Cast
Sir Simon Rattle — Conductor
Program notes
At the Lucerne Festival's 2016 edition, the Berliner Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle pay tribute to two of the greatest Romantic masters from the second half of the 19th century: Antonin Dvořák and his distinguished friend and mentor, Johannes Brahms!
The works in this program are both delightfully different and beautifully complementary in style and mood. First up are the spirited Slavonic Dances, eight fiery pieces inspired by Czech folk musical traditions that helped establish Dvořák's international reputation. The evening then concludes with Brahms's bucolic Symphony No. 2, composed during a stay in the Austrian Alps, a gorgeously serene ending to follow Dvořák's frenzied dances.
