Wiener Philharmoniker, J. Hrůša, I. Levit by Brahms, Dvořák, De (2023/2023), Director musical Jakub Hrůša, Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic

The Vienna Philharmonic is renowned as an outstanding orchestra that is partial to traditional, more conservative methods, including the use of a particular type of French horn, which will be heard at the start of the evening’s performance. Its alluring sounds, opening Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2, are an invitation for everyone to listen to the latest news from near and far. This is perfectly justified, as the Rudolfinum will see the Vienna Philharmonic performing under the baton of conductor Jakub Hrůša, with Igor Levit, a pianist now more German than Russian, joining them as a soloist. The programme also features Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G Major, sometimes called ‘English’. This is a reference to its premiere in London, the current home of Jakub Hrůša, the most successful contemporary Czech conductor, who has also been appointed Music Director of the prestigious Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Johannes Brahms, one of the greatest composers among the many Viennese masters, will have a welcome presence here in Prague, albeit for a short while. As a citizen of the world, Levit serves as a reminder that music transcends national boundaries. Ultimately, music cannot be stifled by other limitations either: during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Levit streamed 50 “house concerts” from his home in Berlin.