Szolnok Symphony Orchestra

The first version of Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 was completed in 1866 in Koblenz, with the composer himself conducting the premiere. The following year, with the assistance of Joseph Joachim, Bruch revised the work, and in 1868, the Hungarian violinist performed the new version. Although Bruch went on to compose two more violin concertos, the first became so popular that by 1893, he humorously suggested it should be banned. Lasting around 25 minutes, the concerto stands alongside the violin concertos of Brahms and Mendelssohn as one of the masterpieces of German Romanticism. Liszt completed his Piano Concerto in E-flat major in Weimar in 1849, and it was premiered in 1855 with the participation of the composer and Hector Berlioz conducting. To this day, it remains one of the most frequently performed and recorded piano concertos, known for its distinctive triadic theme. Joseph Haydn composed the Military Symphony during his second visit to London. The work premiered on March 31, 1794, at the Hanover Square Rooms, with Haydn himself conducting. The success of the premiere led to a repeat performance a week later. The symphony’s second movement develops a light melody into a vivid depiction of battle, emphasized by powerful percussion and brass sections.