Celebrate the debut concert of Andris Nelsons as the Gewandhaus Orchestra’s 21st Gewandhauskapelmeister with two ground-breaking works. Opening the concert with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40, which was one of two symphonies that Mozart wrote within the Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress) artistic movement, which portrayed and explored some darker and more intense emotion. One is his more well-known symphonies, you might find yourself humming along to the opening movement. This symphony was written in a time when Mozart found himself encountering more hardships, when his music was less popular, he was facing financial troubles and his daughter Theresia had just died. This is reflected in the music of his fortieth Symphony as it taps into darker emotions, especially compared to the more light-hearted and playful pieces that came before. Following the Mozart, Nelsons launches into Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, entitled “Pathetique.” His last symphony, is dramatic and powerful, ranging from loud brassy chords, to disappearing string melodies. Initially called the “passionate” symphony, it was mistranslated into French, by which it is now known. This work is arguably one of the greatest Romantic works of all time, as Tchaikovsky captures such strong, yet fleeting emotions. The music jumps from elation to melancholy, from anxious to confidence, with the genius of Tchaikovsky woven through. The rich textures and soft softs and loud louds take listeners on a journey they won’t forget. PROGRAM MOZART Symphony No. 40 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 ‘Pathetique’