“Role models and tyrants”

Symphonic concerts, alas, their time is simply over, only an aging audience still appreciates them out of tradition or as cultural heritage. This is a mistaken assumption. At the University of the Arts (HfK) in Bremen, students are currently fueling the forward-looking vitality of this art form, demonstrating its beauty, pathos, complex soundscapes, and all the possibilities it offers for stirring up great emotions. Anyone who would like to experience this passion brought to life is cordially invited to come to the Tabakquartier (Hall 1 of the Bremen Philharmonic) on November 18, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Prof. Thomas Klug will conduct the concert “Vorbilder und Tyrannen” (Role Models and Tyrants) by the HfK Bremen Symphony Orchestra.

The evening will open with an opulent sound experience. The HfK Symphony Orchestra will be joined by the Grand University Choir of the HfK & University of Bremen under the direction of Rucsandra Popescu. They have rehearsed Gabriel Fauré's Pavane op. 50 (1887). A romantically elegant melody floats like a catchy tune on the gentle rhythm of the pavane, a courtly dance from the 16th century. The orchestral version of the work exudes the spirit of the Belle Époque in Paris. The text for the choir was written by dandy poet Robert de Montesquiou. With irony and mockery, he describes the flirtations, coquetry, gallantry, declarations of love, and love games of aristocratic society.

The focus then shifts to an HfK student who is completing her concert exam. One part of the exam is the “solo concerto with orchestra.” The examination board has selected Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme in A major, Op. 33 (1877) for Ji-Young Kim (cello) from Prof. Tanja Tetzlaff's class. The cello introduces the theme of the work and explores it in seven variations in an almost chamber-like dialogue with the orchestra. Even on superficial listening, one aspect of the evening becomes clear: “role models.” The piece is a cheerful and lively expression of the composer's admiration for his colleague Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Tchaikovsky imitates Mozart's style, “which he succeeds in doing,” but with his characteristic romantic “glasses,” explains Prof. Thomas Klug. The result is an elegant homage that also creates plenty of space for the soloist's virtuosity.

The finale features the daring magic of the sound of Ludwig van Beethoven's most significant work in terms of composition, Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica” (1804). The original title of the work was: “Heroic Symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.” In other words, a role model. "This referred to Napoleon, whom Beethoven initially saw as the embodiment of liberty, equality, and fraternity. But when Napoleon crowned himself emperor on December 2, 1804, Beethoven changed the title to “Eroica.” For him, Napoleon went from being a role model to a tyrant, in a broader sense," says Prof. Thomas Klug. What fascinates him about the composition? “It expresses Beethoven's longing for brotherhood, but at the same time conveys a sense of grief and despair – as a reflection of the reality of life. Desire and reality in all their facets! That is precisely why the ‘Eroica’ is more relevant today than ever before, when we look at the world around us.”

Program

Gabriel Fauré: Pavane, Op. 50

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme in A major, Op. 33

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica”

Performers

Soloist: Ji-Young Kim (cello)

Large University Choir of the HfK & University of Bremen, conductor: Rucsandra Popescu

Symphony Orchestra of the HfK Bremen

Conductor: Prof. Thomas Klug

Admission: €20 / €10 reduced

Tickets available from Nordwest-Ticket and all known advance booking offices.

Venue: Tabak-Quartier, Hall 1 of the Bremen Philharmonic Orchestra, Am Tabakquartier 10, 28197 Bremen

Start: 7:30 p.m.