Beethoven's Pastoral

“Natural,” “artificial”… Isn’t that a strange contrast? Hasn’t nature inspired art since time immemorial? Doesn’t art move us in a natural way? We call something “artificial” when it is not real, as if Gustav Mahler’s “Blumine” or Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Pastoral” were any less real than their natural sources of inspiration. The landscapes depicted there may well be imaginary, yet their effect is hard to deny. Mahler’s “Blumine” transports its audience to a place of deep contentment and contemplation; this place may be different for each of us, but it is real. Beethoven’s “Pastoral,” on the other hand, guides us through characteristic rural scenes and thus still speaks to our very souls, even 200 years later. The so-called “pastoral” mood, however, only comes to life thanks to the contrast with city life. In this program, this contrast becomes audible in Oscar Strasnoy’s “Sinfonia Concertante.” Amidst the two pastoral worlds of Mahler and Beethoven, a double concerto written for Jean-Guihen Queyras and his long-time duo partner Alexandre Tharaud takes center stage, deliberately setting itself apart from the rest of the program in both musical language and genre. It is through this contrast that the “Arrival in the Countryside”—as Beethoven describes the first movement of his Sixth Symphony—truly comes into its own.

Program
Gustav Mahler - “Blumine” Symphonic Movement for Orchestra
- INTERMISSION -
Oscar Strasnoy - Sinfonia Concertante for Cello, Piano, and Orchestra
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”

Cast
Orchestra: Musikkollegium
Conductor: Roberto González-Monjas
Piano: Alexandre Tharaud
Cello: Jean-Guihen Queyras

Single tickets for subscription concerts can be booked starting August 20, 2026. Until then, please send us an email specifying the desired ticket category and the number of tickets.