Brno Philharmonic opened its 2026/2027 concert season on Sunday 20 September at the Janáček Theatre. The orchestra was joined for the occasion by guest conductor Petr Altrichter, its former chief conductor. Under the motto All Roads Lead to Brno, this season’s repertoire brings together composers and musical events with connections to the city and its rich cultural life. The opening concert therefore featured Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 2, a particularly fitting choice given that Brahms performed as a pianist at Brno’s Reduta in 1867. The programme opened with César Franck’s symphonic poem Psyché, for which the orchestra was joined by the Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno under the direction of Petr Fiala.
At the start of the evening, Brno Philharmonic director Marie Kučerová introduced the season’s theme and paid tribute to violinist Dorota Kellerová, for whom this was her final concert after 44 years with the orchestra. The first half of the programme featured César Franck’s Psyché, symphonic poem for mixed choir and orchestra, FWV 47. Franck (1822–1890), a gifted organist and composer, quickly made a name for himself in Paris, where some of the latest musical currents of High Romanticism were flourishing at the time. As a member of the Société nationale de musique (National Society of Music), he was part of a movement that actively promoted new French instrumental music, providing fertile ground for his own creative development. The 1888 symphonic poem Psyché, for SAT choir and orchestra with timpani and two harps, is based on a Greek legend. Psyche, a beautiful princess, is struck by Aphrodite’s curse, which condemns her to marry the ugliest of men. However, Aphrodite’s son, the god Eros, falls in love with Psyche, and she must then complete a series of impossible tasks before she is finally forgiven. This myth carries both a romantic and a spiritual message of mercy. Franck’s treatment does not focus on directly narrating the story. Instead, he entrusts the expression of emotion to the orchestra, while the choir serves as a kind of ancient Greek chorus.
In Brno Philharmonic’s performance, the expressive range was pushed to its limits. Heroic grandeur, waltz-like passages and moments of urgent tension all came naturally to the orchestra, though some changes of tempo and a number of entries were somewhat jarring. The dialogue between strings and winds, one of the work’s central features, came across particularly well. Special mention must go to clarinettist Jana Dvořáková, who had several demanding solos to negotiate over the course of the piece. The Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno unfortunately did not make a good first impression: its opening a cappella entry on the words “Amour! Source de toute vie!” was not quite together. Otherwise, the choir sounded well balanced and brought considerable sensitivity to the more delicate passages. A particularly magical moment came in the final section, “Eros a pardonné” (“Eros has forgiven”), where the choir and woodwinds sustained a firm, unwavering sonority, answered by shimmering figures in the harps that evoked forgiveness and redemption.
The central figure of the evening was Johannes Brahms (1833–1897). As one of the leading representatives of so-called absolute music, Brahms upheld the ideal of music as aesthetically self-sufficient – music that is beautiful in its own right, without the need for an external programme or narrative. His Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73, composed in 1877, is an eloquent example of that ideal. Often compared with Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, the work has an unmistakably Alpine, pastoral character, reinforced by its prominent use of the horns. Yet it is not based on any extra-musical programme. The first movement does not adhere rigidly to conventional sonata form, instead developing its material through a freer interplay of themes and motifs. Particularly striking is the prominence of the cellos, which frequently carry the melodic line throughout the symphony. Their warm, honeyed tone gives the work much of its distinctive colour and expressive richness. The cello section rose admirably to the task, and together with the brass formed a finely balanced partnership, passing the musical line smoothly back and forth like a flowing river. The symphony is full of energy and sudden shifts in expression and tempo. In the second movement, however, Petr Altrichter’s impassioned and energetic conducting proved rather counterproductive, as the players did not respond with sufficient ensemble cohesion.
In the Allegretto grazioso, the dialogue between strings and woodwinds returned, this time in a lighter and more playful mood. Jaunty pizzicatos alternated with silky wind lines, phrased in long, flowing arcs. As the music gathered momentum and weight, the recurring motifs seemed to sweep inexorably towards the fourth and final movement. The breathtaking pianissimo of the opening heightened the tension, which then broke through in forceful timpani. Its grand conclusion brought together ideas heard earlier in the symphony, with Brno Philharmonic giving them a strongly individual character right through to the final chord. Yet despite the many outstanding passages and the intelligent choice of works and composers, the evening as a whole felt somewhat less than fully realised. Small but recurring inaccuracies took some of the shine off an otherwise absorbing programme.
Performers:
Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno
Petr Fiala – choirmaster
Brno Philharmonic
Petr Altrichter – conductor
Programme:
César Franck
Psyché, symphonic poem for mixed choir and orchestra, FWV 47
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Sunday 20 September 2026 at 7 pm, Janáček Theatre, Brno
No comment added yet..