7:30 p.m., KKL Luzern, Concert Hall :

THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | K. PETRENKO

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Kirill Petrenko : Music Director

A. Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B flat major, WAB 105

In 2016, Kirill Petrenko became the new Music Director of the Berlin Philharmonic. It was a huge challenge for the Russian-Austrian conductor to succeed the likes of Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado and Herbert Karajan. After several seasons, Petrenko has shown himself to be a conductor resolutely up to the challenge: the Berlin ensemble remains one of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and its concerts are a worldwide sensation. The Berliner Philharmoniker are never more impressive than in large-scale Germanic works, such as Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5, the first great peak of its composer, who referred to his work as “a masterpiece of counterpoint” because of the influence Bach had on him at the time.

7:30 p.m., KKL Luzern, Concert Hall :

THE BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | K. PETRENKO

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Kirill Petrenko : Music Director

B. Smetana : Má Vlast (Ma Patrie)

Má Vlast (My Homeland) is a jewel of the Romantic repertoire. In this immense work, Smetana wished to celebrate the landscapes and legends of his homeland. A masterpiece within a masterpiece, La Moldau is a veritable “sound film” tracing the course of the Vlatva (Moldau in Czech) from its source to its solemn entry into the capital. The opening bars are unforgettable: two springs, the first on flute, the second on clarinet, join together, while the strings soon depict the river’s flow. But this illustrious page is not the only jewel in the cycle: Vyšehrad depicts the castle overlooking the Moldau, where the legendary founder of Prague reigned, and Par les prés et les bois de Bohème is a hymn to the gentleness of the Bohemian companion. The Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Kirill Petrenko, will provide the eloquence and irresistible suggestive power.

À 19h30, au KKL Luzern, Concert Hall :

THE ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW ORCHESTRA | M.-W. CHUNG | A. SCHIFF

Orchestre Royal du Concertgebouw d’Amsterdam

Myung-Whun Chung : Direction musicale

András Schiff : Piano

– C. M. von Weber : Ouverture Der Freischütz,
Op. 77

– L. van Beethoven : Concerto pour piano n°4 en sol majeur, Op. 58

– G. Fauré : Pelléas et Mélisande, suite, Op. 80

– M. Ravel : Suite n°2 de Daphnis et Chloé

S’il est un orchestre légendaire (avec celui du Philharmonique de Berlin, entendu la veille !), c’est bien l’Orchestre Royal du Concertgebouw d’Amsterdam. Immense chef (qu’on connaît bien à Paris car il a dirigé durant de nombreuses années le Philharmonique de Radio France), Myung-Whun nous présente un délicieux programme franco-germanique. Aux chatoiements luxuriants de Daphnis et Chloé répondront l’admirable et si poétique Concerto n°4 de Beethoven, sous les doigts du maestro hongrois András Schiff. L’orchestre néerlandais est légendaire pour sa sonorité de velours et la beauté de ses interventions solistes.

4pm, Lukaskirche, Kirchensaal:

RECITAL S. KANNEH-MASON & H. BAKER

Sheku Kanneh-Mason : Cello

Harry Baker : Piano

– « Bach & Beyond » : works by J.S Bach alternating with works by L. La Havas, L. Janáček, B. Evans, P. Metheny, L. Mvula, H. Villa-Lobos, and S. Kanneh-Mason

Sheku Kanneh-Mason is the world’s new cello star. At the age of 20, he was already a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and now, at the age of 24, his extraordinary talent has conquered the world’s greatest stages. His father is Caribbean from the island of Antigua, his mother is Sierra Leonean; he has six brothers and sisters, and he often plays in concert with his older sister Isata, who is a pianist. But if his career path is original and his personality magnetic, it’s above all because of the magnificent sounds he draws from his Goffriller that Sheku Kanneh-Mason has made his mark. An immense musician, he joins pianist Harry Baker for this eclectic program. Kanneh-Mason is a formidable cellist of our time.