When Beethoven died on 26 March 1827, it was not just a voice that fell silent. An entire era was shaken to its foundations. Two hundred years later, his music is more present than ever: radical, rebellious and full of energy. Rather than marking the anniversary with a conventional commemorative programme, we are dedicating a Beethoven focus that explores the full spectrum of his work – from the piano concertos and the Choral Fantasy to a truly exceptional piece: the early operatic version of Leonore.

Almost everyone knows Fidelio. But who knows Leonore, its first version? At most, the overture is occasionally heard in concert; the complete opera has only been rediscovered for the stage in recent years. Premiered in 1805, it was initially unsuccessful – partly because of the political situation in Vienna, which at the time was occupied by Napoleon’s troops. Beethoven later revised the work extensively. Yet many consider the original version the more daring and experimental one, combining symphonic writing and opera in a strikingly new way.

As part of our Beethoven focus, Dorothee Oberlinger will conduct a concert performance of Leonore in collaboration with the Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival. The semi-staged production will be directed by Tabatha McFadyen.

Kirill Gerstein will also leave his mark on the season: he will perform all five piano concertos and the Choral Fantasy and, together with Brad Mehldau, will present a special Beethoven evening at the start of the season.

A voice message from Christopher Dingstad, Head of Artistic Planning