Fidelio Orchestra: Ein Heldenleben

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op. 64

Strauss Ein Heldenleben Op. 40

Fidelio Orchestra

Kristīne Balanas violin
Raffaello Morales conductor

A legendary aura surrounds Strauss’s gigantic tone poem, written just before the turn of the century, when the composer was barely thirty-four. The many characters scattered throughout the piece have made people speculated that Strauss was picturing himself as the hero in question. From the heroic opening theme, repeated relentlessly for the first three minutes, to the annoying critics — characterfully pictured by the woodwinds and lower brass — to the imposing figure of his wife and the life exploits eventually culminating in a peaceful retirement, the perfect image of the fin-de-siecle bourgeois man. While the biographical references are obvious, this extraordinary work can well be seen as a testament to the heroic figure of the artist in a society more and more concerned with appearance, rather than a self-celebratory heirloom by a skilled composer.

Little could one imagine that the young Richard was going to go on writing fifteen operas over the following forty-five years, and become known to posterity arguably more for his operatic output than for its early symphonic works.

This concert launches a collaboration with &Fly, a community interest company advancing intergenerational and intercultural connectivity. &Fly, together with Fidelio Orchestra, are launching Bravo!Pass, an access initiative that allows free or heavily discounted admission to classical music concerts by Fidelio Orchestra for eligible youth, elderly and families. 

Please check T&C on www.andfly.org to see whether you are eligible for a Bravo!Pass and get your tickets here. For further inquiries regarding the programme please get in touch with contact@andfly.org. The event will be introduced by Anastasiia Rudkovska, CEO of &Fly and Community liaison for the event.