Znaider plays Bruch

Tivoli Copenhagen Phil
Soloist: Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, violin
Conductor: Lan Shui

Richard Wagner’s Overture to The Flying Dutchman conjures turbulent musical waves that have inspired countless composers across genres, yet none rival the intensity of the original. With cascading strings and thunderous brass pulling us toward the depths, Wagner's stormy seas are nothing short of breathtaking. 

From these tempestuous waters, we journey safely to Scotland, where Danish superstar Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider delivers a rare and exquisite solo performance on home ground. He takes on Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, a violin concerto in all but name. Captivated by Scotland and its people, Bruch discovered a notebook of traditional folk melodies that so inspired him, he couldn’t resist weaving them into his composition. Bruch, ever modest, refused to call it a concerto because he felt he had “borrowed” the melodies, but his warm and imaginative orchestrations breathe new life into them. In the hands of Szeps-Znaider, this rarely heard gem will undoubtedly fill the Tivoli Concert Hall with a beauty so profound, it may seem as though the walls themselves are melting.

The centrepiece of the evening is Johannes Brahms’s awe-inspiring Symphony No. 1. A staggering 22 years in the making, this masterpiece finally allowed the famously perfectionist Brahms to declare himself a symphonist. And what a declaration it is—a Romantic tour de force that grips us from the opening dramatic chords to the triumphant chorale melody of the final movement. Critics of the time noted its resemblance to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, to which Brahms famously quipped, “Any donkey can hear that.” For Brahms, the resemblance was intentional—an homage to the old master as he stepped forward to carry the symphonic tradition into the future. 
Lan Shui, former Principal Conductor of the Copenhagen Phil, takes the podium to lead this exceptionally melodic program—a journey through tempestuous seas, Scottish Highlands, and the bold Romantic landscapes of Brahms.