities and placed their own experiences and feelings at the center of their thoughts and actions. The movement also left its mark on music: Joseph Haydn's symphonies, which he composed between 1765 and 1775, bear witness to this upheaval. Among them is the Symphony No. 44, which is a testament to his search for new forms and means of expression. The whole work is full of lyrical emphasis, which also characterizes Antonín Dvorák's 7th Symphony. After its light-hearted, melodious sixth, this now strikes unusually somber tones.
Far removed in time from the epoch of Sturm und Drang, but rooted in the same thoughts, Henri Tomasi also harbored a deep distrust of deadlocked systems in music: his trombone concerto, premiered in 1956, testifies to a musical diversity that is not committed to any regularities. Neoclassical elements are combined here with Latin American rhythms, blues-like swinging passages alternate with melodies that reveal the influence of twelve-tone technique. Music from a wide variety of cultures is reflected in the concert with which Nicolai Hauptmann introduces himself as the new solo trombonist of the Philharmonic Orchestra.