NSOI: Peter Whelan conducts Weber & Brahms

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland
Peter Whelan, conductor 
Carlos Ferreira, clarinet 

Brahms Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn 
Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 1
Brahms Symphony No. 4 

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland’s new Artistic Partner, the ‘jaw-dropping’ (Arts Desk) Peter Whelan, makes his second appearance this season to partner with fast-emerging clarinettist, Carlos Ferreira, in his NSOI debut with Weber’s First Clarinet Concerto.

Peter Whelan is one of the brightest new conducting talents, acclaimed for his ‘rich insight, style and charisma’ (The Guardian) and winning ‘exuberance’ (Gramophone).

Principal Clarinet of Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and an ECHO (European Concert Hall Organisation) Rising Star, Carlos Ferreira’s magnetic playing is guaranteed to light up the operatic flair and blazing virtuosity of Weber’s stormy, tender, and playful concerto.

Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn is an inventive orchestral tour de force, transforming the enigmatic ‘Chorale St. Antoni’, based on a traditional pilgrim’s chant, into eight inventive character variations and a masterfully contrapuntal finale.

Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, his last, sums up his symphonic journey and growth, blending Classical rigour with Romantic passion. Its sombre, noble opening gives way to a ceremonial slow movement, a boisterous scherzo, and a monumental finale in the form of a Bach-inspired passacaglia to culminate in relentless, tragic power.

Presented by NCH