Symphony Concert N° 5

Petr Popelka played double bass in the Dresden Staatskapelle for ten years before devoting himself entirely to conducting. The chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra is now returning to his former ensemble for a symphony concert. He is bringing with him a programme of Russian works that runs the gamut from Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky to Alfred Schnittke. The latter’s Viola Concerto is one of his most significant works, containing an array of musical references drawn from the late-Romantic and Baroque periods as well as contemporary music. This »polystylistic« approach reflects Schnittke’s inner conflict, which can be attributed to the exploration of existential themes as well as his own deteriorating health.