World-Class Flute and Harp with Emmanuel Pahud & Anneleen Lenaerts

Tivoli Copenhagen Phil 
Conductor: Christoph Gedschold
Soloists: Emmanuel Pahud, flute & Anneleen Lenaerts, harp

The world’s greatest symphony – nothing less! Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, known as the Eroica, has often been voted exactly that, and continues to inspire composers, conductors and musicians with its powerful celebration of humanity’s most noble qualities: honour, courage and the desire for freedom.

Originally dedicated to Napoleon, whom Beethoven saw as a new hope for mankind, the symphony almost lost its title when the Corsican crowned himself emperor. A furious Beethoven tore the title page to pieces – but thankfully left the music untouched. And it is the music that remains, standing to this day as a powerful reminder that we can always strive to do better, both in how we understand ourselves and how we treat others.

Before the interval, we experience a very different kind of encounter – a musical summit of the finest kind – in Mozart’s irresistibly charming Concerto for Flute and Harp in C major. Sonning Award winner Emmanuel Pahud, often described as the uncrowned king of woodwind players, has taken the flute to new heights with his uniquely warm, rounded sound. A curious and constantly evolving musician, he is known not only for his long career as principal flute of the Berlin Philharmonic, but also as a celebrated soloist on the world’s great stages.

This evening, he is joined by Vienna Philharmonic principal harpist Anneleen Lenaerts, one of the world’s leading harpists, who enchants audiences with her sublime technique and refined tone. Together, these two international stars create pure musical magic as they make the air sparkle in Mozart’s radiant youthful masterpiece.

The concert opens with a shining Danish musical jewel: Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade Overture.