Jakub Hruša conducts Mozart and Beethoven | Philharmonia Orchestra

Jakub Hruša brings to life worlds of passion and beauty in masterpieces by Strauss and Beethoven.

Opening the programme, Strauss’s muscular Don Juan, a musical retelling of the Spanish legend of the same name, is a 20-minute orchestral powerhouse of a piece. Powerful brass and stormy strings depict Don Juan’s life of seduction and eventual downfall. Written when Strauss was just 24, it was an instant success and established his reputation across Europe.

By contrast, Beethoven’s fourth symphony has been unjustly overlooked between the bold third and fifth. It features some of the composer’s most attractive melodies, in delicate interplay between light and shade. A brooding opening gives way to a sunny mood that leads into a slow movement so beautiful that Berlioz said it could only have been written by an archangel.

Similarly joyful, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 22 lies at the heart of the programme, with soloist Martin Helmchen. “The world isn't short of brilliant concert pianists, but Martin Helmchen stands out even in that remarkable crowd,” (Washington Post).