Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker Conductor: Kirill Petrenko Soloist: Gautier Capuçon, cello Programme: – Joseph Haydn: Overture in D major, Hob. Ia:7 – Igor Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite (revised version from 1949) – Piotr Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra, Op. 33 – Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36 Date: 1 May 2026 Time: 11:00 CET / 09:00 GMT Streaming platform: Digital Concert Hall (Check local listings for televised broadcasts)
The Berliner Philharmoniker celebrates the 144th anniversary of its founding with the thirty-sixth edition of the Europakonzert. This year, the gala matinee travels to Eisenstadt, Austria, to perform at Schloss Esterházy. The choice of venue is of particular historical weight, as the palace served as the primary residence and workplace for Joseph Haydn for nearly thirty years. The concert takes place in the Haydn Hall, a Baroque space renowned for its timber-ceiling acoustics and its direct association with the birth of the symphonic form.
The Europakonzert tradition began in 1991, designed to celebrate a unified Europe by performing in various cities of cultural significance. Following recent visits to Barcelona (2023), Tsinandali (2024), and Bari (2025), the 2026 programme returns to the heart of the Viennese Classical tradition. Under the direction of Kirill Petrenko, the selection of works creates a dialogue across centuries, beginning with Haydn’s Overture in D major to honor the palace’s genius loci.
The programme explores different facets of Neoclassicism and historical homage. Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, featuring soloist Gautier Capuçon, reflects a 19th-century fascination with the elegance of the Mozartian era, while Stravinsky’s Pulcinella Suite looks even further back to the Baroque, reimagining 18th-century fragments through a modern rhythmic lens. The afternoon concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2, a work composed during the transition from the Haydn-influenced Classical style toward the expansive Romanticism that would follow.
Located in Burgenland, near the borders of Hungary and Slovakia, Schloss Esterházy stands as a symbol of the multi-ethnic cultural history of Central Europe. By performing here, the Berliner Philharmoniker highlights the enduring legacy of the Esterházy princes’ patronage, which provided Haydn the stability to develop the musical structures that remain the foundation of the orchestral repertoire today.
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We recommend this performance for its artistic value. Moto Perpetuo does not receive any benefit or commission from streaming platforms. A subscription to the Digital Concert Hall may be required to view the full content.
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