Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll opens in quiet intimacy and warmth — a musical love letter bathed in morning light. Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 follows with vibrant energy: rhythmic, natural, and bursting with Bohemian joy.

-----

A captivating world full of fresh vitality, sparkling streams and birdsong: that is the idyllic landscape Dvořák conjures in his Eighth Symphony. Brimming with confidence and optimism, he pours in a generous helping of folk flavour from his beloved Bohemia, and his signature dance rhythms are very much present. Everything is crafted with great precision — yet Dvořák makes it sound as if the music rises up effortlessly and spontaneously.

The concert opens with Wagner — not with his usual pathos, but with an intimate birthday gift for his wife Cosima and their newborn son, Siegfried.